Get Proper Sleep
This Sports Medicine review showed that a poor night’s rest can hinder your next day’s workout, the number of calories you burn, and your body’s recovery rate. This is because of the hormones released during sleep which are responsible for the body’s recovery. Fitness-plateau is a common symptom of poor sleep, where many athletes feel as if they cannot push themselves further than a certain point in their fitness level.
Take Pre-workouts
Not necessarily a pre-workout supplement, but something that is (optionally) caloric dense, light on the body and full of healthy nutrients can be an incredible boost to your workout. Taking a DIY pre-workout can assist with your energy during a workout, and can leave you feeling vitalized before you even begin your training session.
Consider these DIY pre-workouts, as they’re easy to make, come with many other benefits, and are unprocessed.
Listen To Music
I’m sure you’ve felt it before; putting that one track on full blast before you hit the gym, getting fired up, and ready for the workout. But what you may not know is that music has shown to affect the post-workout results as well as performance during a workout.
For post workouts, listening to slow music may help your body recover faster by releasing dopamine and serotonin. The more relaxing the music is, the slower your heart rate will be, providing the perfect environment for your body to recover.
Similarly, while working out, use music to help elevate your heart rate. Listening to music well over 120 bpm can help with endurance during cardio sessions and enhance your overall workout experience.
Get A Gym Buddy
We all know the pain of not wanting to exercise, but knowing we should. We all experience moments where the day or night proves to be too much for us, and our motivation levels are lower than the floor. Having a coach helps us stay motivated, even when we don’t want to, but there’s a large element of teamwork missing from a coach – trainee relationship.
Having a gym buddy solves this, because every time you’re meant to hit your workout goal, they’re meant to do the exact same. The great thing about having a gym buddy is that you can hold each other accountable, motivate each other, and assist each other during your workouts. This study showed that a cyclist who partnered up with another cyclist could pedal for almost twice as long compared to those who cycled alone!
Conclusion:
As you have seen, in parts I, II, and III of our Tip series, there are easy many ways you can get more out of your workout.