Tips to improve workout at home
Tags: onefitplus
Published: 2021-08-11 08:41:41

Following our daily routine and challenges, exercise takes a back seat but to ensure good physical and mental health, we must remember to stay active as much as possible. Doing regular workouts will decrease your risk of contracting several life threatening diseases and will leave you feeling energized with a better immune system, stronger bones, muscles and improved cognition. Needless to say that you will be able to manage your weight better, sleep better, and stay in a positive state of mind.
Let's discuss 20 tips to help you workout better:

Never forget to warm up and cool down- It's important to warm up before and cool down after a workout to reduce the risk of injury and prepare/repair your body. Warm up exercises like leg bends and jumping jacks gradually raise your heart rate at the beginning of a workout while cool down exercises like stretching and child pose bring down the heart rate after a workout. These exercises are good to increase the blood flow to your muscles and improve your mobility. 

Have a pre workout snack- Have a pre workout meal at least 30 minutes or more before your workout. Try and choose healthy and easy to digest options, preferably with a good amount of protein. Some good options could be a banana smoothie, peanut butter sandwich, eggs, cottage cheese etc. The pre workout snack will provide you with the required energy/fuel needed to workout. Exercising on an empty stomach may leave you feeling dizzy or weak.  

Don’t ignore Hydration- Hydration is important to reduce the heat stress, maintain normal body function and performance level during and after a workout. Quenching thirst also decreases the muscle soreness in your body making you feel more flexible and revitalized. More than 50 per cent of our bodies are made up of water and hence, adequately replenishing ourselves with fluids is important to ward off the harmful effects of dehydration and maintain optimum health.
Wear comfortable clothes- An exhausting workout can leave you covered in sweat and the clothes you wear can make a big difference to how you feel. Try to wear comfortable and well fitting clothes made of breathable fabric. Don't forget to invest in a good pair of shoes as well, that will make the workout experience even better and more rewarding. 

Get company- Having a friend or relative for company while you workout can be a great morale booster. A lot of people complain about feeling bored while exercising which can eventually lead to weakening of interest in the whole act. By having friends for company while working out, you will not just have fun but the competition will push you to work harder and feel accountable towards your fitness goals.  

Listen to motivational music- According to National Centre For Health Research , listening to music while exercising doesn’t just relieve boredom, it can help improve the quality of your workout by increasing your stamina and putting you in a better mood. In particular, music that is motivational or synchronized with your exercise is shown to have physical and psychological effects.

Change the routine- Don't forget to change up your workout routine to bring the much needed excitement. Alternate your body parts, weights, sets, reps, moves, cardio activity every few days to break the monotony and give momentum to your workout. A study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research said that subjects who varied the number of sets and reps from workout to workout saw greater strength gains-even at the same intensity-than those who stuck to the same routine.

Go outdoors sometimes- Staying indoors for long periods of time is the biggest peril of modern day lifestyle. However, when you get out in nature, you tend to feel more relaxed, connected and rejuvenated. It's a good idea to exercise outdoors at times to bring a change to your workout routine. You can join a walking or running club and enjoy socialising even as you exercise outdoors. 

Include strength training- You will achieve your fitness goals sooner if you include strength training in your workout regimen. Strength training involves exercising a specific muscle or a muscle group against external resistance to improve muscular fitness. The external resistance may include free weights, weight machines or one’s own body weight. More muscle mass helps in shedding extra calories, increasing bone density, boosting metabolism, developing flexibility and augmenting our stamina.

Take a rest day- You should allow yourself to take a rest day to let your body recover and repair from the intensity of the daily workouts. A well rested body can take up a gruelling workout schedule with a lot more power and agility. Rest will make your immune system strong and also prevent workout related injury. So don't forget to keep aside a rest day in your training schedule. 

Set Realistic goals- So many workout resolutions taper off quickly because there is an expectation to achieve too much, too soon. However, doing too much exercise in the start can lead to burn out and premature quitting. The idea is to first get your body used to exercise as a daily habit through small but steady steps.  Instead of one hour, start with 20 minutes of exercise three days a week and then progressively, increase the time duration. 

Be Consistent- <a href="https://onefitplus.com/">make exercise a daily habit</a> and stay consistent. A great way to maintain a daily schedule is to fix a time that's most convenient for you, for exercise everyday. Set reminders on your mobile phone or voice assistant, so that you don’t forget to work out when it's time. Purchasing a home exercise equipment, through platforms like OneFitPlus, also makes it rather easy to stay consistent as you don't have to take extra time out to visit a gym or a neighborhood park. 

Track your progress- Do make sure to monitor how well you are doing along the way. Depending on the results, you can make necessary modifications or adjustments. While keeping a journal and weighing yourselves have traditionally been the go-to tracking methods, fitness apps and wearable tracking devices these days have changed the game in a major way. 

Get professional help- It's a good idea to seek help from a professional fitness trainer who can design a customized fitness routine for you. A professional fitness trainer is equipped with the right knowledge to understand your individual requirements and challenges, motivate you in times of boredom, keep you accountable and challenge you to overcome your inhibitions
 
Do interval training- A great strategy would be to follow interval training to lose more weight and achieve your fitness goals in less time. Your workout intensity goes several notches higher as does your heart rate with interval training. Walk at a speed of 3 mph for 5 minutes followed by a run at 9 to 10 mph for 30 seconds, slow down to walk again at 3 mph for a minute. Follow five to six reps. You can increase the time duration and sets for an even more intense workout. You can do interval training on the treadmill as well running outdoors. 

Add incline- To increase your workout challenge, you must use the incline option that will elevate your heart rate, incorporate a large number of muscle groups and take up the calorie burn rate. A higher incline would be like walking on a hilly surface and shall need greater effort. You will lose more calories in the same amount of time and speed on an incline as compared to a levelled surface. Treadmills have incline settings that go upto 15 percent and you can choose the level that's best suited for your current stamina level. 

Get adequate sleep-  Lack of sleep can have dangerous and lasting consequences. You should sleep 7-8 hours at night to refuel your body, repair and build new bodily tissues, reduce inflammation, recuperate the brain and calm down the nerves. A good night’s sleep can improve your performance as well as results from the workout 

Limit workout to 30-40 minutes- It might appear that spending too long inside a gym will bring in faster results. However, studies have shown that a good workout done consistently for 30-40 minutes each time, provides enough work for your body to lose weight, build stamina and increase metabolism. Anything longer may neither be sustainable nor productive. 

Have a Balanced Diet- To increase your endurance and get the max out of your workout, don't forget to have a balanced diet comprising whole grains, lean protein, essential fats, fruits and vegetables. Try to avoid junk and processed food consisting of excess sugar and salt. Also have your 8 glasses or 2 liters of water every day to sufficiently hydrate the body. 

Be kind to yourself- You don't have to beat yourself up over an underwhelming performance or a physical stamina that's below your expectations. You need to be kind to yourself and respectful towards your body. Any kind of success in life emanates from a place of self love. Your effort towards improving your physical fitness counts way more than the speed of the result. Stay consistent and learn from your mistakes to get even better in your fitness game.