There is more to exercise than just getting up each morning and going for a daily walk or visiting the gym. Exercising correctly involves making changes in your entire lifestyle. Why? Because this is the best way to derive the most benefit from exercising.
To start with you can choose to do a low impact exercise routine such as walking, swimming or even lifting light weights. Your aim is to exercise for at least 20 minutes and have your pulse rate increase by approximately 75%. Sipping on water during this time is recommended to help keep you hydrated.
Before you begin your actual workout you should eat a small meal that consists of carbohydrates and some protein. If you attempt to exercise while hungry your body will start to feel weak and you wont have the energy to complete even twenty minutes. Try to eat about an hour before you are due to begin your workout.
Stretching is really important as it allows your muscles and your core body temperature to increase. Have you ever noticed how dogs and cats stretch after getting up? They very rarely get up and run, unless of course someone is at the front door!
After your workout if you feel hungry you should eat a piece of fruit. It has been shown that eating fruit after exercising allows your body to use the simple sugars in the fruit more effectively.
During the day you should try to eat six small meals that consist of plenty of fresh vegetables and small amounts of protein. In addition to this you want to drink around 64 oz of water as this will help to remove toxins and other unwanted waste from your body.
Sleep is another essential part of exercising and living healthy. Without enough sleep you wont have the energy and drive to exercise regularly. It is recommended to get around 8 hours of solid sleep if possible. If you have trouble sleeping try purchasing a new pillow which conforms to your body. It is possible to get pillows that are specifically designed for those who sleep on their backs, stomach and/or side.
Trying to reduce stress is important for everyone and less stress will allow you to concentrate on getting the most out of your workout. In addition try to limit your consumption of alcohol and avoid smoking.
If you follow the above advice you will notice that you can really reap the most benefit from each and every workout session.
