Exercising regularly is one of the best things you can do for your health. Soon after you start exercising, you'll begin to see and feel the benefits that physical activity can have on your body and well-being. The goal is to start slowly, build up your fitness level and let your body rest from time to time to prevent injuries. Also, what you do after a workout is just as important as the workout itself, and it's easy to derail all the hard work if you aren't careful.
Read on for 5 things you should NEVER do after a workout.
1) Reaching for a Sports Drink-
Any Sports drink pack way too much of sugar and calories to be effective. Stick with regular water and add just a pinch of salt in your water which will add electrolytes and keep your cells hydrated. Coconut water is also a good option.
❝ Sports drinks are full of vitamins and minerals but most are also full of sugar. Some of the more popular brands have as much as eight teaspoons of sugar per every eight ounces of fluid!❞
2) Waiting too long to Eat Your Post Workout Meal-
Are you one of those people who can’t eat after they work out? Or are you trying to cut calories to lose weight? No matter the reason, not eating after a workout is a big mistake. After an intense gym workout, your body is in severe need of nutrients, especially first-class source of protein, fats and complex carbohydrates. Your body needs food to replenish, and repair damaged muscle cells and feed the exhausted nervous system. Try to feed your body with a high -quality meal no longer than 15-20 minutes after completing your last set.
❝ Skipping a post- workout meal every once in a while isn’t a huge deal, but try not to make it a habit, especially after an intense workout otherwise it will leave you feeling tired and foggy, and can get in the way of recovery.❞
2) Waiting too long to Eat Your Post Workout Meal-
Are you one of those people who can’t eat after they work out? Or are you trying to cut calories to lose weight? No matter the reason, not eating after a workout is a big mistake. After an intense gym workout, your body is in severe need of nutrients, especially first-class source of protein, fats and complex carbohydrates. Your body needs food to replenish, and repair damaged muscle cells and feed the exhausted nervous system. Try to feed your body with a high -quality meal no longer than 15-20 minutes after completing your last set.
❝ Skipping a post- workout meal every once in a while isn’t a huge deal, but try not to make it a habit, especially after an intense workout otherwise it will leave you feeling tired and foggy, and can get in the way of recovery.❞
3) Performing Excessive Cardio after you are done with Workout-
There is nothing wrong with doing some cardio (20-30 minutes maximum) after your weight training, but it should not be excessive, or you will severely hamper the physiological and hormonal mechanisms that lead to muscular hypertrophy. Your best bet is to separate cardio and weight training by about 5 hours.
❝ Excessive cardio hampers the physiological and hormonal mechanisms that lead to muscular hypertrophy.❞
4) Missing Out on Whey Protein-
Consuming an adequate amount of protein after a workout gives your body the amino acids it needs to repair and rebuild these proteins. It also gives you the building blocks required to build new muscle tissue.
Because whey protein is digested very rapidly, it will supply your muscle cells with much-needed amino acids faster than all other protein sources. This is extremely important right after an intense workout; so failing to utilize the power of whey would most certainly be an error when the goal is to gain more muscle.
❝ Whey protein is a highly bioavailable protein that boasts fast absorption rates. This makes it an ideal protein for post-workout recovery.❞
4) Missing Out on Whey Protein-
Consuming an adequate amount of protein after a workout gives your body the amino acids it needs to repair and rebuild these proteins. It also gives you the building blocks required to build new muscle tissue.
Because whey protein is digested very rapidly, it will supply your muscle cells with much-needed amino acids faster than all other protein sources. This is extremely important right after an intense workout; so failing to utilize the power of whey would most certainly be an error when the goal is to gain more muscle.
❝ Whey protein is a highly bioavailable protein that boasts fast absorption rates. This makes it an ideal protein for post-workout recovery.❞
5) Skipping the Stretch-
Your warm-up and your cool-down are part of your workout. Your muscles will respond so much better when you treat them well and take the time for post-workout recovery stretching. Stretching at the end of your workout can help boost your flexibility, reduce the risk of injury, and decrease muscle tension in your body. It can even help improve your performance the next time you work out.
❝ Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight.❞
