4 Fitness Plan Musts To Keep You Healthy And Injury-Free

Michael Jordan once said that practicing shooting the wrong way one hundred times a day just teaches you how to miss a shot. Well, the same is true for any fitness plan. If you’re not exercising correctly, or with safety and health in mind, your results aren’t going to be good.  So, what is the right way to exercise and what things do you need to know? Well, there are some crucial things I recommend you wrap your head around. Here are my top 4 fitness plan musts to keep you healthy and injury-free.

Fitness Plan Musts #1: Find The Right Eating Plan

Depending on the type of fitness plan you have, your diet will need to follow suit. Make sure that you’re getting the right foods and calories for the type of exercise routine you have now. For instance, you might be working out an hour each day. If that’s the case, you’re going to need to eat meals that give you energy and promote muscle stamina. If you’re looking to build up muscle, you’ll need to eat more protein than usual, particularly when taking on a strenuous exercise. Take a look at muscle-building websites to see how to get the most calories in your diet and ways to serve your efforts. Here is a good article https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/6-bodybuilding-tips/. 

I always recommend checking with your physician about your dietary needs as well before changing anything. He or she can also help you to come up with a plan that helps you to reach your goals no matter what they are. Remember, weight loss is very different from other types of everyday fitness plans.

Fitness Plan Musts #2: Warm Up and Stretch Often

Stretching is not something to take lightly. It is an imperative part of having and keeping a flexible and healthy body. Skipping this step in your fitness routine can be a mistake with horrible consequences. Cold muscles, tendons, and ligaments are vulnerable to strain if not properly warmed up and stretched before a workout. I always take at least 5 minutes to give my body the opportunity to warm up before I ask it to perform.  This doesn’t have to be a boring part of your routine either. Shake things up by using stretching techniques and tools like resistance bands. According to http://www.mobilityguardian.com/best-resistance-bands-reviews/ they can be a great tool for stretching your muscles as well as help you during your regular workout. I also love to use yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi to warm up. These gentle practices can improve your mobility, making lifting or other harder exercises easier.

Always do a before warm-up and stretching routine, as well as one after to cool down. It really does make a difference in how you feel during and after your workout. Not to mention how you feel the next day. I don’t know about you, but I hate having sore, unmovable muscles that take me out for a day or more.

Fitness Plan Musts #3: If It Hurts, Don’t Do It

We’ve all heard that saying, “No pain, no gain,” right? Well, I recommend that you have no part in it! Pain is not a sign of progress but that something is wrong. I’m not talking about the good “burn” of a quality workout. The kind of pain that is not good is anything that that stresses your body too far beyond your present level. A knee ache, neck or back pain or even headaches and dizziness are all signs that you may be pushing things a little too far. These “pains” are there to warn you that danger lies ahead if you keep doing what you’re doing. This could lead to developing serious issues, particularly as your body ages. For instance, runners may be more prone to developing problems like arthritis or serious ligament strains. This site http://www.runnersworld.com/health/does-running-cause-arthritis has some fantastic insight about how to stay above injury.

Fitness Plan Musts #4: Take Days Off

Finally, I recommend taking some time off from any rigorous routine. You do your body service when you rest those aching limbs  and tired muscles. Recovery is a part of building a strong and well-balanced body. Think about how you would feel if you never got a day off from your job or school? Yeah, you would eventually get overburdened and stressed out. Well, this is exactly what happens to your body when you don’t take time off from working out. You don’t necessarily have to do nothing either. Alternating types of routines can help you to actively recover from anything that strains you. I love to add in yoga, Pilates or a simple 10-minute walk every other day to allow my body to rest. I feel better and more energized for my next workout this way. This helps to avoid that pain I mentioned and give muscles time to heal. 

**** This post is strictly informational and is not meant to replace the advice of your health care provider. Women’s lifelink, it’s owners, administrators, contributors, affiliates, vendors, authors and editors do not claim that this information will diagnose, treat, or improve any condition or disease.