1. Sports Drinks
There is no need to refuel with sports drinks unless you have been working out at very intensively over a few hours. Think of it this way – some of the more commonly sold sports drinks can contain up to 300 calories, which means its consumption would rule out your session. Stick to water and a light snack like fruit.
2. Staying in Sweaty Clothes
We might be tempted to leave the gym in a hurry and wait until we get home to get showered and changed. This is a bad idea. Not only will you feel horrible, clothes will begin to smell and moisture from sweaty clothes can lead to body acne and yeast infections. Shower and change in the gym if possible.
3. Rubbing Your Eyes with Towels
Touching your mouth, nose or eyes with a used towel is strongly discouraged. Gyms are a breeding ground for germs. Take as much caution as you can wiping machines down before and after use. If you are wiping sweat from your face or body use your own towel and also wash your hands well after workouts. Think of how many people a day use that equipment and how many germs are being shared.
4. Leaving Before Warming Down
One of the cardinal sins of working out is not cooling or warming down. Leave yourself an extra five minutes to do this after the workout. Stretch out those muscles even if you are exhausted- You will feel the better of it the next day and there is less risk of injury. Don’t cut corners with this; it will only impact you negatively.
5. Skipping Eating
If you are not going to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner after working out, eat some healthy snacks in the couple of hours after the gym- this is key for building and repairing muscle. If you are not doing this properly, you will not see results, plain and simple.
6. Overindulging
After a long workout, run, class etc. do not overindulge at meal times to compensate for this. So consider you may lose 300 calories in a workout, eating a 600 calorie burger is not a good idea and will only ruin your efforts.
7. Getting Enough Sleep
If you are forcing yourself to wake up that bit earlier to workout chances are you are not getting enough sleep. This means that muscle repair and growth which occurs as you sleep is probably not at its optimal level. Seven or eight hours a night is recommended.
8. Don’t Roll Up That Mat!!
Usually after a yoga or mat based class we simply roll up what we have been lying on and leave the mat in the car until the next session. This seems like the logical thing to do but mats again breed germs- after use, wipe it down and lay it out flat and leave it to dry naturally.
9. Not Wiping Down Machines
There is nothing as unpleasant in the gym as working out on a sweaty machine or equipment. This again is very unsanitary. For your sake and for others, wipe down equipment before and after working out.
10. Late Night Snacking
If you are still feeling peckish before bedtime, reach out for the healthier option instead ofsomething fatty, greasy or sugary. A handful of unsalted nuts or some Greek Yogurt might do the trick. Just because you workout does not mean you can eat whatever you want.
Perhaps these tips can help you to get the most out of your workouts. Hopefully they are of some use to you. In the meantime, keep up the good work!