Whether you’re a fitness fanatic or someone who is just starting out, establishing a pre-workout regimen can have a huge impact on the quality of your workout since it helps your body and your mind get prepared. Regardless of your current fitness level, here are 7 tips that will help you power through your next workout or fitness challenge – and beyond.
1. Get Enough Sleep
We know, we know, you hear this all the time. But it wouldn’t sit at the top of this list unless it truly was that important. Not getting enough sleep decreases focus, stamina and strength. It can also result in anxiety, and in some cases, even depression. Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep per night for optimum physical and mental well-being.
If you’re struggling with getting enough shut eye at night, here are some tips to incorporate into your daily routine moving forward:
- Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Easier said than done, we know. But it’s sage advice that successful athletes, politicians, and business owners all swear by.
- Remove electronics from your bedroom – or at least power them off an hour before bed.
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet. Aromatherapy in the form of essential oils and sheet sprays may also help create a soothing and relaxing environment that will help you drift off into sleep.
2. Eat a Pre-Workout Meal
Proper nutrition maximizes performance, as well as minimizes muscle damage. As such, it’s best not to exercise on an empty stomach. Stay away from processed and fatty foods, as well as soda. Instead, focus on carbohydrates and proteins like fruits, protein shakes, and toast with peanut butter.
Related product: Warrior Blend Organic
While the general rule of thumb is to eat about an hour before you plan on exercising, you’ll need to experiment what works for you in terms of:
- How long prior to exercising is best for you to eat
- How much food you should consume
3. Give Yourself a Natural Energy Boost
Some people swear by sugary energy drinks and coffee to get into the “workout mindset.” What most people don’t realize is that there is “good caffeine” and “bad caffeine.” Good caffeine is found naturally in coffee, tea and cacao plants. Bad caffeine is found in energy drinks, and causes so-called “crashes” since it's synthetic.
Thankfully, there are much healthier alternatives, like our brand new Active Energy, which consists of:
- B12 from Methylcobalamin and organic Coffeeberry, for focus and energy
- Organic Coconut Water and Real Salt, for hydration
- Organic Beet Root and organic Tart Cherry Extract, for blood flow support
- An organic 6 Mushroom Blend, along with organic Maca and organic Rhodiola, for endurance
If you’re lacking motivation and energy, mixing up a serving of our Active Energy is all you’ll need to power through.
4. Get - and Stay - Hydrated
Your body depends on water to survive. Water helps:
- Promote cardiovascular health
- Joints and muscles function properly
- Increase energy and brain function
- Improve organ function, like your kidneys
- Regulate body temperature
Low levels of fluids in the body can result in headaches, dizziness, lethargy, and poor concentration, none of which are ideal for exercise.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking:
- 20 ounces of fluid prior to workouts
- 8 ounces of water every 15 minutes during exercise
- 16 to 24 ounces of water after workouts
TIP: if you’re in need of a hydration boost, one of our newest products - Active Hydration - is now available for purchase. It's available in 2 tasty flavors, Tropical Vibe and Cucumber Lime, and will provide you with all the hydration you need after your workouts to help reduce the fatigue often experienced with even minor dehydration.
5. Have Your Workout Gear Ready to Go
This one is pretty basic, but let’s face it: we are all busy, and sometimes life has a way of throwing curveballs into even the most perfectly planned days. Having your gear all laid out makes it easier to stay on track - sans stress and overwhelm – especially when you realize it’s 6:30pm and you’re behind schedule on your workout for the day. Out of everything included in this pre-workout regimen, this is hands-down the easiest to incorporate into your daily routine.
6. Create a Playlist or Two
Music is the language of the soul and offers many fantastic benefits when it comes to working out. It can:
- Elevate your mood and motivate you
- Help you keep a good pace
- Distract you, so that you end up working out harder
- Relieve boredom
- Improve recovery
- Keep you committed
So, what should you be listening to?
- This may seem like a no-brainer, but start with songs you already like. Just try not to play them so much that you get sick of them after a week or 2.
- Select songs that have an ideal tempo of 120 and 140 beats per minute.
- Choose songs with lyrics that are positive, motivational and inspirational.
TIP: stick to a decibel range of 70 to 75. Anything higher is bad for you and can cause long-term hearing damage.
7. Don’t Skip Warming Up
Warming up slowly increases your heart rate and raises your body temperature, which in turn, increases blood flow and metabolism. What’s more, warming up increases flexibility and lowers the risk of injury.
Recommended warm up exercises include:
- Squats
- Planks
- Side lunges
- Pushups
- Triceps warmups
- Jogging leg lifts
- The inchworm
Spend at least 5 to 10 minutes warming up – longer depending on the intensity of your workout – and focus on large muscle groups first.
Now Go Tackle Your Next Workout with Ease
While this pre-workout regimen is in no way exhaustive, we hope that it’s provided you with some helpful tips as you start your next workout or embark on a new fitness challenge.
If you would like more tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your workouts, sign up for our newsletter today!
