pranay, Author at Starmark

What is the Afterburn Effect?

Afterburn effects makes sure that your body is still burning fats after your workout routine is over. Learn about it in detail from here.

If you are into fitness, then you need to understand that your workout session doesn’t end when you stop exercising. This is because when you through an intense workout session, your metabolic rate increases dramatically.

Today, in our coverage of the afterburn effect, we are going to take a look at when does it occur and the types of workouts that provide the most afterburn effect. So, get into your workout gear and get ready to take your fitness to the next level.

Understanding the Basics of the Afterburn Effect

Scientifically known as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), afterburn effect refers to the amount of oxygen that is needed to return your body to its resting stage after an intense workout session.

Your body needs oxygen to produce fuel in the form of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). This helps in boosting your muscles during workout sessions. Your body can also call on stored energy sources that don’t need any additional oxygen.

Your resting state includes the following:

Removing lactic acid
Restoring oxygen levels
Restoring ATP levels (a molecule that gives your body the energy for processing exercises)
Repairing muscles

Your EPOC is at its highest level immediately following a workout session. It diminishes slowly and steadily thereafter. Research has shown that this elevated level could persist for as long as 38 hours.

There is basically a direct correlation between your workout sessions and the time it will take your body to reach the resting stage. This means that the more intense your workout session is, the longer it will take your body to rest.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been recognized as a highly effective way to induce significant EPOC. When you engage in HIIT, you consume more oxygen which is the reason you end up stimulating a higher EPOC. These short rounds of intense exercises are fragmented with equally small recovery periods.

As you can figure out, your body gets depleted of ATP during the exercising. Recovery helps in replenishing the lost ATP.

Benefits of Afterburn Effects

In the past couple of years, the importance of afterburn has been recognised across the globe. This is why trainers and fitness enthusiasts are capitalizing on the effective-but-fast way of training that shifts between multiple rounds of intense exercises.

This helps you in burning fats and calories and building muscles. In fact, HIIT also enables you to stay in fat-burning mode for a long time even when your workout routine has finished. As such, you don’t have to worry the next time you go out with your friends to treat yourself with a delightful brunch on the weekends.

To put it simply, the afterburn effect of HIIT makes sure that you are able to reap the rewards of your one-hour workout for days to come.

As we stated earlier, HIIT is the best and most effective afterburn-inducing training regimes. However, other forms of exercises, such as aerobic exercises also have a role in EPOC. Of course, it goes without saying that for low-intensity workout sessions such as a treadmill jog, the afterburn effect is much lower.

Another point that should be noted here is that your body weight, muscle mass and fitness level can also play a significant role in altering your individual afterburn rewards. It has been noted that people who are more aerobically fit tend to be much better in burning fats than others.

Workouts that Give You the Best Afterburn Effects

Now that you have a fair understanding of what afterburn effects are all about, it is time for us to acquaint you with the workout routines that would ensure that you get the most afterburn effects out of them.

Swimming

Swimming can be intense as well as relaxing, depending on how you see it. It is a low-impact yet highly effective exercise that provides a total body workout. It builds strength, improves your coordination levels and boosts your endurance. To get the most afterburn effects from a swimming session, you need to do the following routine.

Start with a 5-minute warmup.
Follow it up with a 50-metre freestyle sprint
25-metre recovery
Complete a 50-metre backstroke sprint
25-metre recovery
Proceed to do a 50-metre breaststroke sprint
25-metre recovery
Follow it up with a 50-metre freestyle sprint
25-metre recovery
5-minute cool-down period

Cycling

Cycling helps in combining cardiovascular endurance with low body resistance training. You can get the most afterburn effects from cycling if you follow this routine:

A 10-minute warm-up on a flat surface with a slowly increasing pace.
A 2-minute period of increasing resistance, riding with 75% effort.
A 2-minute period of low resistance, riding with 60% effort.
4-minute cycling in a seated position wherein you need to sprint all out for 30 seconds on and off.
Recover on a flat road for around a minute
For the next 5 minutes, increasing and maintain your resistance and ride with 75% effort. At this stage, keep alternating between standing for 30 seconds and sitting for 30 seconds.
In the next 5 minutes, sprint all out with low resistance. Again, keep on alternating between standing for 30 seconds and sitting for 30 seconds.
Cool down for the next 5 minutes.

Plyometrics

Plyometrics involve dynamic jumping moves that help in increasing your power. You would be exerting a lot of effort while performing these activities as it would require you to contract and stretch your muscles. Keep in mind that this is not for beginners or anyone with an injury. You can try the following routine. Take two minutes of rest between each section.

20 jump squats
15 burpees
20 box jumps
15 frog jumps
20 mountain climbers
20 lateral skater jumps
30 plank jacks

Strength-based Training

Compound movements help in increasing the afterburn effects. This is especially true for short recovery intervals between heavy training loads. For these exercises, you need to pick up a weight that you feel you can lift without being too comfortable or too uncomfortable. Once you do, then you need to do the following. Take two minutes of rest between each section.

15 squats
5 deadlifts
15 dumbbell shoulder presses
15 dumbbell rows
20 push-ups
15 reverse crunches
20 bicycle crunches

Summary

Afterburn effects help in making sure that your body is still burning fats and calories while also building muscles after you are done with your workout session. So, they are very beneficial.

However, too much of anything is not good. Make sure to cap HIIT sessions (that help in providing afterburn effects) at a maximum of 30 minutes per session. Do not participate in more than three sessions in a week so that your body gets the proper recovery time and not injures itself.

Showering After a Workout: Is It Good or Bad?

For those who are wondering if showering after a workout is necessary or not, we bring out all the answers to that.

When it comes to showering after a workout, the opinions are extremely polarizing. Some people head to their showers immediately, while others wait for a few minutes before getting themselves wet. And then there are those who completely avoid it. But have you wondered that something as basic as showers can have a large impact on your fitness?

Well, if you have not, then it is time to think about it now. We are going to evaluate the impact of showers after workout by taking a scientific approach. So, let’s find out about it.

The Time between Your Workout and Shower

An intense workout can leave you sweaty and greasy. Now, you may be tempted to take a shower immediately but you should wait out a bit. We recommend you to wait for at least 20 minutes after your workout before taking a shower.

This time duration is required for your body to cool down after your workout session. Consider it as the opposite of warm-up. In fact, there are various low intensity stretches that you should perform after working out as they would help your body muscles to enter the relaxing stage. They also help you in normalizing your body temperature and heart rate.

It should also be noted that different people sweat to different degrees. This is why an ideal way to assess whether your body is ready for showering after a workout session is to keep a note on when you stop sweating profusely. For some, it can be within 15 minutes, while for others, it can last up to 30 minutes.

Use this downtime to rehydrate your body by drinking water or non-sweetened fruit juice.

The Necessity of Showering After a Workout

Before we list out the benefits of showering after a workout, we must also tell you that it is very important to change into a fresh pair of clothing after working out. You should not wait more than 30 minutes to change into your new set of clothing after a shower. It is suggested to wash your workout clothes on a daily basis with an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal solution if you can.

With that being said, let us take a look at the benefits of showering after a workout.

Avoids Build-up of Bacteria

Workout makes you sweat and when you sweat, it is a perfect playground for various types of bacteria to thrive in. The most common regions where these bacteria are prevalent are your feet, groin and underarms.

Showering after a workout session helps in cleaning up your body and, in turn, killing those bacteria which otherwise would cause skin infections.

Prevents the Appearance of Acne

There is hardly a person on Earth who doesn’t have to worry about acne. People who are into fitness often notice acne appearing on their skin. A major reason behind it could be not taking proper showers after working out.

As we stated earlier, sweating results in the build-up of bacteria on your skin. These bacteria clog the pores of your skin, making it vulnerable to irritation and inflammation. This is why you need to make sure you cleanse your skin of all the dirt, sweat and other impurities that you pick up while working out.

Protects from Yeast Infection

Showering after a workout also helps in preventing harmful yeast infections. Most people wear tight clothes while exercising. This leads to various parts of your body being damp with sweat for a long period of time.

Changing into a new set of fresh clothes after working out is going to be of no use if you don’t clean out the sweat and dirt accumulated on the skin. And the only way to do so effectively is through a proper shower.

Boosts the Health of Your Skin

If you happen to be one of those who has a severe skin condition such as eczema, then it is all the more important for you to rinse your body after an intense workout session.

This is because the excess sweat can be a perfect breeding ground for microbes, which will exacerbate the condition even further. Therefore, head out to your washroom, use a herbal soap and work up a lather and take a relaxing shower.

Avoids Athlete’s Foot

As we previously mentioned, your feet are one of the moistest areas during a workout session. Sweat accumulates in that region making it susceptible to various microbes.

A major problem people face is that of an athlete’s foot, which a fungal disease. It causes immense itchiness and leaves you with a burning sensation. You would also see blisters appear on your skin. Thus, after you are done with your workout, immediately get out of your sweaty socks and shoes, cool down your body and then use an anti-fungal or herbal soap to take a shower.

Hot Shower v/s Cold Shower

Hot showers help in triggering a smooth flow of blood throughout your entire body. As a result, your skin glows and all types of muscles soreness are alleviated.

On the other hand, cold showers help in cooling your body down and in normalising your heart rate. Cold showers also help in inhibiting the build-up of lactic muscles which makes sure that you don’t feel any burning sensation or any muscle pain after working out.

Remember, you need to cool down right after working out by doing stretches and sitting down. Jumping into a cold shower to cool down your body is not the solution. It is a gradual transition.

As far as what type of shower should you take, here’s what you need to know. After waiting for around 20 minutes after your workout, start with a cold shower as it will help in lowering the inflammation of the joints, tendons, and muscles. After that, switch to a hot shower since it will improve joint and muscle recovery. Please keep in mind that the water shouldn’t be too hot or too cold as it will send shockwaves to your system.

Summary

Showering after a workout is extremely important since it helps in avoiding the accumulation of dirt and bacteria, thereby keeping you safe from various diseases. It also helps in relaxing and cooling down your body and in providing complete recovery of your muscles.

You should wait at least 20 minutes after your workout session before starting your shower. Start with a mild cold shower and then switch to a warm shower to get the best results. After that, don’t forget to rejuvenate yourself with the right type of food.

Signs of Overtraining You Should Watch Out For

Are you worried that you might be overtraining? Take a look at these vital signs to find whether you are pushing yourself too hard or not.

When we get into our workout gears, most of us have the mindset of giving it our all and not quitting under any circumstances. While that is a valiant attitude to have, you need to remember that your health should be your priority at the end of the day.

Sometimes, we train ourselves so hard and push so deep that we put our life at risk. Overtraining takes place when you workout continuously without giving your body and mind enough recovery time between sessions. It can not only result in injuries but in some cases, the results could be fatal.

Clearly, this is something that you want to avoid. To help you avoid this situation, we are going to help you identify the signs of overtraining.

What is Overtraining?

Before we list out the signs of overtraining, let us explain to you what it is in detail. Overtraining Syndrome (OTS), as it is known medically, can jeopardize your fitness level, thereby, negatively affecting your performances and causing injuries. Overtraining is mostly seen in single-sport athletes.

Many people aren’t aware of the dose-response relationship, which essentially means that the more you work out, the more benefits you receive. However, there is a tipping point after which if you exercise, you would end up harming your body than helping it.

Signs of Overtraining

Please remember, not all of the following signs will be seen in everyone. Most of them are very subjective. Some people might witness all the signs. Others might feel a couple of them, while others might experience just one of them. The important thing here is not to underestimate the signs. Fitness is all about developing an understanding of how your body works.

Alright, with the groundwork being laid, it is time to put down the signs of overtraining.

Fatigue

Feeling tired after exercising is normal and nothing out of the ordinary. However, if you feel excessively drained during or after the workout to a point where you feel you don’t even have the energy to do basic movements, then you should be alert. This basically happens when your body isn’t able to fully recover from the workout session.

Agitation and Irritation

Fitness adds a level of calmness to you. Your body feels relaxed and stress-free after a healthy workout session. Overtraining, on the other hand, can cause depression, mood swings, and mental fogs as it dramatically stresses your hormone levels. You would also experience difficulty in concentrating and would be plagued by a feeling of restlessness. Your level of enthusiasm would see a significant drop as well.

Inadequate Eating

People who overtrain often cut back on their calories to a point where it negatively affects their health. When you push yourself too hard, you deplete your body of the energy that you have. As a result, you might develop various nutritional deficiencies such as anaemia. Furthermore, a loss of appetite or an unwillingness to eat can severely affect your gastrointestinal, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems. You might also develop complications in your nervous and reproductive systems as well. A dramatic weight loss in a short span of time can also be a major sign of overtraining.

Improper Sleep

Overtraining can disrupt your hormones, which would make it difficult for you to relax. As a result, it will take a longer time for you to go to sleep. You won’t be well-rested. If you don’t take proper actions, you might even develop insomnia. Your body needs a solid seven hours of sleep after a workout session. When you can’t sleep due to overtraining, it would further add to the tiredness the next morning.

Frequent Cold

Another underestimated sign of overtraining is catching cold. Most people wouldn’t associate with overtraining. But if you dig deep to the root cause of the cold, you may be surprised. This is because overtraining can harm your immune system. This, in turn, makes you more susceptible to fall sick every time you encounter a virus. So, do not neglect this point if it happens frequently.

Reduced Sex Drive

When you are severely exhausted, you would lose interest in sex. It has been seen that one of the reasons for low libido is due to increased intensity in training. This is true for both men and women. Of course, hormonal changes are a big factor in it, which results from overtraining.

Workout Sessions Seem More Challenging Than Usual

When you are overtraining, your workout session would seem more challenging than it used to previously. You would feel that you are required to put much more effort. This might be because your heart is beating at an unhealthily fast rate and is taking a long time to rest.

Halted Progress

Are you feeling that your body is not showcasing any change despite you working out to the best of your abilities? Well, this might be another sign of overtraining. This is because your body stops growing or worse, goes through the opposite direction of growth when you are overtraining. Your muscles need a chance to repair and rest. This happens when you are giving them the time to recover and rest.

Insatiable Thirst

Overtraining makes you have an unquenchable thirst. You would feel that no matter how much you drink, you are still thirsty. This happens because overtraining puts your body in a catabolic state. This means that your body is in a constant state of dehydration.

Summary

On average, if you are spending more than five hours in the gym or if you finding yourself to be addicted to it, then you are definitely someone who could be overtraining. Take note of all of the aforementioned signs and make sure to keep yourself protected.

Remember, no amount of workout is worth your life. After all, what good a workout is if it injures you and puts your life at jeopardy?

Everything You Wanted to Know about Primal Diet

Eliminate all the toxic and processed food items by going the age-old way with the help of a primal diet. Take a look at what it is from here.

Most people who don’t know much about primal diet thinks of it as a high-end fancy diet that only rich people can afford. If you are one of them, then you would be surprised to know that a primal diet is more basic and economical than you think it to be. It is based on the concept that the western lifestyle and dietary habits have significantly shifted from that of traditional hunter and gatherers.

To put it simply, a primal diet resembles the diet of early human. As such, it is low in carbs and high in fats and proteins and is almost free of harmful chemicals.

Today, we are going to take a deep dive into everything related to a primal diet. We will tell you what food items are included in a primal diet, the guidelines you need to follow to keep up with a primal diet, its benefits alongside a food menu for the same.

So, get ready and give your taste buds and overall health a dash of change with this unique diet plan.

What is a Primal Diet?

A primal diet is basically a dietary plan wherein your eating habits are determined by that of primitive humans. It focuses on the consumption of raw, minimal processed foods such as dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and certain types of oil.

Now, before you panic, let us tell you, meats are allowed to be cooked. However, all other foods must be kept as close to their natural state as possible. For instance, milk should be consumed in its raw, unpasteurized form.

The basic idea of this diet is to decrease the amount of sugar that a person consumes, which, in turn, comes from eating zero processed foods. More focus is put on farmed foods such as grains. This diet is still in its early stages and researches are still being done to improve it and make it more practical.

Followers of the primal diet believe that the early humans had lower rates of diabetes, heart diseases, obesity and other chronic health conditions because of the types of food they used to consume.

A primal diet also includes recommendations for mental stimulation, physical activity, sleep, and exposure to sunlight and overall nature. However, it is not entirely strict and allows for moderate consumption of coffee, fermented and raw milk whole fat dairy, and nightshade veggies.

Types of Food Items Included in a Primal Diet

The majority of your food consumption in the case of a primal diet should comprise of whole, raw, and unprocessed food items. Here is a list for the same:

Fruits – All types of fruits (preferably organic)
Vegetables – Kale, broccoli, zucchini, avocado, cabbage, etc. (preferably organic)
Fish and Shellfish – Trout, halibut, shrimp, lobster, scallop, salmon, tilapia
Meat – Lamp, chicken, turkey, pork, bison, elk, venison, grass-fed beef (preferably organic)
Eggs – Whole eggs and egg whites (preferably organic)
Nuts and Seeds – Walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, macadamias, pine nuts, natural nut or seed butter
Spices and Herbs – Cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, basil, cilantro, rosemary, sage, etc.
Healthy fats – Extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, lard, ghee, etc.
Milk alternatives – Unsweetened almond, cashew, coconut, hemp, and flax milk

In addition to these, you can consume the following food items in moderation:

Beverage – Unsweetened tea and coffee (plain or with creamer or whole fat milk)
Legumes – Soaked or sprouted lentils, dry roasted peanuts, edamame, peanut butter, fermented whole soy products such as tempeh
Natural sweeteners – Real maple syrup, honey
Dairy – Organic or raw full-fat dairy, yoghurt, full-fat cream, milk, kefir
Starchy vegetables – Winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes

The following food items can be consumed as occasional treats and are often referred to as “sensible indulgences”:

Dark chocolate – with at least 70% cocoa content
Cheese – Sheep’s or goat’s milk cheese, cheddar, gouda, feta, blue cheese, etc. (preferably raw and grass-fed)
Alcohol – Scotch, whiskey, brandy, light beer, cognac, white or red wine

Food Items to Avoid in a Primal Diet

If you are following a primal diet, make sure the following items are avoided as much as possible:

Grains – Whole or refined grains, barley, bread, pasta, muffins, rye, spelt, cereal, pancakes, etc.
Sugar-based items – Soda, table sugar, pastries, cakes, candy, milk chocolate, cookies, ice-cream, etc.
Vegetable oils – Soybean oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, etc.
Trans fats and hydrogenated fats – Margarine, shortening, foods containing partially hydrogenated oils.

If you really need sugar content in your food, go for natural sugar substitutes such as stevia and monk fruit instead of artificial sweeteners. However, minimalize their consumption too.

Benefits of Primal Diet

A primal diet is a multi-beneficiary diet and this is exactly why it is getting popular with each passing day.

First and foremost, the most prominent benefit of this diet is that it helps in decreasing the risk facts for multiple heart diseases. Secondly, it also helps people with Type 2 diabetes in controlling their blood sugar levels. This is because this diet minimalizes your sugar and card intake.

Furthermore, the lifestyle factors associated with this diet helps in alleviating stress and in improving your mood. As such, you are less likely to suffer from stress and anxiety.

A Primal Diet Menu

To help you get a better grasp of this diet, let us give you some menu choices for your breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast

Spinach, eggs, and peppers cooked in coconut oil
No-grain oatmeal made from almonds, blended coconut flakes and pecans
Veggies fried in a skillet with coconut oil
Poached eggs
Coffee with cream
Raw whole milk with blueberries and cinnamon
Green tea

Lunch

Green salad with cucumber, tomatoes, pine nuts, and avocado
Chicken salad with lettuce wraps
Burrito bowl with cauliflower rice
Roasted pepper and onions with guacamole and salsa
Grilled grass-fed steak
Bison burger patty with homemade vinaigrette
Mixed fruit

Dinner

Roasted vegetables
Bison burger with a lettuce wrap
Baked sweet potatoes
Baked salmon with pesto
Roasted pork tenderloin
Roasted Brussels sprouts
Side salad

Summary

Based on the eating habits of early humans, a primal diet is a highly-beneficiary diet that focuses on eating mostly whole foods and discarding processed foods. In addition, it also encourages you to engage in physical activities that, in turn, help in reducing stress levels. So, talk to your dietician and see whether this is an ideal diet for you or not. If yes, then feel free to follow our guide.

Cardio vs Weight-Exercises – Which One is Better for You?

To break down the debate of cardio vs weight-exercises, we take a closer look into their benefits and implications in a pragmatic way.

One of the biggest debates that still remains strong among fitness enthusiasts across the globe is the question as to which one is better and more effective – cardiovascular exercises or wright-exercises. We understand that when you are enrolling yourself for a gym membership, you are not only investing your money, but you are also spending a lot of time and energy into it. As such, you would want your investments to be worth it. Whether it is improving your body composition or increasing strength, you should be better aware of what these two types of exercises offer you.

Our goal is to be your guide so that you are able to make a wise and healthy decision and pick the suitable one for your needs. Don’t get us wrong! Both of them would help in giving you stellar health and a strong body, but yes their implications are indeed different from each other. Today, we answer every query that you may have related to the topic of cardio vs weight-exercises.

Cardio vs Weight-exercises – Understanding the Differences

Difference between Cardio vs Weight-exercises

To settle the age-old debate of cardio vs weight-exercise, we are going to take a direct approach into understanding what they each bring to the table. After a brief overview of both of them, we will then take a closer look into figuring out which one would work for you.

Let us start with cardio, which stands for cardiovascular conditioning. Cardio exercises are aerobic activities wherein they use oxygen to increase your heart rate and breathing. Running is considered to be the most polarizing cardio exercises. But, honestly, any activity that makes you breathe faster and harder while also increasing your heart rate is considered to be a cardio exercise.

Moving on, weight-exercises, also known as resistance training or weight training, are anaerobic activities. Evident by their name, they include lifting free weights such as kettlebell, dumbbell, barbell, and other weight machines.

Cardio vs Weight-exercises – Why to Choose Cardio Exercises?

When it comes to boosting your endurance, nothing can beat cardio exercises. These exercises improve your aerobic capacity, which is basically the amount of oxygen your blood receives and uses. They allow your lungs and heart to move oxygen throughout your body in a more efficient manner.

You would be able to burn more calories through cardio exercises in comparison to weigh-exercises. In a study conducted by Harvard Medical School, it was seen that a 155-pound person burns around 372 calories when he runs at a 10-minute per mile pace for 30 minutes in comparison to 112 calories if he or she lifts weights for the same duration.

Cardio exercises are also better at helping you lose more weight since they are highly efficient in burning fats.

Cardio vs Weight-exercises – Why to Choose Weight-exercises?

Although weight-exercises do a decent job at burning calories, the main agenda in their case is building of strong muscles. Research has proven that weight-exercises help in increasing lean muscle mass.

Cardio exercises burn calories only during a sweat sash, whereas weight-exercises keep burning calories throughout the day. This is because of the muscles you are building, which, in turn, boosts your resting metabolism. What you need to understand here is the fact that muscles help you in burning more calories when it is resting in comparison to fats.

It has also been seen that people who continuously perform weight-exercises witness a significant improvement in their metabolic rate.

Another major benefit of weight-exercises is that it can play a significant role in increasing your bone destiny. This would ultimately lead to the strengthening of your bones. Stronger bones mean that you would be able to prevent fractures as well as osteoporosis. Furthermore, strong bones would be able to support your joints better. As such, there will be a significant decrease in any risk involving arthritis or shoulder injuries.

Cardio vs Weight-exercises – Why to Choose Both?

You need to understand that cardio and weight-exercises are not mutually exclusive. The whole debate of cardio vs weight-exercises should be put down. You don’t really have to pick only one. In fact, by combining the two, you would give yourself the best of both worlds.

Not only you would be able to gain muscles, but you will also be able to lose fat. Of course, it would demand a lot of time from you, but it would be worth it if you want to work on your body. Muscles have more density than fat. As such, you can’t really be dependent on the weight-scale to track your weight loss, especially if you are doing both cardio and weight-exercises.

Doing both of them together would also improve the health of your heart. In addition, they would do wonders for depression and anxiety.

Cardio and Weight-exercises – Which One to do First?

Now, if you have decided to do both and are confused as to which one to do first, then let us help you out.

If you are participating in an upcoming race, then we recommend you to perform cardio before weight-exercises.

However, if your goal is to build core strength, then you should perform weight-exercises before cardio. The same goes for those who are looking to train only their lower-body muscles.

Generally speaking, five to eight 30-minute cardio regimes per week are enough. As for weight-exercises, 2-3 days a week of full-body exercises with each session lasting between 20-30 minutes will suffice.

Summary

People have been questioning for a long time as to which one is better in the fight of cardio vs weight-exercises. Cardio exercises help in burning more calories during the exercise, losing weight, and improving endurance. On the other hand, weight-exercises help in building muscles and in burning more calories throughout the day.

Running, cycling, Zumba, etc. are some of the most common forms of cardiovascular exercises whereas dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells are examples of weight-exercises.

You don’t necessarily have to pick only one between them. Combining them both will help you gain muscles and lose weight, both at the same time.

Identifying the Benefits of Stretching After Workout

If you are not paying attention to stretching after workout, then your exercise is not complete. Learn from us as to why it is important.

One of the most underrated aspects of the workout regime is the post-exercise routine. Most of us are extremely negligent and even ignorant of the actions that need to be taken after finishing our workout routine. Stretching after exercise not only decreases muscle tension, but it also improves your overall flexibility.

This is why fitness trainers around the globe recommend their clients to include stretching in their workout routine. It makes the workout regime well-balanced. No matter what type of training you are under – strength-based or cardiovascular – stretching is an absolute must.

To help you understand the apparent as well as the subtle benefits of stretching after exercise, we bring before you a comprehensive list of the same. In addition, we will also talk to you about the different types of stretching that you can do. So, it is time to stretch it out…

7 Benefits of Stretching After Workout

We all know how important it is to stretch before a workout session since it helps in stimulating your movements, warming up your body, and preparing it for the exercises you are about to perform safely. But the benefits of stretching after exercise are also plentiful.

Most people feel the necessity to take a short nap or hop in the shower or nibble in some snack immediately after they finish their workout session. However, that is not the smartest choice. There is a process to everything and they need to be performed properly so that you can reap the most benefits out of the efforts you are putting in working out.

Now, we do understand that all of us have a tight schedule and we probably can’t devote more time to our workout regime than we already do. Don’t worry! You don’t have to stretch for a long time after workout. In fact, you can stretch several muscles groups at once, thereby saving more time of yours.

Alright, without any further ado, let us get into the benefits of stretching after workout now.

Improves Flexibility

The biggest advantage of stretching after workout is that it improves your flexibility. You may not notice the difference immediately, but after a few weeks, you would find yourself to be more flexible than you were before.

When you hold static and deep stretch poses at the end of your workout routine, you will have more access to the length in various parts of your body. You will be able to move around easily and will experience a better range of motion.

Lowers Muscle Tension

Almost of us experience tension in our muscles after exercising and it can get overwhelming quite soon. In addition, stress can also contribute to the tension in your muscles.

Stretching after exercise can help relax the tension in your muscles. In the process, your stress level goes down and you, in turn, feel calmer. Furthermore, stretching plays a great role in lowering back pain. This is why we recommend you to stretch your hip flexors, hamstrings, and the muscles attached to your pelvis.

Not to mention, stretching would also give your muscles tone and help them look slender.

Protects Joints

Your joints play a vital role in supporting and moving your body. They are made of connective tissues and have various muscle attachments. Your shoulders, hips, and knees need to be taken care of if you want to better mobilise your body.

You would end up losing tension in your joints and there won’t be any stiffness in those areas. To put it simply, stretching help in taking care of every sore muscles and joints.

Improves Posture

When your muscles are tensed and tight, it results in you having a poor posture. Moreover, every time you sit or stand incorrectly, you end up putting additional strain and pressure on your muscles.

As per a study conducted in the year 2015, it was seen that if you combine a strength-based training routine with stretching exercises, then you would be able to avoid any sort of shoulder or back pain.

Stretching would help in proper alignment, which ultimately would improve your posture. You would also be in better control of avoiding any potential back injuries in the future.

Lowers the Chance of Cramping

Have you ever wondered why your body gets tired and sore are a workout routine? Well, that is because every time you workout, your body produces lactic acid. It is extremely important to eliminate this lactic acid because if it stays accumulated inside your body, your muscles will never be able to relax.

Stretching is one of the easiest ways through which you can eliminate this lactic acid. This also means that you would not experience any sort of cramping in your body after a workout as they are usually the results of body fluids getting stuck in your body.

Increased Blood Flow

Immediately after a strenuous workout session, your body pumps blood at a faster rate to your heart, making it beat at a much faster rate. This can have a negative impact on your health if not taken care of.

Stretching helps in your heartbeat returning to a normal rate. In an animal study that was conducted in the year 2018, it was also seen that stretching helps in improving circulation. As such, your muscles are also able to heal quickly after a workout session. Better blood circulation would also prevent muscle stiffness and soreness.

Boosts Your Energy

Proper stretching after workout helps in keeping your energy level steady and consistent. Stretching also allows your brain to release endorphins, which is a feel-good healthy and natural chemical.

As a result, you end up feeling more energized and you can stay with more energy for the rest of the day to meet any challenge.

Prevents Injury

Stretching not only dissipates the pain but also help in minimalizing it to a great degree. If you don’t stretch after an intense workout, your muscles remain tight and you run the risk of incurring injuries.

During stretching, your muscles are elongated which means the risk of tearing and ripping of muscle tissues and fibres are way less. So, save your body from being susceptible to injuries and stretch out.

Cools Your Body Down

As we have stated above, stretching helps in improving blood circulation which ultimately helps in bringing back your heartbeat to a normal rate.

In fact, stretching is the gradual shift to a stage of relaxation after a heavy workout. It would offer your body and mind with a sense of mindfulness and patience. So, this is why immediately resting after a workout is not recommended. You have to go through a gradual flow and stretching is the perfect gateway to that.

The Different Types of Stretching

A lot of people are unaware of the different types of stretching exercises. You need to have a clear understanding of them before trying them out. This knowledge would help you figure out which stretching exercise is appropriate for which time.

Without complicating the subject and causing confusion, we just want to keep the classifications simple for a better understanding. Broadly speaking, stretching exercises are primarily of two types – static and dynamic. Let us now try to understand how these two types of stretching exercises differ from each other.

Static stretching refers to the stretches where you have to hold a pose for a period of time that can last anywhere between 20 to 60 seconds. In this type of exercises, you stay in a particular place and don’t move at all while stretching a particular muscle or group of muscles. Static stretching is done at the end of the workout when your muscles are already warm.

On the other hand, dynamic stretching exercises refer to those exercises that need active movements from you. Both your muscles and joints go through a full range of motion. Dynamic stretches are usually done before a workout since they help warm up your body and increase the heart rate up.

Summary

You may be tempted to rest immediately after a workout session but trust us; you need to understand the importance of stretching after workout. Maybe you won’t see the positive as well as negative implications right away. But in due time, you will.

The value that you give to stretching before exercises, the same should be given to the post-workout stretching. This is essentially the aftercare of your workout session. You won’t be able to reap the full benefits of the efforts you are putting in your exercise if you don’t stretch after your workout session.

While stretching, don’t push yourself too hard. If you are experiencing too much pain, then stop immediately. Pushing too hard will cause more damage than good. Remember, this is not a full-blown workout session. This is meant to relax you, not to cause additional pressure on you.