By: Ashley Luckee Lead Copywriter at Total Life Changes
Maintaining a good workout routine can be beneficial to your health and overall results. What you do before, after, and during your workout can completely change how you feel. Check out how to power up to your workout below.
BEFORE
Get a good night’s rest! Poor sleep can impact your workout and can even impact the number of calories you burn. It can also impact your recovery post-workout, so make sure to get your 8 hours a day.
You may want to fuel your body a bit prior to your workout. Carbs are a primary energy source for your body, so considering eating some healthy carbs at least one hour before your start working out.
You may also need an energy boost to help you power through your workout. Our favorite pre-workout is Slim AM, which is packed with vitamins, amino acids, and antioxidants that assist and improve performance during your workouts.
DURING
Make sure to stay hydrated throughout your workout. Losing just 2% of your body weight in fluids can make your workout harder and make your recovery more difficult as well. So, make sure to continue replacing the fluids you are losing during your workout.
Pick a routine that suits your skill level and one that you enjoy. You have so many choices for cardio, including swimming, biking, running, rowing, the elliptical and more. Incorporating compound exercises involving multiple muscle groups can burn more calories and help your workouts be more efficient.
Making the mental connection between your workout and the muscles you are engaging in can be very beneficial. This can result in more muscle growth over time, so make sure to make your squats count.
AFTER
It is essential to refuel your body after working out and lifting weights, especially. Protein is the building block of your body, so making sure to get 20 grams of protein after your workout will kickstart your protein synthesis and help you build muscle. A good source of plant-based protein is our MatriX shake, which has 21 grams of protein and much more.
Make sure to recover from your workout correctly. Foam rollers are a great tool to help your muscles recover and relieve tightness by releasing knots found in the fascia, a thin sheath of tissue that surrounds your muscles.
Also, don’t forget to rest! Building muscle creates tiny tears in your muscle fibers, and your body needs time to heal and grow stronger. On your recovery days, you can enjoy an excellent yoga session to loosen up your body or go on a walk to get your heart rate up.
