January Fitness Boost - How To Get The Most From Your Workouts | Physical activities slideshows | Well Being center

Get plenty of sleep

There are many different reports on the correct amount of sleep to get every night but it appears the optimum is between 7-9 hours a night. Sleep is essential to allow the body time to rest and recover from the demands of the day and any exercise you have done. If you fail to get enough your body is starting the day in a tired state and unable to get the most of your workout, especially if your training hard sleep will help boost muscle recovery to allow you to keep training hard.

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Photo courtesy of Taber Andrew Bain by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/andrewbain/1199877186/
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/alissa31.htm

Eat right before a workout

The pre workout meal is a really important factor in getting a good workout. Your body needs to have enough fuel in it to be able to function fully, you wouldn't try and drive 100 miles with no gas in the tank! It is a good idea to try and eat about an hour before training to give enough time to fully digest and the meal should consist of 20-25% carbohydrate, a good amount of protein and also some healthy fats. Fats are essential to stop the body burning muscle so make sure there are some good fats like fish oils or omega-3 in your pre workout meal.

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Stay hydrated

Everyone knows that drinking water during an exercise session is important, but how much? How often and why? Research suggests that one to two hours prior to a session you should drink 500ml of water to avoid being dehydrated before you have even started. Consume in small sips 500ml during the exercise and 500ml up to an hour after. The obvious reason is to replenish the water lost through sweating but water is essential in life sustaining reactions and to increase fat burning. Its also important to produce plasma in the blood which keeps the blood flowing easily to deliver nutrients and oxygen to the muscles.

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Photo courtesy of Darren Lewis by Public Domain Pictures : www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=22794&amp
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www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/water-for-exercise-fitness

Wear appropriate clothing

It doesn't matter where you have your workout, it could be outdoors or at the gym or even at home but clothing is important. The clothing choice you make needs to be suitable for the environment you are using so you can concentrate fully on what needs to be done. For example, if training outdoors in winter you need to be warm and safe particularly with darker nights. Or if in the gym make sure not to wear baggy clothes that could get caught in machines. When at home you may choose to wear less clothing as no one can see you which is great as long as you are comfortable.

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Plan before you start

The most common factor people give me for quitting or having a rubbish gym session is they didn't know what to do. I am sure we have done it, gone to the gym and ran for a bit then threw a few weights around and then thought oh that will do. But what did you achieve during that workout apart from a feeling afterwards of guilt for not giving it everything. It is good practice to write on paper or your cell phone a basic plan of action for your gym session. It could simply be how long to spend on each machine and what exercises to use or more detailed training plan with intensities, but failing to plan is planning to fail!

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What footwear to wear

Similar to clothing, your footwear choice is very important. The last thing you want is to get 5 minutes into a run and find your shoes are hurting. If training outdoors you need warm trainers which have a good grip particularly at this time of year when ice is possible. On treadmills and indoor gyms a trainer which is flexible is important to allow your ankle full movement and with not too big a heel or sole. At home many people train bare foot which is said to be very good and the most natural way to train.

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Photo courtesy of Amanda by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/amandica/2394635106/
www.runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-recovery/how-can-i-train-run-minimalist-shoes

Plan an after workout snack

Immediately after a good workout your body is craving calories and replenishment of carbohydrates and proteins to start the repair process. Many people used to think eating after the gym meant your session was pointless, but not eating puts the body in starvation mode meaning when you do eventually eat it will grab every calorie and store it. As your leaving the gym a good snack to have is a protein shake with a banana which has good carb levels to replenish the energy used, and the protein will help to repair muscle tissue damage while training to allow you to train harder the next day.

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Photo courtesy of Mikel Ortega by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/mikelo/4423511836/
www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/snacks/low-calorie/after-workout-snacks/

Best time to workout

There really is no single answer to this question, it really is dependent upon the individual. However, there is research to suggest that an early morning workout gives the best benefits. Mainly because the body has been starved all night and a good breakfast stimulates the metabolism to help you burn calories faster during a workout. Plus most people find they are more motivated to work out in the mornings rather than after a long day at work when there is more temptation to come home and relax instead of head to the gym. My personal opinion is to grab a workout before work as then its done and you can enjoy the rest of your day!

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Photo courtesy of raitank by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/raitank/3210629380/
www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/whats-the-best-time-to-exercise

Allow recovery time

Rest is probably the one thing people neglect to include when they decide to get fit or lose weight. In fact, the rest is more important than the session itself (only when your exercising regularly). The body needs time between workouts to refuel and replace the carbohydrates you burnt in a workout, but more importantly to repair any muscle tissue damage to allow you to keep training. Many people make the mistake of going from not training to training 4 or 5 times a week and wonder why they get injured. Start slow, allow a day between sessions and work your way up to heavy training slowly. Rome wasn't built in a day and nor are six pack abs!

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Go hard or go home

This is a statement that is thrown around at the gym a lot but it has a lot of truth to it. I see so many people in the gym just lifting tiny weights or women thinking they have to walk or stay away from weights from fear of being criticized. There really is no point in a workout if your not going to put 100% effort into everything you do. To improve the body you must push it beyond its limits and this often means going outside your comfort zone, but you have got to do it to get that body you want!