- Ali
Are you dreading the journey back to the gym post holiday. You had every intention of keeping up a bit of exercise but the couch to 5k app lies unused and your 1k weights haven’t been taken out of the box! Your leggings feel a little tight around your waist and thighs (and you thought lycra was super stretchy) and your heart has picked up a beat at the very thought of the gym and a fitness instructor barking out positive messages as you squat and lunge!
I know how you feel. If you’ve take a few day, weeks or maybe months off then it can be hard to get back into it, so here are my tips for getting started again, and keeping you motivated.
Join a friend
Having an accountability partner or Personal Trainer alongside you can be key to getting you out of the door and into the gym. It’s easy to put these things off when you are only doing them for yourself but when you know you’re letting someone else down if you don’t get your body into the gym, you’re more likely to get up and get going.
Shake up your routine
Our bodies and our brains get used to doing the same exercises week in and week out so shake it up a bit. Sept is perfect for this as many trainers and classes will be switched around and new teachers will step in. I’ve been trying some new classes and new locations and I’m loving it.
Get your nutrition right
Before I discovered a healthy alternative to sugar and caffeine laden sports drinks I was at a loss as to where to go. I love the Arbonne TrueSport set 3 great tasting products, which are all botanically based, and designed to fuel your performance, before, during and after a workout. They were developed to improve performance, enhance results from your workout, increase endurance and help support the body after exercise, all of which can help to build your confidence in your body’s abilities to perform.
They’ve chosen botanicals which really support performance: cayenne which supports circulation, ginseng which supports physical capacity and performance and turmeric which helps support joints and delivers antioxidant protection.
So how do they work:
TrueSport Workout Fuel is a great tasting orange - pineapple flavour and provides single carbohydrates to readily convert into the functional energy your body needs to prepare for activity.
It helps to maintain the intensity of your workout and exertion so you don’t get a crash part way through by supporting the oxygen delivery and a healthy blood flow throughout your activity. It also helps with the removal of waste, such as lactic acid, that’s produced from muscle activity so it’s a win win.
TrueSport Hydration Compared to what I’ve looked at in the sports market this product is really unique as it has a blend of six different electrolytes to give you optimal hydrationl Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium replace what could be lost while sweating due to physical exertion, exercise and activity. This amazing Hydration drink also supports the isotonic balance in your body helping to replace fluids which were lost during perspiration, and is formulated to rehydrate your cells to ensure proper body function is able to be maintained throughout the workout. Because of the magnesium content it helps maintain and support proper muscle function too. Overall complete hydration helps you stay hydrated before, during and after exercise so is better than water!
Finally when you thought it was all over it actually is and you can drink a thirst quenching Muscle Recovery drink! It’s designed to alleviate after workout muscle soreness and fatigue after you finish your class, exercise routine or sport. It also restores energy, so you’re ready to get back into another class or session sooner! It supports muscle growth and recovery so that you can reduce your downtime between workouts. What I love about this Muscle Recovery is that you can drink it by itself or add it to your Arbonne FeelFit Protein smoothie. This is an amazing vitamin enriched vegan protein what is designed to fuel your day and balance your blood sugar and metabolism.
The Muscle Recovery Drink is packed with branch chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine which support muscle repair and can also reduce exercise induced muscle soreness and help to promote recovery. And pomegranate which contains specific antioxidants which help to quench free radicals generated by activity.
With all this scientifically proven support fuelling you you’re sure to be ready for the next visit to the gym far sooner than you thought!
Drink More Water
Staying hydrated is key for optimal metabolism and it can help to curb your appetite. As our bodies are made of 50-65% water, it makes sense to drink a minimum of 2 to 2.5-litres per day. Your body absorbs water at body temperate more quuickly than freezing cold water so avoid chilled water straight from the cooler for optimum rapid hydration.
Find time to stretch
So often we do a fitness session then head home without a second throught to how to relax our muscles and get the most from them next time. It's important to start and finish your workouts with a stretch. Stretching is an essential part of every workout and beneficial in avoiding injury. Just 10 to 15 minutes of stretching pre-workout will help to maximise your performance by loosening up your muscles, and a quick stretch post-workout will help to lengthen and relax tight muscles so find time to fit it in. Your body will thank you.
Rest up
Despite wanting to hit the gym at 100 miles an hour to get yourself back on track rest is an important part of recovery and performance. Make sure you get adequate sleep between workouts so your body has time to recovery. That way getting back into the gym will be fun and rewarding as you’ll be t your optimum at each workout rather than lagging due to tiredness and sore muscles.
My latest Post Workout Smoothie Recipe
When I really feel like I’ve hit it hard and need to recover quickly I always have my Muscle Recovery Drink on hand so that I can drink it immediately after class or on the way home. Then once home (or if I’m organised in my gym bag and at the ready) i’ll hit up a great protein shake to boost my muscle building.
Very Berry Post Workout Smoothie
Recover immediately after your workout with this delicious post-workout smoothie packed with plant based protein frozen berries and energy boosting maca powder.
Ingredients
- ½ ripe banana
- 1 cup frozen berries – cherries, acai, blueberries, raspberries etc
- 2 scoops Arbonne Feel Fit Protein in Vanilla (providing 20g of plant based vegan protein)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tbs maca powder
- ¼ avocado
- 300-400ml coconut water depending on desired consistency
- ice
Preparation
- Add all ingredients to blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Enjoy within 20 minutes of your workout.
