Now if you are not working out at all yet, we’re not talking about you. You need to haul yourself out of the chair you’re in right now and go for a walk, at the very least. Get your heart pumping harder, get moving, stress your muscles and sweat a bit. Come on!
Seriously though, working out is hard work and can be really discouraging when you put in the work and it appears that the results are not positive. The following tweaks may help you optimize for improvement:
- Food:
You might be taking in more than you are using up. If after an intense but exhilarating workout with your zealous trainer or workout buddies, you reward yourself with a few big meals and snacks during the day, well? Those may easily triple the amount of calories you lost during your workout and move you back to your pre-workout state.
- Water:
Working out is hungry business so you might find it hard to stem your appetite afterwards. A nifty tip is to drink lots of water during your meals and afterwards to fill you up quicker and keep you hydrated too.
- Activity:
The more active you are throughout a typical day, the more impact you’ll see on your body. So try to run a few errands yourself, walk to the market for groceries, take the stairs at work, go get your own lunch etc. These little periods of activity will add up and help you get better oomph from your intense workouts
- Workout variety:
Doing the same routine over & over again encourages your muscles to adapt and you might end up hitting a fitness plateau quicker. Each type of exercise stimulates a limited number of muscles so challenge your muscles from different angles, do different types of exercises and surprise your body.
- Rest:
It may even be that you are working out too much or don’t rest enough between your workouts. If you’re doing that then you may burn out on exercise. Keep in mind that the more intensely you train, the more time your body needs to recover.
- Attitude:
Your attitude may be the final adjustment you need to maximize your results. Avoid obsessing over how many calories you burn or steps you take. Focus instead on the good you’re doing to your body and how much stronger you are feeling.
Share this to someone you know is struggling with their workouts!
