ad | Finding an exercise or establishing a workout plan that you actually enjoy and look forward to is the best feeling. Exercise can certainly sometimes feel like a chore and we’re never going to enjoy it 100% of the time – which is completely normal. But there are definitely ways we can make the most out of our workouts and general workout plans so they feel better not just physically but mentally as well.
At the moment, I am firmly in my Pilates era. I attend a beautiful studio in the city where I live which has become a real safe space for me to grow in strength and confidence. I’m really enjoying Pilates as an exercise because it’s given me so much more awareness of my body but also helped me deal with my lower back pain and fussiness, which I’ve suffered with for over a decade.
It’s not gone away completely but having this heightened awareness of my body, my posture and what my muscles are doing has been invaluable knowledge to help me be able to tend to my own pain.
The studio I attend also has a lovely community feel. They host wholesome events and lots of us will get together outside of Pilates classes and hang out, go shopping or go for coffee as well. I’ve made friends through the studio and really felt a heightened sense of belonging and community. All through exercise!
But I’ve also learned a lot about myself physically and what works for me and what doesn’t. For example, after years of trying, I’ve learned that I hate running and I was just doing it because everyone else was – not cool.
So within this post, we’re going to look at various different ways in which we can make the most of our workouts, whether that’s a physical thing that helps our bodies move more effectively or a mental thing that helps us pick up the dumbbell or roll out the mat without hesitation!
6 Ways To Make the Most of Your Workouts:
Fuel your body
This is not a one size fits all point and it’s all about finding what works for you and your body and it’s also important that remember that different exercises will require a different amount of fuelling. A 10k run or an hour heavy weight session will require more fuelling than say a Yoga class or a long walk but adequate fuel for any exercise is important because it supports muscle tissue, helps you sustain energy for longer and also helps with focus.
Don’t forget to rest
The rest is just as important as the exercise itself. If you keep pushing yourself every day and don’t give your body any time to rest in between, it could potentially cause damage to the joints from overuse, worsen performance and not give your muscles time to repair. Repair happens at rest – this is when the magic happens! So don’t deprive your body of that rest and make your rest days just as important as your workout days.
Figure out what you need
Similarly to the point about fuelling, this is all about finding out what works for you. Food aside, there are many different things our bodies might need in order to have a more effective workout. Protein, electrolytes and collagen are just a few of the supplements and nutrients that can have a profound effect on how we exercise.
A good pre-workout supplement can be a game changer when it comes to your workout. It can give you that boost you need – especially on days where you’re lacking a bit of energy than usual which is completely normal for all of us! The Naked Nutrition Pre-Workout Supplement is an excellent options for many reasons!
It comes in Strawberry Lemonade, Watermelon or Fruit Punch flavours – I opted for the Strawberry Lemonade and it’s very sweet but really tasty! It also doesn’t necessarily taste like you’re drinking a supplement either, which is nice! There’s also a flavourless option for those who might want to add it to a smoothie or other drink of your choice before your workout.
Naked Nutrition pride themselves on supplying us with clean supplements that don’t contain anything unnecessary and the Naked Energy Pre-Workout is no different:
- The colours come from beetroot, carrot and blueberry – nothing artificial
- It doesn’t contain synthetic caffeine
- No gluten, no soy, no artificial colours or flavours and no GMO’s
- It’s an entirely Vegan formula
- Each serving contains just 55 calories
Find an exercise you enjoy
As I mentioned in the introduction, finding an exercise you enjoy is really important. And stopping an exercise you don’t enjoy is not failure. I stopped running because I realised I didn’t enjoy it, despite trying to tell myself I was every time I went out. But deep down, I actually dreaded it! Life is to be lived and enjoyed and that applies to exercise too. Try different things and don’t get discouraged.
Remember your best will be different on different days
I feel like we so often judge ourselves on how a workout went. We will feel amazing after a workout which has result in PB’s or longer sets or more reps but beat ourselves up if we’ve had to make modifications. We can do everything right but still not feel 100% in our workout and that is also perfectly normal. Because we are human and our bodies fluctuate. For the mental side of ensuring we have the best possible workout, remember that your best will be different every day.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
I feel like this is a super obvious point and not just for exercise but for every day life but water is so important because it helps regulate your body temperature, maintains blood volume to deliver oxygen to your muscles and prevents dehydration which can lead to headaches, cramp and fatigue. If nothing else, make sure you’re hydrated before a class and stock up on that lost water after a class.
