Staying active and working out is essential for a healthy body and lifestyle. It is not just for losing weight or maintaining a size zero body, it is about your overall health. A sedentary lifestyle comes with its own problems; a major part of it being diseases. To avoid that in a fast paced lifestyle, where long hours spent at the work desk translate to your professional worth, you need to put yourself first.
Start off with a routine of exercising twice a week and that will really set the ball rolling. You will soon start to appreciate this small step you took for your body. Here are some healthy tips to keep in mind when you start to work out:
1. High-intensity exercises for the day, low-intensity exercises for the night
Your body has more energy during the day and can be exerted more. So, keep the intense and more strenuous workouts for the earlier part of the day. High-intensity exercises include strength training and interval training. Exercising in the evening has its own benefits, like giving you restful sleep, so keep the low-intensity or less strenuous exercises for the latter-half of the day. Such exercises include light cardio.
2. Stay hydrated
You might have been told this before, but we will repeat it for your benefit– stay adequately hydrated between workouts by drinking lots of water. You tend to lose body salts while sweating and you must maintain the levels with water intake.
3. Sleep, massage and meditation for the days you don’t work out
Sleep helps you rest your muscles, especially if you have just started to exercise them. Apart from that go for massage therapy as it helps keep the muscles relaxed and in shape. And last, meditate for at least six to eight minutes a day to keep your body and mind aligned and away from stress.
4. Start slow
Do not jump straight into intense workouts and heavy weights. Let your body get used to the exercise and then slowly build up the intensity. Make sure that the next day is a day of rest, and do not exercise twice in a row. This will also help you stay active through the week and not just the first two days. You can gradually increase the days once your body adapts to this routine.
5. Balance your workouts
Combine exercises that complement each other, and make for a healthy combination for your body. You could combine cardio with weight lifting or yoga with swimming.
6. Change up your meals
Once you start working out and increase the number of days gradually, you will have to also change your meals. Increase nutrient and calorie intake on your rest days to promote recovery of your body and muscles.
7. Don’t overtrain yourself
If you feel fatigued, tired or hurt, just take a break. Your body needs rest as much as it needs exercise.
8. Stretch after the workout
Stretching relaxes the muscles. Hence, you will avoid sore limbs if you just skip being lazy directly after the workout session and break into an easy routine of stretches to relax the muscles.