Like everything else in life, preparation is key to an effective plan. That’s why having a pre-workout routine is vital! The way you prepare for your workout can make a huge difference in the results of the workout itself.
Prioritize getting enough good quality sleep
Sleep gives your body time to recover, conserve energy, and repair and build up the muscles worked during exercise. When we get enough good quality sleep, the body produces growth hormones. During childhood and adolescence, growth hormone makes us grow (as the name implies, Winter says. “And when we are older, it helps us build lean muscle and helps our body repair when we have torn ourselves up during a hard workout,” he adds. “Growth hormone is essential for athletic recovery.”
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Whether you’re a serious athlete or simply exercise for recreation, it’s important to stay hydrated. Good hydration means getting the right amount of water before, during, and after exercise. Did you know that even 2 percent dehydration can lead to significant decreases in muscular endurance and exercise performance? Water regulates your body temperature and lubricates your joints. It helps transport nutrients to give you energy and keep you healthy. If you’re not hydrated, your body can’t perform at its highest level. You may feel tired, have muscle cramps, dizziness, or other serious symptoms
Grab a snack
It's hard to perform your best at the gym or set a new PR when you're stomach is growling. However, finding a good pre-workout snack can be tricky. Eat too much and you'll feel sluggish; barely eat and you'll be hangry. When choosing a snack keep in mind that carbohydrates equate to energy. When we eat carbohydrates they will be broken down into glucose, enter our muscle cells and then will provide us with the fuel we need for our workout. Simple carbohydrates will be the best option as they are digested more quickly and will be readily available as fuel. Be sure to add in protein, which will help especially when you are weight training. The protein is the fuel that will go directly to our muscles and muscle fibers, for strength and repair. And a touch of fat will also serve to satisfy our hunger, which often increases as we burn calories as we workout. An easy guideline for creating this pre-workout snack would be one that contains about a palmful of carbohydrates, a half of a palmful of protein and a quarter of a palmful of fat.
Ensure your outfit is workout friendly
Being able to move, jump, run, stretch, and get into certain positions and poses is about more than just your athletic prowess or your mobility and flexibility. It's also about having the right gear for the job. For example, you might not care much about which sports bra you choose for yoga, but for running, you'll want a high-impact one. Wearing the right sneakers on a long run will mean way more comfort, which could translate to better endurance and a more enjoyable workout. There's nothing worse than arriving at the gym or setting out the door only to discover you're actually a little (or a lot) uncomfortable. Before you head out the door, do a once over and make sure you're outfitted properly.
Warm-up!
Warm up activities include light jogging, or cycling slowly on a bike. Warming up before exercise prepares your cardiovascular system for physical activity, by increasing the blood flow to your muscles, and raising the temperature of your body. It also helps to lower the risk of getting injured — when your muscles are adequately warmed up, the movements, stretches, and strain you put on them during your workout is less severe. This also minimizes muscle soreness
Benefits of Warming Up
Warming up improves your athletic performance in the following ways:
Improved Blood Flow — Warming up for 10 minutes with an easygoing activity improves blood flowing to your skeletal muscles, and opens up blood capillaries. Your blood carries the oxygen needed for your muscles to function, so increasing your blood flow is one of the best things you can do to set your muscles up for a workout.
Improved Oxygen Efficiency — When you do a warm-up exercise, oxygen is released from your blood more readily, and at higher temperatures. Your muscles demand higher amounts of oxygen while exercising, so it’s important to make this oxygen more available through a warm-up activity.
Faster Muscle Contraction/Relaxation — Warming up with physical activity raises your body temperature, which in turn, improves your nerve transmission and muscle metabolism. The end result? Your muscles will perform faster and more efficiently.
Injury Prevention
Warming up prevents injuries by loosening your joints, and improving blood flow to your muscles — making your muscles less likely to rip, tear, or twist in a harmful way during your workout. Stretching also helps prepare your muscles for the physical activities you’re about to perform.
Mental Preparation
A side benefit of warming up is that your brain will become focused on your body and your physical activity as you go through the process. This focus will carry over into your training session to help you to improve your technique, coordination, and skill
SHOP BIOLIFE PRE-WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT
Top Reasons you should use Pre-Workout
- It allows you to recover much faster from exercise or other physical activity
- It helps to lower the blood pressure which benefits hypertensive patients
- It strengthens the body so you can achieve more with less effort
Benefits of Pre-Workout
- Provides Muscle Protection
- Supports Blood Flow
- Energy Booster