Everybody knows exercise is an integral part of your health and wellness. Daily movement not only boosts your physical well-being, but your mental health as well via the release of dopamine and serotonin supporting feelings of happiness, focus and calm, rewards, motivation, and being productive. Today though, we are focusing on how to optimize your level of fitness with easy-to-incorporate tips that can take your routine and your results to a whole new level.
Invest in a high-tech wearable
Fitness trackers like Whoop, Oura, and FitBit help us track our progress, optimize our recovery, and estimate the level of intensity of our workouts. This can help plan a more effective sweat session, set measurable goals and give insights into when to push it and when to take time to recover.
Lift heavy weights
The single most effective and important thing to add to your workout routine in order to get real results is to lift serious weights. Adding muscle mass means more efficient fat burn, better metabolism, stronger bones and joints to name just a few. It can also help you reach a more desired body composition, posture and strength level.
Workout smarter, not longer
A HIIT workout can be done and dusted in 15-20 minutes and is extremely efficient. You can push yourself harder for a short amount of time and burn a ton of calories while at the same time stimulate muscle growth. Major plus, you get your cardio in at the same time.
Add movement into your every day
It’s not always about the hours you spend in the gym. Small habits add up over time. Taking a break from work daily with a ten minute yoga session, taking a weekly bike ride with the family, or even running around with the kids outside all adds up and contributes to your, on top of your weekly workout schedule. If you’re spending an hour a day in the gym, but then spending the rest of the day on the couch, you may not be seeing or feeling the results you’d expect! Set timers and reminders to stay active throughout the day to help you feel your best.
10k steps a day??
10,000 steps a day may be the recommended benchmark for daily movement but researchers actually believe the number can be traced back to a 1965 marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer named Manpo-kei,or “10,000 steps meter” in English. So if you think you’re nowhere close to that number right now, don’t stress about your step count. Rather think about getting your movement in throughout the day, start your day with a brisk walk before breakfast, add one after lunch and dinner if possible. Moving first thing in the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day, boosts fat burn and circulation, plus it aids digestion especially when you get it in post lunch or dinner.
What about cardio?
A good run will get your blood pumping sure, but don’t worry if running or steady state cardio is not for you. You can get your cardio (and all its benefits) in via HIIT training and walking. We are all different and we all enjoy different types of exercise, piece together a program that fits you, if that includes a 5-mile run a couple of times per week or two intense HIIT sessions. Do you! Key takeaway, don't spend too much time sedentary!
Think about your pre- and post-workout routines
It’s not just the workout that matters. Think about building in a few small habits than you can do before and after to help you maximize the efficiency of your workout. Are you hydrating in the hour before your workout? Stretching and rolling out before and after? Eating enough protein? Taking the time to cool down? Recovering with COAST post-workout to flush toxins? All of these small habits make a huge impact on the efficacy of your gym session.
Give yourself a day or two off
Taking the time for proper recovery is as important as the workout when it comes to optimizing the results of your training. Plan your workouts based on intensity, don’t go all out HIIT three days in a row, mix things up with something more gentle or take a day to completely reset. You will feel your workout performance improving as you allow yourself to recover in between your sessions. This in turn means you are able to lift heavier weights, build more muscle and get more motivated by your amazing progress.