What to eat before, during and after workout

It is shown that what we eat before, during and after a workout can have a significant effect on our energy levels, the quality of our workout, and the recovery process which follows. An effective workout depends on many factors - the most important one being your diet. Foods provide the gas to the body’s engine, and fluids provide the water to your body’s radiator. Without these crucial fuels and fluids, your body will have a hard time performing at its best.

Before Workout:

• Before exercising it’s important to fuel your body. Only then you can adequately handle the physical stress of lifting weights, playing individual or team sports, or running.
• Choose pre-workout meals or snacks that are easy to digest and won't cause bloating or irritate your stomach.
•  Do not hit the gym on an empty stomach. The stress that exercise has on the body, combined with the lack of sugar (energy) will lead to hypoglycemia, a condition that will make you prone to fatigue.
• Aim to drink around two to two and a half cups of water in the 1-2 hours before your workout, and then drink water during and after your exercise.
• Try to keep your fat intake to a minimum, since high fat foods tend to take longer to digest, and can therefore leave you feeling heavy and sluggish during your workout.

During Workout:

• Keep a water bottle with you to re hydrate every 15-30 minutes during your training session.
• To boost your energy during endurance activities, before you reach for a sports drink, consider honey as it is naturally has equal parts fructose and glucose.
• If you are planning a very long bike ride or run, you may want to take along an energy bar, or some easily digested fruit, such as a banana, or orange slices, to help maintain your blood sugar levels.

After Workout:

• After a really tough workout, you should try to eat a recovery meal within 30 minutes if possible. 
• The body loses salt due to sweating. That is why it's very important to compensate via a rich source of electrolyte.
• If you have cut back your carbohydrate intake, but still like to eat a little each day, your post-workout snack or meal is the perfect time to do that.
• Don’t forget to get some protein in, too, for muscle refueling and repair.

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Stretching Exercises helps to Lose Weight

Stretching can help lengthen and prepare the muscles for exercise or sports.  They are the critical part of any exercise routine. Total body stretch workout offers basic exercises to build flexibility in the chest, shoulders, back, arms and legs. Stretching exercises alone will not help you lose weight, but are important to an overall fitness plan.

Before start any hard exercise you must do some stretching exercise to make your body perfect for take exercise and away from injuries or accidents. There are lots of stretching exercise that will help to improve muscles and body stress.

Benefits of Stretching Exercises:

• Stretching helps to keep your muscles loose and prevents tightening of the muscles.  This in turn helps to maintain a proper posture and reduces aches and pains.  
• Stretching increases your flexibility and helps improve daily activities and tasks.  
• Stretching is a great way to help relieve stress and helps to relax tense muscles that are usually accompanied with stress.

Stretching exercises:

• Begin with a 5-10 minute warm up of light cardio (walking in place, etc.)
• Avoid any exercises that cause pain or discomfort
• Simple things like tying your shoes, bending down to pick up your child or running to catch a bus are easier with better flexibility.
• Lift your arms up to your shoulders and drop it down. Repeat this for 10 times.
• Lift your arms parallel to your ears, in a straight line. Rotate the arm in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. Do this for 10 times each.
• Bend your hands down and go all the way up from touching your toes to a bit behind you head. If you can’t touch the toes yet, you will get there in 1-2 weeks. Do this 5 times.

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Morning Exercise for Weight Loss

Working out in the morning can provide huge advantages to improving your weight loss. Change in lifestyle has made people compromise on their morning exercises, but experts normally advise morning exercises over the untimely exercise schedule. Morning exercises are normally suggested, because during mornings our body lacks the crabs and hence an individual burns off weight more than the normal. 

The multiple factors that influence weight loss such as burning calories, motivation and consistent routine can all be addressed by working out when you wake up. Plus, the physical and mental benefits can provide a positive outlook for your entire day.

Here are some reasons why an individual should choose mornings than the other time of the day:

• Morning exercising is said to charge the metabolism. It also keeps the body active for hours together. A fast metabolism helps in burning more calories rapidly.
• Most importantly morning exercises regulate your appetite. Which means you won't feel too hungry and thus end up making better food choices. This will pave way to easier weight loss. 
• The hormones well prepare your body by regulating blood pressure, heart beat rate etc. this makes weight loss, quick, easy and natural.
• You get focused attention for workout because exercising in morning can help you eliminate distractions.
• Scheduling your workout first thing in the morning creates a routine. Individuals who have consistent routines are more likely to lose weight because they are regularly engaged in their fitness program.
• Psychologically, exercising in the mornings puts you on a healthy mindset. 
• Exercising in the morning aids to a good and sound sleep. Morning exercises are proven to improve the quality of sleep.

Exercising in the morning is the only weight loss tip you will ever need. Now that you know why it’s important, follow it and experience the change. 

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