Simple Ways to Maximize Your Workout
When you're putting in time and effort for your fitness, you want to make every effort count! There are simple adjustments you can make to your training to maximize your workouts!
Be aware of your posture. Your posture is extremely important! The muscles and bones in your body (your musculoskeletal system) all work together when you move. Good posture is important for reducing the strain placed on joints and ligaments. A problem with your body’s alignment can cause muscles to take on the load of others, which may throw out the balance. Poor alignment can also make it harder to activate particular muscles, as well as to effectively control them, which may increase the risk of injury. Correct form and posture is important for all styles of training, especially as you want to progress.
Stretch. While you might not see results from all of your stretching sessions, I’m sure you can feel them. Stretching can help to increase your circulation and blood flow, it can reduce muscle tightness and help you feel more balanced. Once you’ve finished a workout, stretching the muscles you’ve just worked can also help your body to recover and cool down. Add in some foam rolling and I’ll bet you notice a difference!
Water. Be sure to hydrate throughout the day. It takes a couple of hours for your body to absorb the water, so you can’t just drink right before exercise. Make it a habit to drink water regularly throughout the day.
Add variety to your workouts and be determined. It won’t just keep you from getting bored, but performing multiple variations of an exercise, when form is mastered, changes the muscles recruited and the amount of weight you can lift, leading to greater gains. One study proved that exercisers who performed both deep and full squats reaped greater fitness gains than those who performed only deep squats. The same holds true for any exercise variation. And while having a regular workout routine is important for your health and fitness, continual repetition can become boring and your goal is to keep up a fitness routine! So as you get further into your workout routine, adding a little variety to workouts can stop you from becoming bored and can help you to keep up the intensity of your training.
The littlest adjustment and the most tedious tasks can make all the difference and improvement in your training. Try to keep these in mind next time you feel as though you are hitting a plateau or your workouts aren’t quite as effective as they could be.
Xoxo, MK
Outfit: ACTA Wear
