6 Things to Do Before and After a Workout Session

When it concerns your fitness regime, you tend to give all the credit to the time you spend in the gym sweating, but it shouldn’t be so. Working out is the easiest part of your exercise routine, and if you know what to do before and after a workout session, you can tweak your routine, so as to achieve better results. Good nutrition, quality rest, smart pre and post-workout practices are very great to ensure that you properly recover and increase your energy again.

Here are 6 things that should be incorporated into your regime to get the best results.

 

1.       Always Hydrate

It’s a known fact that drinking water is essential for the overall wellbeing of your body, but it plays a more important role in your workout routine. When you are sweating out, you need to make sure you are fully hydrated because you are losing a lot of water. Being hydrated would ensure that your energy levels stay at the peak where it is supposed to. The same way you can’t drive your car without oil is the same way your body can’t function without water. So make sure you take water before, during, and after your workout sessions. The recommended amount of water to take varies for individuals, but ideally, you should take at least half of your body weight in ounces every day. So if you are weighing 180 pounds, your water intake should be 90 ounces. If you notice your urine has a dark shade, then maybe you are not properly hydrated, but if it persists, maybe you should consult your doctor.  

2.       Be Sure You Are Wearing The Right Gear for Your Workout

Being able to move flexibly, jump, and run is more than just your strength and athletic prowess, it also depends on what you are putting on. Wearing the right sneakers would ensure that you are very comfortable regardless of how many miles you run, and this means more endurance. Working out should be fun, but wearing clothes that aren’t right would leave you feeling totally uncomfortable throughout your workout sessions. Before you head out of the door, be sure that you are wearing the right clothes and footwear for your workout.  

3.       After Your Workout Stretch It Out

Doing a static stretching right after your workout brings your body to a resting position, so you can leave the gym exactly how you came in. stretching would also help in joint mobility and flexibility. The stretch you are to do after a workout is totally different from the pre-workout stretch. After a workout, you need to maintain each stretch for 20 seconds straight. After an intensive workout, you do not want to go back to a sitting position immediately, because your muscles stretch better after a workout session.    

4.       Refuel After Working Out

Skipping snacks before your workout sessions can be excused, but not after workouts. You need to give your body the fuel it needs to replenish the energy you have used already. After an intense workout, your body needs proteins and carbohydrates to rebuild muscles and the re-fuel glycogen stores in the body. So giving your body the nutrients it needs after a workout is necessary. Not eating after a workout can make you extremely hungry and nobody likes to feel this way. So, to make it easier on yourself, its best to package your post-workout snacks beforehand. But if your gym provides for this, it’s best to pay before time, so it can be handed to you immediately you are done.  

5.       Keep Track

Keeping note of the milestones you achieved would make you set new ones and challenge yourself further. Keeping track is also another way to ensure that, you are getting the desired result for the workout you are doing. Every week, you can reflect on your progress, and decide whether it’s time to increase or lower the weights or take things more slowly. Logging your workout would give you the insight you need to make the right choice. After a few months, look back and reflect at how far you have come, and give yourself a pat on the back.  

6.       Take A Shower

This is very important, especially if you worked out in the heat. Taking a cool shower after your workout session would no doubt leave you refreshed and reduce the post-workout soreness you would feel. Research has proven that although taking a cold shower would not add to your recovery process, it would get your body back to baseline, more so if you are overheated. If you feel that having a cool shower after your workout sessions would make you feel better mentally, then, by all means, go ahead.