April 2020 - Starmark

What to Eat Before Workout: Know about Your Pre-Workout Meal

Healthy eating makes your workout even more beneficial for your body. Wondering what to eat before workout? Here’s the answer!

When we get ourselves ready for working out, our motivation is to run faster, spin quicker, jump higher, and train harder. While dedication, discipline and hard work are essential for carrying out these actions, you need to understand that none of these would bear fruitful results if you don’t back them up with the proper fuel in the form of the right diet.

Selecting an ideal meal before workout will help in maximizing the efforts that you put in the gym. Our bodies have varied nutritional needs and you will be required to provide them with the perfect balance of all food groups.

Today, we are going to answer all your questions about what to eat before workout. We are going to lay down the individual food items as well as the food dish that you need to consume as part of your meal before workout. On top of that, we will also help you figure out the time duration between your meal and workout. So, let’s get into it.

Digging Deep into What to Eat Before Workout

The meal before workout should have a decent balance between carbs, proteins and healthy fats so that you are able to recover from the loss of energy from the workout, stave off hunger, fuel your body, and fight fatigue.

The first order of business here is to make you aware of the time interval that you need to maintain between your pre-workout meal and your workout.

The Timing of Your Pre-Workout Meal

Your pre-workout meal needs to be consumed at a specific time for your body to function properly. It is an important aspect of your pre-exercise nutrition. Ideally, it is recommended that taking it 30-180 minutes before your workout is healthy. This way you can ensure that you are neither digesting the food while on the gym floor nor have you depleted all the calories from it while working out.

It should also be noted that the timing differs from person to person. Initially, it might just be trial and error and you would have to go through a series of experiments to find out which time frame works the best for your body.

If you prefer working out first thing in the morning, chances are high that you won’t be able to consume a full meal. For you, a light breakfast or a small snack is recommended. For those who workout later in the day, you can take a small snack 30-60 minutes before the workout. If you are planning to take a meal, it should be 120-180 minutes before the workout.

The rule of thumb is that the sooner you eat before your workout, the simpler and smaller the meal should be. This would help you in avoiding any stomach ache or discomfort during exercising.

Hydration

We can’t stress enough on the importance of hydration. When your body is well hydrated, it will enhance your performance. This is why we strongly recommend you to consume both water and sodium before exercising as you will lose both of them during exercise through sweating.

As far as the quantity of water is concerned, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that one should drink 500-600 ml of water at least four hours before exercise and 200-300 ml of water 10-15 minutes before exercise. If you consume a beverage that has sodium content in it, the benefits will multiply.

Alright, let us now focus on the macronutrients, which are essentially the dietary compounds that your body needs in large quantities for it to function properly. These macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. These are your key source of energy and each of them can contribute differently to your meal before workout.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate-rich food helps in ensuring that your body has sufficient energy to perform well. Your body utilises the glucose from carbs for fuel. This is especially required for those who are engaging in resistance and cardiovascular exercises.

When you consume carbs, they break down into glucose. The glucose then enters our muscle cells and provides us with the fuel to exercise to the best of our abilities. The glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in your body, which are dipped into reserves when you are putting your muscles to work.

This is why eating carbs is essential before working out. It makes sure that you would have additional glucose in your tank if you need it to replenish the lost glycogen content. Without the intake of carbs, you would feel lethargic and you would be tempted to throw the towel.

Therefore, your list of what to eat before workout would be incomplete without carbs. Some of the ideal carb-rich foods for your pre-workout meal are as follows:

Rice
Oatmeal
Cracker
Granola bar
Broccoli
Lentils
Beans
Whole-grain bread
Whole-grain pasta
Sweet potatoes
Quinoa
Banana
Beetroot
Orange
Blueberry
Apple
Grapefruit
Chickpeas

Protein

Protein helps in improving your athletic performances and in increasing the growth of your muscles. When you include protein in your pre-workout meal, you would experience better muscle recovery and increased strength and lean body mass.

Studies have shown that your body would have a positive anabolic response if you consume just 20 gm of whey protein before exercise.

Protein is especially recommended for those who are into weight training since when you lift weights, small tears are created in your muscle fibres. These tears are repaired when you rest, which, in turn, helps in making your muscles stronger and bigger. All these are possible only when you intake protein in the meal before workout.

Proteins are responsible for supplying amino acids to your body, which, in turn, help your performance. Go for easy-to-digest protein and make sure not to eat too much protein before a workout, else you might experience stomach ache halfway through your workout. The recommended amount of protein intake is 1.6-1.8 gm for every pound of your bodyweight. This would suffice you in building muscle.

So, when it comes to what to eat before workout, you need to include protein-rich food items such as:

Salmon
Tuna
Nuts
Bans
Eggs
Soy
Beef
Lamb
Pork
Milk
Yoghurt
Cheese
Peanut butter
Almond butter

Healthy Fats

Fats are the ultimate source of energy for your body. So, it should be no surprise that the next item on our list of what to eat before workout is fat, or to put it more specifically, healthy fats.

Consuming fats before your workout is advised because your body digests fats slowly than carbs. As such, your body won’t be able to break down and absorb the fat and deplete it before the workout begins.

Although we don’t suggest eating a fat-only meal, you need to include some variation of healthy fat so that your pre-meal workout falls under the balanced diet category.

Stay away from trans fats and saturated fats as they would have a negative impact on your body. Unsaturated fats are what you need in your meal.

Here are some examples of healthy fats that you should include in your pre-workout meal:

Avocados
Nuts
Seeds
Olive oil

Caffeine

Many people are addicted to caffeine and feel that they would have to completely cut it off from pre-meal workout.

However, there is good news for you because contrary to popular belief, caffeine can help increase your power and strength. In addition, it stimulates the burning of fat and reduces any feelings of fatigue.

So, you can consume caffeine in the form of tea, coffee, energy drinks, or even pre-workout supplements and pills. Caffeine won’t affect your performance during your workout routine.

The peak effects of caffeine are usually seen 90 minutes after consumption. If you want to take caffeine, then we suggest taking it 15-60 minutes before your workout regime.

Ideal Pre-Workout Meals

Now that we have acquainted you with the individual food items that are healthy for you to eat before your workout regime, it is time that we recommend some wholesome meal to you. Remember, we aren’t asking you to consume them all. Pick and choose whatever suits your taste and needs. We just have tried to broaden the list by including a diverse food range.

Alright, some of the ideal pre-workout meals that you can enjoy are as follows:

Oatmeal with low-fat milk and fruit
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Trail mix
Fruit and yoghurt smoothie
Chocolate milk
Whole-grain turkey wrap
Chicken, brown rice, and veggies
Egg and whole-wheat toast
Low-fat latte and an apple
Salmon With Sweet Potato
Greek Yogurt and Fruit
Chicken thighs, rice and steamed vegetables
Oatmeal, protein powder and blueberries
Scrambled eggs, veggies and avocado

Summary

So, as you see the type, amount and the timing of food that you intake before a workout has a direct effect on your performance. So, stay hydrated and make sure that your pre-workout meal is essentially a balanced diet. The presence of macronutrients – carbs, proteins and healthy fats will enhance your performance.

Moreover, maintain a proper time interval between your pre-workout meal and your workout regime so that you neither are out of energy while eating nor are you still in the process of digestion while working out. We hope our detailed guide of what to eat before workout will help you boost your performance further and that you are able to make the most out of your hard work.

Immunity-boosting Foods That You Need to Include in Your Diet ASAP

Fighting diseases such as cold, cough, fever and even Coronavirus will be much easier when you include these immunity-boosting food items in your diet.

We all have had those days where we felt so sick that we had to cancel an important meeting at work or miss out on our best friend’s birthday party. This situation is especially true when seasonal changes are going on. Of course, we can’t have a hand in controlling the weather, but we can definitely prepare our bodies to face disease-causing microbes. How do we do that, you ask? Well, we do that by planning our diet and including various types of immunity-boosting foods in it. Moreover, with proper diet, we can even prevent the COVID-19 virus from entering into our body and making us sick.

Today, we are going to take a look at the food items you have to indulge in to strengthen your immune system. But, before we do that, let us understand how changing your diet can bring about a whole lot of difference to your health.

How Do Immunity-boosting Foods Help Our Body?

Our bodies are most vulnerable during seasonal changes, whether it is the arrival of the summer or winter. Most of us fall sick while adapting to the changing temperature. Also, disease-causing microorganisms lurk on every imaginable item, whether it is the doorknobs or the keyboard of your computer. Not maintaining proper hygiene such as washing hands before eating or not clipping nails from time to time also infects us, leading us to suffer from cough, cold, fever, and diarrhea, among others.

If you are one of those who think that these are simple, harmless diseases and can be easily treated with medicine, let us tell you where you are going wrong. When you get dependent on medication for a prolonged period, your body loses the ability to naturally heal itself and is in constant need of a foreign object (in this case, your medicines) to conduct its daily functions.

Therefore, precaution is better than cure, and you need to take preventive measures so that these diseases don’t occur in the first place. As we stated above, a natural way to do this without incurring any side-effects is by simply altering your diet. Don’t worry! We are not asking for some dramatic changes in your diet. We just want you to add some immunity-boosting foods to your existing diet.

These food items are rich in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that strengthen your immune system. The presence of zinc, probiotics, curcumin, selenium, beta-carotene, and vitamins C and D in these foods helps in providing a protective layer to your body. They not only kill the harmful microbes but also decrease inflammation and accelerate the activities of white blood cells so that you live a disease-free life.

Best Immunity Boosting Foods That You Need to Bring Home

Oddly enough, most of the foods that improve the immune system are simple, affordable items that are available throughout the year. These are not magic elixirs! It is very well possible that these food items are lying in your refrigerator, getting ignored by you. Take a look to find out.

Broccoli

When it comes to the question of what to eat to increase the immune system, our first recommendation is broccoli. Rich in vitamins A, C, and E, broccoli is almost like your natural medicines. Their antioxidant properties along with the fact that they are highly fibrous make them the top-most priority of many nutritionists and dietitians.

Make sure you cook them as little as possible so that they retain their natural properties. In fact, we even suggest you have them raw.

Yogurt

Yogurt can be a pretty polarizing food item. You either love them or you absolutely hate them, especially those who are not a fan of dairy products. But whichever side of the fence you stand on, you can’t deny its immunity-boosting power.

When you are hitting the grocery store to buy yogurt, please ensure that you buy the ones that have “live and active cultures” printed on their labels, such as Greek yogurt. Besides, avoid pre-flavored yogurts that come loaded with sugar. Try and consume the plain yogurts instead. If you have a sweet tooth, just add in honey or some sweet fruits to your yogurt.

Of course, if you are lactose intolerant, you need to ignore yogurt.

Papaya

Next up in our list of immunity-boosting foods are papayas. Rich in papain (a digestive enzyme), these fruits have anti-inflammatory effects that are extremely beneficial to your health.

They are also rich in vitamin C, which improves the immune system. Believe it or not, papaya contains 224% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Besides, they also contain vitamin B, folate, and potassium, all of which helps in fighting off harmful diseases.

Garlic

A mandatory item in almost every cuisine in the world, garlics are not only healthy, but they make our foods delicious. So, it means you will get to increase your immune system while gorging on those yummy dishes. What more can you ask for?

Since garlics contain allicin, a sulfur compound, they help in healing infections, lowering blood pressure, and in slowing down the hardening of arteries.

Ginger

Whether it’s decreasing inflammation or taking care of sore throats and even nausea, gingers have been valued since the dawn of time for their multi-beneficial properties.

It has been found that gingers have heating elements in them in the form of gingerol. Besides, they are recommended for people with high cholesterol levels and those who are suffering from chronic pain.

Turmeric

Another anti-inflammatory food item, turmeric helps in treating rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, alongside strengthening your immune system.

The bright yellow color of this spice is due to a high concentration of curcumin, which helps in preventing muscle spasms, and other exercise-induced damages. This means that this is a mandatory food item for all fitness freaks. So, next time you make a curry for your lunch, add in a dash of turmeric in it.

Sweet Potatoes

An average sweet potato contains 120% and 30% of the daily recommended value of vitamins A and C respectively. This makes them one of the popular immunity-boosting food items in the market.

The best part about sweet potatoes is that they are fat and cholesterol-free foods, which is music to the ears of patients who have diabetes and high sugar level since they allow you to enjoy sweetness without facing the ramifications from it.

Wheat Germ

The most nutritious portions of wheat grains are the wheat germs, which are the innermost part of their kernels. They are rich in zinc and vitamins B and E, which help your body in combating disease-causing microbes.

Wondering how you should eat them? Just sprinkle them on your morning cereal, afternoon yogurt or dinner dessert. You can also use them in place of breadcrumbs while making any dish that involves meatballs or meatloaves.

Spinach

Spinach is rich in antioxidants, beta carotene, and vitamin C, thereby making it a mandatory item in our immunity-boosting foods list. Having spinach frequently increases the chances of your immune system in successfully fighting off infections.

Much like broccoli, cook them as little as possible so that they don’t lose their nutritious properties. Mastering the art of cooking them lightly enhances their vitamin A proportion as well as helps in releasing other beneficial nutrients from oxalic acid that is present in them.

Oysters

One of the most underrated food items that people just pass off as a delicacy, oysters are powerhouses that contain a whole bunch of important vitamins and minerals that help improve the immune system.

They contain 190%, 45%, and 20% of the daily recommended value of selenium, iron, and vitamin C respectively. This seafood also contains decent proportions of vitamin A and zinc. So, have them raw or cook them in a stew or have them scalloped, whichever you want.

Poultry

Poultry items such as chicken and turkey have a high content of vitamin B-6 in them that plays a major role in all the chemical reactions that take place in your body. They also help in generating new red blood cells.

Having chicken in stock or broth form is extremely healthy since chicken bones are rich in chondroitin and gelatine that help in fast healing.

Green Tea

Green tea contains various types of antioxidants such as flavonoids and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that helps increase the immune system. We recommend green tea over black tea because the fermentation process of the latter destroys a lot of the ECGC.

Besides, green tea is rich in the amino acid L-theanine that helps in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells.

Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are great immunity-boosting foods since they contain magnesium, phosphorous, and vitamins E and B-6. They help in regulating our immune system, thereby keeping off disease-causing germs away.

Now, we understand that sunflower seeds are a bit difficult to get hold of in comparison to the other food items listed here, but we are sure you can buy them online if the nearby grocery store doesn’t keep them.

Watermelon

Summer afternoons are incomplete without a healthy slice of watermelon. These juicy fruits contain potassium, glutathione, and vitamins A, B-6, and C, all of which help improve your immune system.

Since they are water-based foods, they help you in staying hydrated in those scorching summer heats.

Almonds

Much like watermelon, you can’t make a diet chart without throwing in some nuts in it. When it comes to boosting your immune system, no nut can outperform almonds.

Almonds have a high presence of vitamin E, which help increase your immune system. Many food items contain vitamin E, but you can’t take in the benefits from them since it is a fat-soluble vitamin that requires fat to be absorbed. Almonds are rich in healthy fats, which mean they will help you in absorbing the much-needed vitamin E.

Final Thoughts

You need to remember that just one single immunity-boosting food won’t suffice. You need to have a combination of these aforementioned food items. We have picked these items in consultation with our in-house nutritionists and dietitians because we believe in dishing out only the information that comes straight from the expert’s mouth. Being one of the best multi-gyms in the country, our goal is to improve the overall health of our clients and to do that, we take in all the necessary professional help. So, eat healthily, stay hydrated, and improve your immune system.

A Constructive Guide to the Most Beneficial Exercises for Arthritis

Are you suffering from pain in your joints and have difficulty moving around? Take a look at these exercises for arthritis that can help.

Affecting over millions and millions of people worldwide, arthritis is a severe health disorder that affects your joints. People with this condition suffer excruciating pain, stiffness swelling and difficulty in movement. In some cases, other organs are also affected.

It is essentially the inflammation of your joints. Physical therapy, medications and lifestyle changes can help you recover from it. But exercises for arthritis can accelerate the process of your recovery to a great extent and that is what we are going to discuss today.

The Most Effective Exercises for Arthritis

Physical exercises not only help you prevent stiff joints but also improve your endurance, builds muscles and benefits your bones, heart, and mood. When it comes to arthritis, you need to take it easy and be careful about which exercise to pick.

The following exercises are recommended for arthritis patients since they help in improving your flexibility and range of motion. However, it is of utmost importance that you talk to your doctor and/or physical therapist before performing these exercises as the degree of arthritis and the ability to perform physical exercises vary from person to person.

Walking

Yes, you heard that right! Walking is indeed an exercise and can be performed by almost everyone. This is a perfect gateway to the exercises for arthritis pain. Walking is an aerobic and bone-strengthening activity and can be performed anywhere without the assistance of any equipment or special training.

It can help you maintain a healthy weight, which would, in turn, minimalize the stress on your joints. Besides, your bone and heart will live healthily if you walk regularly.

Remember to start slow. You can increase your pace and distances eventually over time. There is no need to rush it up. We recommend you to go at a moderate-to-hard intensity level three to five days a week. A 30-minute walking session will suffice in providing you with the much-needed relief from the pain of arthritis. If a 30-minute is too much for you, then you can always start with a 10-minute session.

Cycling

Next up on our list of the best exercises for arthritis pain is cycling. This aerobic exercise helps in getting your heart pumping which is very important since arthritis puts you at a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases.

As cycling is a low-impact exercise, it decreases the stress on your weight-bearing joints such as your hips, knees, and feet. Moreover, it also helps in lubricating your joints, which, in turn, help in reducing stiffness and pain.

Now, we understand that there might be some danger involved with cycling as it entails the risk of falling off. So, we suggest you go for a stationary bike. These bikes are easier on your hips and lower back since they have large, chair-like seats which allow you to sit back into the frame in a more reclined and comfortable position. It is also easy to get on and off on these bikes as they are lower to the ground.

Swimming

There’s nothing like hitting the pool to relax your joints and stretch your muscles. If you can’t swim, then you can even opt for water walking or water aerobics class in a shallow pool.

It has been seen in a study by the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation that water-based exercises help improves joints in women more when compared to land-based aerobic activities. Moreover, swimming also helps in boosting your mood, controlling your weight and in improving your sleep.

In a 4-feet pool, you can try walking from one side to another at a brisk pace. You may also use an underwater treadmill for your water-based exercises. The buoyancy of the water provides relief to the pain in your joints. We also recommend you to use a water jogging belt while performing any water-based exercise since it will help you stay suspended above the pool. As a result, you would be able to move around without putting any pressure on your hips, knees or ankles.

Stretching

Any type of stretching is a great exercise for arthritis pain. This is basically an umbrella term for all free-hand stretching exercises. Stretching helps you in reducing joint inflammation and enhancing your overall flexibility. Furthermore, it is also great for maintaining mobility and movement.

You can stretch by even sitting on your chair. In order to include a variation to your stretching exercises, you can use a stretch-out strap which is essentially a nylon strap with built-in loops for your hands and legs.

For instance, you can place the ball of one of your feet through a loop and follow it up by grasping both the ends of the strap with your hands. Next, you need to straighten your leg. Gently, raise your leg and slowly pull on the straps.

You can partake in Yoga lessons since they are invariably based on stretching. In addition, Yoga would help in putting pressure on your joints and in increasing the internal heat, which would, in turn, be of great relief to people suffering from arthritis.

Pilates

Pilates is extremely popular but few know how beneficial it is for arthritis patients. Since Pilates gives you better control over your muscles and in strengthening them, it is highly recommended by physical therapists.

To put it simply, Pilates is low-impact workouts that help in putting pressure on your joints and hips. Moreover, it is also known for helping you with pain management and in coping with the symptoms of arthritis.

Pilates include various balancing exercises such as standing one foot or walking backwards. It helps in boosting your balance and in avoiding falls. Feel free to modify certain postures to minimize the stress on the joints with the help of your physical trainer. You can even integrate props in your Pilates routine.

Zumba

Counted among the most fun exercises for arthritis pain, Zumba will lift your spirits in no time. This Latin American exercise fitness regime is an out-and-out cardio and aerobic workout that provides huge calorie consumption. On top of that, this can be performed by anyone irrespective of their age.

It increases good cholesterol, decreases bad cholesterol, reduces blood pressure and lowers the risk of heart diseases. The ability of Zumba to burn calories without jarring your joints is what makes it a universal favourite.

Don’t overexert your body if you are getting into Zumba for the first time. Just ease into it. Let your trainer train you separately if required. Remember, when you are doing Zumba, you are using every muscle in your body. So, naturally, you don’t want to hurt yourself by overdoing it. Taking two classes every week will suffice in learning the choreography.

Tai Chi

Next up on our list of exercises for arthritis pain is Tai Chi. You would often find people who are suffering from arthritis saying that their “knees are giving out”. This is because arthritis severely affects your joints and the surrounding muscles. As such, it results in loss of position awareness, impaired coordination, and a higher risk of falling and lack of balance.

This is where Tai Chi comes in. It is an ancient internal Chinese martial art that is practised for both health benefits and defence. It has recently gained huge popularity worldwide, and for all the right reasons.

Now, before you freak out by thinking that it is a martial art which means it must be difficult to learn, let us tell you that Tai Chi involves slow and soft movements that are very easy to learn and anybody can master them. It helps in relaxing your body and stimulating blood circulation. Whether its heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of arthritis, it has shown its implications in multiple diseases.

We must warn you that when you are in a Pilates class, don’t shy away from sticking to your own pace instead of following others. Speak to your physical trainer and inform him or her about the status of your arthritis and introduce modifications in your routine under their guidance.

Suspension Training

Now, this is one of the more challenging exercises for arthritis pain. Suspension training is not for everyone and is suited for those arthritis patients who were willing and capable of performing a challenging core workout. It must be noted that this should be performed under trained supervision in a controlled environment. People with serious ankle or wrist issues must avoid it.

It can be performed during the initial stages of arthritis to help it from becoming more severe. When you are doing suspension training, you are leveraging your body weight from straps that hang from an anchor point. You need to put your legs in the stirrups and hold your body up with your arms. You can even choose to rest flat on your forearms.

It will help you in developing core body strength and in stabilizing your joints and muscles. It also reduces the chances of you incurring any injury.

Summary

Arthritis is a serious health concern and you must do everything in your power to put yourself in an advantageous position. The aforementioned exercises for arthritis pain will help you recover healthily and naturally. So, contact your doctor and physical trainer today and help yourself out from this dreadful disease.

How to Start Exercising – A Beginner’s Guide

One of the biggest concerns for beginners is that they don’t know how to start exercising. Thus, we bring before you this effective plan.

It goes without saying that regular exercising can turn your life around for good. The positive effect that physical exercises can have on your body and over well-being is unparalleled. Regular exercising helps in maintaining muscle mass, body weight, energy level, and reducing the risk of contracting chronic diseases. It also helps in enhancing your mood, boosting your mental health, improving your sleep patterns and in enhancing your sex life.

All of us are well acquainted with the benefits of exercise and have given working out a thought at various points of our lives. But, for some reason or the other, many fail to either start exercising or continue the pattern of exercising after starting strong.

The basic idea is to find the rhythm and to flow with it. It would take a lot of determination from your end to stick to a long-term routine. If you are one of those who are wondering how to start exercising but haven’t got a clue as to how to do it, we are here to help you out through our comprehensive guide on the same. So, stick around.

The Preliminary Stages of Exercising

The first order of business before you begin your exercise regime is to do a thorough health check-up. We recommend you go for a physical medical examination so that if there are any health problems, that can be detected at an early stage and you can plan your workout routine in a much better fashion.

This health check-up is especially required for people aged over 45. You should have an awareness of how your body is functioning. You would be able to tailor your workout routine in consultation with your doctor and physical trainer based on the results on the physical examination. Knowing the limitations of your body is extremely important. There is a difference between pushing yourself to the limits and putting your life in jeopardy and you must know where to draw the line.

Once you are done with this, you can follow it up by going through these following stages:

Identifying the Types of Exercises

How to start exercising - A Beginners guide

Exercise is an umbrella term and includes various types of routines. You can choose to perform a single or you can choose to mix it up by taking an ingredient from several types. This is regarded among the many essential workout tips for beginners which would help you categorise your exercise regime. Some of the most popular and beneficial forms of exercises for you to choose from are as follows:

Strength-based Exercise

Evident by its name, these exercises help increase strength and muscle power. Examples would include weight lifting, plyometrics, resistance training and sprinting.

Balance-based Exercise

These exercises enhance your mobility and stability while also improving your overall body coordination. In addition, they also improve your athletic performances and help you focus. Pilates, flamingo stands, tightrope walk, bean bag balance, and Tai Chi are some of the common examples of these exercises.

Flexibility-based Exercise

Flexibility-based exercises help in muscles recovery and in improving your range of motion while also protecting you from potential injuries. Yoga, chest mobiliser, cat stretch, and pal squeeze are some of the prime examples of flexibility-based exercises.

Callisthenics

Callisthenics refers to basic body movements that are done without the help of gym equipment. These exercises have a mild aerobic pace to them. Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and lunges are some common examples of callisthenics.

Aerobic Exercise

Stretching and strength-based training done over a rhythmic pattern comprises aerobic exercises. They improve your muscular strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Examples include dancing, running, jogging, and swimming, among others.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

This training involves exercises that are performed over repetitions of short bursts of high-intensity level followed by a low-intensity level of exercise or rest periods.

Boot Camps

These are high-intensity circuits that are time-based. They usually combine resistance and aerobic exercises.

While choosing your workout regime, please remember that what works for someone else may or may not work for you. This is why you need to pick up the workout regime that best suits your needs and capabilities.

Deciding How Much Exercise You Want to Do

Among the many gym tips for beginners that you will learn here, one is that you need to have minimal expectations at the start. You can’t expect that you will be able to workout like an Olympic athlete on day one.

As per the American College of Sports Medicine, one should perform a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate workout every week. Now, how you want to divide these 150 minutes among the days of the week is dependent on you. For example, you can perform a 30-minute routine for five days a week, or you can go for a 25-minute routine for six days a week.

In fact, you can also choose to package these 150 minutes into one or two training sessions every week instead of spreading it throughout the week. The basic formula is to start slow and steadily increase the intensity as you build your fitness level up.

Taking one day off from workout every week is considered to be a healthy habit. Allowing your body to recover from the exercises is extremely important in the form of adequate rest. When you don’t rest, you run the risk of incurring injuries such as stress fractures and muscle strains that often result from OTS (Over Training Syndrome).

Furthermore, if you exercise too much, you can end up weakening your immune system and increase the risk of infection and hormonal imbalances. It will also cause chronic fatigue and will depress your mood.

Setting up Realistic Fitness Goals

The next stage in how to start exercising comes the setting up of realistic goals. You need to be pragmatic in your approach. Reaching for the stars at the beginning is far from ideal.

Try to create a plan that involved attainable steps and goals. Have a gradual increase in pace in your plan. For instance, if you want to finish a five-mile run, then you can begin by creating a plan that starts with shorter runs. Slowly and steadily increase the distance of your run until you are able to run five miles in a single go.

Please remember that when you start with small goals, you will not only increase the chance of success, but you will also be able to stay motivated throughout.

We stress upon the term realistic because it is one thing starting a workout regime and it is another thing sticking to it. So, the plan that you make must be achievable enough. It should become part of your habit. Create a plan that you will be able to live up over a period of time. Remember, it is not a one-time thing. You need to be able to commit to it. Therefore, plan accordingly.

To help you out, here is an example of a regime that will come in handy for those who wants to learn how to start exercising.

Monday – Perform a 30-minute moderate-pace brisk walk or jog.

Tuesday – Take rest

Wednesday – Jog for ten minutes. Next, perform three sets of ten lunges for each foot, ten pull-ups, and ten sit-ups. Follow this up by performing ten jumping jacks, ten air squats and ten chair dips. Be sure to rest for a minute or two between each exercise.

Thursday – Take rest

Friday – 30-minute Spinning class or Zumba

Saturday – Take rest

Sunday – Go for a long walk of 40 minutes

Feel free to modify the aforementioned plan to suit your requirements. This is just a sample for those who are seeking help while learning how to start exercising. This is not a hard and fast rule.

Workout Tips for Beginners

Now, to help you further learn how to start exercising, here are some gym tips for beginners:

Have a balanced diet. If you want to sustain healthy energy levels you need to include all food groups in your diet. Carbs are especially important in this regard as they help in fueling your muscles before exercises. Include protein since it will help in muscles recovery, tissue repair and building muscles mass. Finally, include healthy fats as that will make your energy last longer.
Stay hydrated. This is crucial for maintaining optimal performances.
Warm-up your body before exercising. It will help you in avoiding injuries and improving your overall athletic performance.
Listen to your body. You are not Hercules and there is no shame in having limitations. A wise person is aware of his or her body and knows when to stop.

Summary

The most important element in your quest of how to start exercising is that you need to formulate a plan that will be realistic enough for you to be able to achieve. It will be challenging at first but when you have a real objective, you will be able to maintain it in the long run.

Try to include a variety in your workout regime so that you never get bored of it. Start slow, and build up your pace eventually. In addition, keep track of your progress. It will help you in mapping out how far you have come. Include rest days in your routine and try and stick to your routine. If you do it regularly for a few days, it will eventually become your habit.