You’ve carved out the time, you’ve turned off Netflix, and you’re ready to workout. Five minutes in and you feel shaky, tired, and your shoes are rubbing. No wonder working out is the last thing you want to do every day.
It’s not necessarily your workout that’s making you suffer though, it could be your preparation. You can’t transition from working or sleeping to exercise without any prep! You need to know how to prepare for a workout if you want to see results and feel great.
Preparing for a workout puts your mind and body in the zone. It enables you to focus on your workout without getting distracted and could even make it feel easier. When you focus on your fitness sessions, you’ll benefit from better physical results as well as mental. Furthermore, a proper prep routine will help prevent any injuries and complications during your exercise session.
Keep reading to discover the right way to prepare for a workout and exercise more efficiently.
The Important of Preparing for an Exercise Session
Have you ever started a workout with your head all over the place? Did you feel distracted, mulling over that coworker’s comment or thinking through dinner recipes?
How about having the overwhelming desire to drink a liter of water? Or you feel your muscles begin to shake on a move you did well last week? Worse yet, did you realize at the last minute that you didn’t wash your top and now your armpits are stinking out the gym?
Not preparing for a workout can derail even the best intentions, fast. If you haven’t taken the time to prepare your body, mind, and environment, you won’t be able to get the most out of your workout. You’ll be wearing yourself out and have to rest for much longer than you should need to. In some cases, the first step is always the hardest. But, once you get started, finishing an intense routine will feel like a walk in the park. So, if you’re having trouble starting your workout session, setting up a routine prior to your session may be helpful.
Keep in mind that your workout doesn’t start when you press “go” on your fitness watch. It starts long before.
How to Prepare for a Workout
Preparing for a workout isn’t difficult at all but it does take a little organization and proactiveness. You told your employer that those are your strengths when you sat for that interview though, so now’s a good time to practice them!
Worship Sleep
Forget wheatgrass shots, sleep is one of the best things you can give your body. Enough good quality sleep enables your body to heal itself, fight infections, and keep every cell operating smoothly.
For workout specific benefits, sleep comes up top too. When you get enough sleep, you’ll have more energy, faster reflexes, and your muscles will recover more quickly. It’ll be easier for you to perform strenuous activities if your body isn’t tired or sore. So, try to create a healthy sleeping habit.
Switch off your phone, go to bed at a decent time, and stay off the alcohol in the evening. Alcohol might feel like it sends you to sleep but it’s not true. It actually disrupts your sleep. If you think your environment or bedroom setup is affecting your rest quality, you can make some changes to see whether it’ll help improve your rest at night. For instance, if your bed mattress and pillow keep you up at night, it may be time to replace them. Additionally, you can set the mood of your room by turning off the lights and adding some calming essential oils to help your body relax faster.
Make Time
Do you work out if you “have time”? Do you put work, beers, and TV shows before your fitness? When you put your workouts at the bottom of your list, you’ll find yourself rushing through them if you do them at all.
By carving out a specific time to work out, you can plan your other tasks around your workout. Is online shopping more important than your health? Nope.
Get Hydrated Early
It’s common to show up at your workout and realize that you haven’t drunk any water all day. No problem, just drink as you work out, right? Um…no.
It can take up to 120 minutes for the water you drink to be available for your cells to use. That means if you drink when you start your hour workout, your body won’t be using that water until after you’ve finished.
As your body needs to be hydrated to function properly, drink water slowly throughout the day. If you love morning workouts, have a glass of water as soon as you wake up and sip as you work out. Also, prioritize drinking water over other forms of liquids. Some beverages like coffee or tea are diuretics that make your body excrete water more. Hence, it’s advisable to intake appropriate amounts of plain water to stay hydrated.
Eat Something Light
Your body needs fuel to work out which is why it’s harder to run first thing in the morning than later in the day. Knowing what to eat and when depends on your workout, duration, and time of day.
Waiting at least an hour or two after eating to work out is usually good practice. If you work out in the morning before your job though, you’ll need to eat something light and easy to digest, like yogurt or a serving of fruit.
For a quick fuel burst, try an MCT oil pre workout dose. This popular oil travels straight to the liver to be used as energy and doesn’t need to be broken down first. That makes it a fast way to get morning workout energy without feeling the heaviness of breakfast.
Get Comfortable
Nothing spoils a workout like a discomfort. We’re not talking the discomfort of rowing that extra 2k either. We’re talking apparel.
From ill-fitting clothes to worn trainers and the wrong underwear, being uncomfortable when working out is distracting. You don’t need to spend lots of money on the latest fitness clothes either. Wear appropriate, clean, and comfy clothing with well-fitting shoes. If you don’t have any clothing for working out, you can visit bamboo and other apparel stores for some items you need. Having comfortable exercise clothes may help encourage you to stick to your workout routine.
Breathe
We all live hectic lives and going from a busy day to a workout doesn’t give your brain much time to adjust. Before your workout, sit down somewhere quiet. Close your eyes and take at least ten slow, deep breaths.
Quietening the whirr in your head by focusing on your breath will help you make the most of your workout.
Warm-Up Properly
Just like the mind, your body needs to transition too. You might’ve been sitting all day or just got out of bed so your muscles aren’t ready to jump into action. Follow a simple warm-up routine that’s dynamic, not static.
This is especially important if you’re out in cold weather. Warming up your muscles reduces injury risk and makes your workout easier. You can do a 5- to 10-minute routine to stretch your body and increase your heart rate before beginning your exercise session.
Prepare Properly to Get the Most out of Your Workout
Your workout doesn’t exist in isolation from the rest of your day. If you want to know how to prepare for a workout, you need to start looking at exercise as a part of your lifestyle.
Go to bed on time, drink water throughout the day, and warm up your mind and body. By preparing in the right ways, you’ll see the results of your workouts faster and you’ll spend less time recovering.
Enjoy your new, better workouts and follow us for more tips on staying healthy!
Leave a Reply