Whether you’re a let’s-lift-weights sort of human or a run-til-my-legs-fall-off type of exerciser, you are aware that developing a new fitness habit starts with a massive behavior change. Sometimes you come in from a long day at the office, and you want to get a workout in, but you can’t find the motivation. Or maybe you think you have workout motivation, but “life” is getting in the way.
We can all agree it’s super easy to set and start a new dietary plan and fitness routine but extremely hard to maintain this new habit after the first few weeks. In this blog, I’ll show you that making exercise an enjoyable part of your everyday life may be easier than you think and that constant improvement can be a daily result.
Everyone knows that exercise can improve your health. If you exercise regularly, you know there are numerous greater benefits aside from simply weight loss or staying in shape. Being productive and alert at work (even if you are working from home) can help you get your task done quicker or even make you more eligible for a promotion. By not exercising regularly, you could be putting your health — and your job — at risk. I highly believe physical exercise and work-life balance productivity go hand in hand.
But no matter how hard or how often you workout to build muscle or lose weight, sometimes the exercises that have been going so well for so long don't do the trick anymore. That's called "plateauing," and it can be one of the most frustrating parts of getting in shape.
Here are 5 tips that you can add to your fitness lifestyle if you want to constantly improve the quality of your workouts.
1 - Fuel Properly
Eat a good breakfast. Your body needs vitamins and minerals to help you get through the day without feeling exhausted. Choose something healthy for breakfast that will help jumpstart your metabolism, increase energy and keep you alert throughout the day. But what are the benefits of a healthier diet? Well, for this one I am assuming I don't have to extend myself too much. A healthier balanced diet can only bring us benefits in the short and long run in terms of having a better well-being.
Cultivating and growing your overall wellness builds resilience, reduces the risk of illness, and ensures positive interactions on a daily basis. Your well-being not only affects your life, it also influences others you are closely connected to.
Investing in your health and wellness can start at any age and is a lifelong process. The goal should always be to make tweaks to make the action become a realistic lifestyle for you. We must make time for things that are “necessary” but also allow this new behavior and new lifestyle to enter the conversation of longevity, well-being and necessity.
2 - Sleep Tight
Quality shut-eye is vital to getting the most out of your time spent in the gym. And that goes for every night of the week. According to one 2015 Sports Medicine review, poor sleep hinders not only your exercise performance (and the number of calories you burn), but also your body’s ability to come back stronger after every workout. “Sleep drives the hormonal shifts that promote the body’s recovery to exercise,” says Carlson-Phillips. Without appropriate sleep, symptoms of over-training, including fitness plateaus, set in. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep every single night.
Sleep is the time where our body is ultimately trying to recover from all the stress it goes through daily, and it is vital to gaining muscle, losing fat, and being healthy. Unfortunately, sleep is an afterthought in most people’s fitness routine, because they're too consumed with how much they can get done in the day, instead of focusing on reaping the HUGE benefits from getting QUALITY sleep.
3 - Update Your Gear
Maybe you’re not up for working out because your workout gear is from the dark ages. If you go to pull out a T-shirt for your workout, and it’s full of holes, it’s time to re-do your workout wardrobe. Think of getting new workout gear as investing in yourself. How often do we make sure our living rooms or kitchens are state of the art, but we don’t put any time, energy, or money into our personal effects?
It could be as simple as getting a new water bottle. Making sure you have supportive and properly fitting shoes is key to achieving your workout goals. And if you get a new workout tee or tights, it can make you more motivated to get moving.
4 - Be Mindful of Your Electrolyte Intake
Our body also needs fluids and electrolytes to function at its best. Training in the heat means that you’ll sweat more and lose more water which means that you’ll need to drink more fluids to replace the liquid and electrolytes lost. Experts agree on one thing when it comes to how much water adults should drink: that Americans don’t drink enough. Here is one basic rule of thumb: Drink half your weight in ounces daily (ex: a 150lb person would drink 75oz).
For intense workouts or long-distance runs, drink fluids with added electrolytes. Bring a bottle with you to the gym, and make sure you drink before, during, and after your workout! Walking around with a water bottle or sports drink bottle has become part of who I am. Staying hydrated not only helps me to stay on top of my physical performance, but also I make sure I am always at my best mentally. Products like Hydra-Guard Sports Drink also help me to make sure I have my proper amount of Vitamins and essential electrolytes. One bottle has 20% the equivalent Daily Value of Calcium we need alongside with only 5g of REAL Sugar and no artificial anything.
5 - Proper Planning
Over breakfast, spend a few minutes going over your priorities for the workout. This will help you get things in perspective and plan out your workout so you can make better use of your time. Leave around the same time every day and allow yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. Warm Up properly, according to what your body needs that day. Rushing around the gym creates stress and aggravation, which is exactly what you don’t want when trying to start your workout.
Identifying barriers and challenges ahead of time can be an effective way to address them before they become overwhelming. I know it can be super easy to give up on goals and new habits when life gets challenging. That’s why it’s critical to remind yourself that a day or even a week of setbacks will not ruin your path to achieving your new goals.
If you are making switches on your diet or schedule/lifestyle, look for products that will help you achieve your hydration goals too. Like I mentioned in this article, luckily there are already healthier options of foods and drinks on the market that can help people get their essential vitamins and minerals and keep your hydration levels at its peak without the extra calories.
As I always mention, keeping your body hydrated is the bare minimum you can do to optimize mental and physical well-being. As a professional swimmer, I always have to make sure my body is at its maximum level of hydration, so I can perform at my best during everyday workouts and swim meets. Walking around with a water bottle or sports drink bottle has become part of who I am. When I go to that morning run or workout I always make sure I have a bottle of Hydra-Guard with me. Staying hydrated not only helps me to stay on top of my physical performance, but also I make sure I am always at my best mentally.