How To Make The Most Out Of Every Workout

Making the decision to start working out is a great first step on the path to a healthier you. However, despite what you might have heard, simply deciding to increase your exercise levels won’t be enough. You’ll have to know how to maximise the benefit of every workout so that you’re getting as much benefit from it as possible.

Whether it’s controlling your diet properly, making sure to avoid certain exercises at certain times, or simply resting when you’re supposed to, there are a number of things you can do to ensure that workouts are as effective as they can possibly be. Here’s how to make the most out of every workout!

Massage your muscles afterwards

When a workout is complete, including cooling down and stretching exercises, you can additionally lessen (although not completely eradicate) any pain you may feel from delayed-onset muscle soreness by massaging your muscles.

Of course, a professional massage therapist is the best way to do this, but if you don’t have access to someone like that, then you can pick up a massage gun. The best massage guns provide excellent percussive therapy, targeting aching muscles and helping them to recover from stress and strain.

Be sure to eat properly

Having the correct diet is just as important as exercising; in fact, many dietitians and physiotherapists will tell you that diet can disproportionately affect results when it comes to working out.

If you’re not eating well, then you might not see the kinds of benefits you want, so it’s important to properly balance your macronutrient intake. Make sure you’re consuming a balanced diet with plenty of protein, as well as carbohydrates, fats, and other nutrients.

Most professionals agree that a Mediterranean diet provides the best basis for healthy eating. If you are vegan or vegetarian, pay particular attention to ensuring sufficient protein in your diet.

Don’t work out every day

You might wake up raring to go after a particularly successful workout the day before, but it’s a bad idea to chain workouts. This is because your body needs time to recover; even if you feel fine, your muscles are still knitting themselves together, and giving your body rest time is important for making sure that they are able to complete this process quickly and efficiently.

If you must exercise, go out for a walk or a gentle run, but don’t hit the weights day after day. In fact, a good mix of resistance and cardio exercise with a minimum of one rest day works best for most people.

Drink water regularly

Make sure to take a big bottle of water with you when you’re out running or hitting the gym. Replenishing your water stocks will help your body to make it through even the toughest and most gruelling workout; you’re going to lose a lot of water to sweating, so making sure you’re properly hydrated is crucial.

If you aren’t hydrating, then you’ll have a tougher time making it through your workout and also recovering afterwards.

Try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule

We know that it’s hard to get regular sleep, but if you can, try to prioritise a healthy sleeping schedule. Sleep is an important time for the body; it’s a time of convalescence when your body heals from injuries and gets itself back in fighting form.

If you’re not getting adequate sleep, then you’ll find that you recover more slowly, making it hard to get back into a routine. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night, but consistency is key.

Don’t push yourself too hard

In the middle of a weights routine, you might be feeling like it’s time to up the ante and push yourself. This is an important part of working out; if you don’t keep trying to reach higher, then you won’t see any results.

However, you should make sure that you do this in a controlled way. Don’t just pick up a heavier weight mid-workout because you’re feeling the adrenaline. Rather than helping to maximise the benefit of your workout, this could lead to injuries that stop you from being able to work out more, so make sure that you’re sticking to your routine.

Grab a coffee before a workout

If you’re a coffee drinker, then getting a cup of coffee in your system before a workout can significantly increase your energy levels when you’re about to hit the gym. Not only that, but studies have shown that caffeine actually makes you enjoy a workout more, so you’re doubly justified in grabbing your morning cup.

Just don’t drink a fatty latte with lots of sugar and other additives; stick to black coffee or limit your milk if you must put something in!

Listen to music

Listening to music while you’re working out isn’t just good for motivation (although it can definitely increase that as well). Research has shown that music can boost your adrenaline, which will in turn make you feel stronger and faster when you’re hitting the weights or the treadmill.

Of course, you should make sure to pick music with a high energy level, although different kinds of music are good for different purposes.

Listen to what works for you!

Don’t get distracted during workouts

One of the biggest killers of progress when it comes to maximising the benefits of every workout is constantly getting distracted.

We live in a world in which it’s very difficult to ignore constant distractions; our smartphones are relentlessly buzzing with notifications and news alerts. Try to switch your phone off or put it in aeroplane mode while you’re working out. This will help you to focus on the task at hand, and stop you from letting your attention drift to things that could get in the way of your motivation and break your flow state.