FITNESS LOADING…
The 1st of September is Spring Day and that is less than a month away!
It is easier to stay in shape than to get in shape. But if you have let things slip, let us get things going with a few helpful tips.
- Learn to love that which you hate. Nobody loves exercise first thing in the morning, however, we do love the feeling after we have exercised - so let’s get up and do a few burpees at a reasonable speed, add a few mobility and activation exercises and then a bit of stretching or yoga type activity! You will then be set to have a more productive day.
- Move more. In colder weather we often like to bundle ourselves up and move less. Make an effort, when possible, to stand and add a few extra walks during your day. Try standing at your desk for a bit longer, walk around your desk occasionally, be that person who goes to buy milk for the office coffee and if you already have an active job, try to add one movement a day that moves the body in a different way.
- Small dietary changes. Avoid the processed and high sugar content foods which ultimately make it less likely that you will have the energy and desire for exercise. Turn to Hammer PHOOD meal replacement for a little help. Hammer PHOOD is a high protein, low carb drink mix made with healthy plant-based fats and nothing artificial. Hammer PHOOD is flavourful and satisfying, yet contains no emulsifiers or trans fats.
- Hit the gym. The gym is where summer results are achieved in winter. And by gym, we mean any resistance, cardio or loading exercise that may also be practiced at home. Find a platform to simulate climbing a mountain, use your body weight and flexi-bands to add resistance, good technique and range of motion; then add only 5 minutes of core to improve posture to initiate your sixpack development.
- Fuel the fire. A common misconception for shorter cardio and gym sessions is that an athlete does not require any fuel. However, the best way for improved performance and to aid your body in achieving its ideal weight is supported in 3 ways:
1) Add some prefuel! Topping up your carb stores with 100-200 calories of COMPLEX carbs in the 90 minutes before exercise will increase your bodys ability to fight fatigue. Add a pre-exercise ignitor like FULLY CHARGED to further reduce fatigue and improve energy supply.
2) Fuel during exercise! HEED is your best option for exercise under 2 hours. Fuelling your body with as little as 20-30% of your losses will still improve workout performance and help the body recover faster and feel better after exercise. At the same time, you will be training your digestive system to be more efficient and effective to help reduce port-a-loo situations in your target events. A second alternative is FIZZ, which is a very low carb electrolyte option that is perfect for the sweat sessions that typically happen indoors.
3) Refuel! Training gains are made during recovery. Immediately adding a recovery option post-exercise like RECOVERITE will improve recovery and performance in your next session, and if you train in the morning you will have more energy for your upcoming work day.
Fitness is the new Rome, and is definitely not built in a day. Athletes who have maintained their fitness and strength over the winter are similar to those who did not. You still need to achieve the little daily goals to build your fitness empire. Using the above tips will help kickstart all athletes and their athletic endeavours.