Is it time to check the health of your workout and create a boutique plan tailored by you , for you?
Low blood sugar levels
Whether you exercise before breakfast or after work, take note of your body’s hunger signals. Your workout is mostly fuelled by the food you ate and stored the day previously. However, individuals vary greatly in their tolerance to exercising with low blood sugar levels.
If you often feel sick, dizzy or lethargic when training you may need to eat a small snack 30 minutes before your workout, rather than asking your empty stomach to hang out for your post workout breakfast, or waiting until dinner even though you haven’t eaten since lunch. It might be a few more calories, but you’ll get more out of your workout.
No plan of action
Arriving at the gym with no idea of what body parts you want to train or exercises you plan to do may lead to a hap-hazard, unbalanced workout. Whether designed by a professional, downloaded from the internet or created yourself, know what you are going to do when you enter the gym.
That way you will train efficiently, working all the muscles and energy systems of your body over the course of a week. If you feel unmotivated or disorganised join a class and leave the planning in the hands of the instructor whilst you focus on your sweat and burn.
Mobile Phone distraction
Whether it’s a fear of missing out, pressure to feel you’re ‘available’, or simply having your best selfie tool on hand, taking your mobile with you into a gym session or class is likely to cause distraction. Answer urgent messages or take a photo of your cute new workout clothes before you begin.
Stored in a locker or tucked into your bag on silent is the best place for your mobile if you want to make your body your priority for the next 60 minutes.
More talking than sweating
Training with a friend or getting to know the people in your favourite session can be an extra motivator to turn up, enjoy and even train harder. However, sometimes the chit chat can over take the pump and burn.
Talking can mean resting too much and not focusing on your techniques, leading to a mediocre workout and possible injury. Agree to zip it now and enjoy a cold pressed juice or coffee and chat after the class, or exchange numbers for a proper catch up another time.
By Rachel Livingstone Personal Trainer & Owner of The Health Hub www.healthhub.net.au