Fluid intake, consistency and motivation are important when exercising.
It’s never easy getting back on track after having a break from training and even more difficult if you have been sick. Last week we discussed some of the important points that should be mentioned, including consulting your doctor first, building up slowly, even if it means just getting out for a moderate walk and getting a good balanced diet with lots of nutrients for recovery and energy levels.
Another aspect that should be looked at is hydration, which is something that really can be forgotten about.
I often tell clients to drink a glass of water before having food to see are they really hungry or are they just dehydrated. Fluid intake is a really important part of any exercise routine to help with energy levels and to help flush out toxins in the body.
When we are strength training, we actively spend a lot of time helping to grow our muscle and when we are sick that tends to be the first thing to go.
It is important to get your protein requirements in for the day to ensure muscle growth from good quality lean protein. This usually varies between 1g for females to 1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight for men, which can increase depending on your activity level. An average chicken fillet contains 23g of protein, so you can see how difficult it can be to get your quota in for the day, eg. 142lbs of bodyweight is 142g of protein to be consumed. You may be surprised when you start weighing out your protein how little you actually eat in a day.
Consistency is key when training, allow yourself rest periods when needed and rest days. After each workout get the heart rate up little by little each day, if you are not a bit sweaty you can probably be pushing yourself a bit harder.
Don’t forget to motivate yourself. Use your favourite music to help get a better workout out and look at getting friends to join you to help keep up the motivation.
Finally, it is important to push yourself but know your limitations take breaks when necessary and don’t forget to take rest days.
Do each exercise 12 times before moving on to the next one. When you have completed each exercise, that is one set. Catch your breath before moving on to the next set, and do three to four sets, three to four times a week
Reawaken the muscles 2
Sumo squat
- Start by standing upright with your arms straight and your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower yourself towards the floor, sending your hips back and down and bending your knees. Then push through your heels to return to the start position, keeping your back straight and head up throughout the exercise.
Diamond crunch
- Start by lying on your back with the soles of your feet together, knees out to the sides and your arms straight up over your chest.
- Then raise your head and shoulders off the floor. Lower the body back down to the start position and then repeat the movement. Keep the soles of the feet together throughout the exercise.
Dips
- Start with your hands behind you, with your fingers facing your back and no more than shoulder-width apart, and your knees bent with feet flat on the floor.
- Dip the body down by bending the elbows but keeping your back close to the step, then push back up to the start position never fully locking the elbows.
Hip raise
Hip raises are brilliant for engaging the glutes. So often women find it difficult to really engage the glutes on even deep squats, so this is a very effective exercise to do to really engage the glutes.
- Start by lying on the floor with your knees bent and the feet placed flat on the floor and your arms by your side.
- Bridge your hips up to create a straight line then come back down towards the ground. Repeat the exercise.
