So you had all the right intentions…you had plans to put in a great workout today but your training efforts ended up below par, or worse still, you couldn’t even muster enough energy to bother working out at all. Does this scenario sound familiar to you? There is a great chance that it’s not due to you being lazy, but simply because you are lacking the necessary energy levels to make the difference.
Great news! Whether the muscle fatigue is neural or metabolic, there are things you can do right now to help reduce or prevent this fatigue. Here are five ways you can bolster your energy levels:
1. Hydration
Keeping hydrated throughout the day and during your training sessions helps your heart with an easier delivery of the necessary oxygen and nutrients to your brain and working muscles.
2. Nutrition
Ensure to eat a balanced diet daily. As well as this, consider consuming a pre-workout meal of complex carbohydrates and first class protein approximately two hours before your training session, and a simple carbohydrate snack half an hour prior to your training sessions, such as a small piece of fruit. Consume a post-workout meal of complex carbohydrates and first class protein one hour after your training sessions to refuel and repair muscle tissue.
Stuck for a post-workout meal idea? Check out this great fried rice recipe.
3. Warm-up
Performing a five minutes warm-up before your training session increases the blood flow to your extremities thus increasing oxygen and nutrient delivery. Lengthen the warm-up time to ten minutes on cold days.
4. Improve Aerobic Capacity
Regular interval training helps to strengthen the heart, especially the left ventricle which improves the heart’s stroke volume.
5. Recovery
Take rest days between your workout sessions to recuperate, and ensure to get ample sleep every night.
Not only are these five things likely to dramatically improve your energy levels so that you’ll be able to put in better and more meaningful workouts, they are bound to have your gym buddies wondering what your secret is…
