Are you trying to get in shape and have started working out for the first time or are making changes to to get back into shape, but you are having a hard time achieving those goals?
There are tons of things you can do to move towards that goal but these 3 fundamentals are essential and play a big role for maximizing results.
Hydration and sleep
I deliberately choose this as the first section of the article as Hydration and recovery is often overlooked and lot of people are less aware of its importance.
Make sure you are constantly hydrating throughout the day and drinking at least around a gallon of water every day. Another key factor is the body should be very well hydrated before and after a workout. Hydration before a workout is key for performance and also prevents cramping of muscles during a workout. Hydration after a workout is key for recovery to replenish all the fluids and salts the body has lost during the workout.
What has been game-changing for me is sipping on a mixture of coconut water, sea salt, lemon juice, and water during my workouts, something i learned from the footballer Robert Lewandowski’s routine.
Make sure you are are getting enough quality sleep every day, which is essential for recovery. Lebron james’s has quoted sometimes he gets around 10 hours of sleep. You might not have the same luxury or needing such discipline but aim to get 7–9 hours.
You will realize if you are not getting enough rest. You will be lethargic throughout the day, have low energy levels during the workout, and other signs that you can understand by listening to your body. This is how you can also figure out if you need an extra rest day. If you have had a late night party with lots of drinks, it makes sense to take rest on the subsequent day rather than working out thinking you would burn off those extra calories.
Diet and Portion size
There are tons of different diets out there that are followed by people/athletes/celebrities and recommended by nutritionists. But they all have one thing in common — Whole Food.
Your diet should majorly consist of whole foods and less processed food. On top of it try to eliminate food that has refined sugar or trans fat in them. Sugar has a high glycemic index and breaks down quickly in the body and if not utilized often converts into body fat, especially when consumed during sedentary parts of the day. The other thing that is common and important is that you are ensuring getting a good amount of protein which is key for recovery of the body.
Control your portion size — Once you are done eating, you shouldn’t feel too full, bloated or lethargic. Eat a moderate amount of food multiple times a day rather than having one large meal. Eating slowly is a good way to ensure that you are not overeating.
Another factor of portion control is monitoring the quantity of carbohydrates. Your meal should not be fully composed of carbohydrates. Fill your plate up with protein and veggies in addition to moderate amounts of good quality low G.I carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are a good source of energy, so do not end up neglecting them completely, especially if your workouts are of high intensity. Over time you can understand how much carbohydrates and fats you should intake by observing your energy levels throughout the day and during workouts. If you feel weak during the workout and other parts of the day, you are not getting in enough calories, on the other hand, if its been months and you are not seeing any improvements in body fat levels or weight, it could be because you are consuming an excess of carbohydrates. Try to get the majority of your carbohydrates before and after your workouts and minimize them in your last meal of the day.
A lot of people monitor the number of calories they consume by measuring their food and maybe even entering it into an Application that helps them collect this data. What one has to remember is that it’s not just measuring the number of calories, but the source of food the calories are coming from. A bag of chips might have the same amount of calories as an apple, but that doesn’t mean that it would have the same effect going in your body. So don’t bother entering the number of calories you consumed into that application.
Workout regime
Similar to diet, there are various kinds of workout routines one could follow. Some of you might also be playing a sport for leisure or interested to become a professional. For those who don’t have any specific goals, choose any kind of physical activity that might be of interest to you. I believe in having a workout regime that has a good mix of these elements: strength, cardiovascular, and flexibility. You can easily know if you are lacking in any one of these departments. For example, if your resting heart rate is too high, it means that your cardiovascular health needs improvement. Athletes often fancy having low heart rates around 50 BPM. If you are struggling to lift very light weights or perform simple bodyweight exercises it means you lack strength. If your range of motion is not very good that generally means you are lacking flexibility.
Be consistent and patient with your diet and exercise routine, the human body takes time to get used to a regime and takes a while to change. So don’t be disappointed very soon or keep changing things very frequently thinking what you are doing is not working for you.
These have helped me over the years and hope it helps you through your journey. All the best!
