Get It Girl Wednesday: Workout Do's and Don'ts

Daily workouts are important if you want to see results quicker.  I know you've heard that saying 'abs are made in the kitchen'.  And yes, nutrition plays a HUGE role in losing weight and/or getting and staying fit.  I am a huge believer in good eating habits because eating clean to see results was a lesson I recently learned over the summer that finally got me over a plateau I was on for like three years.  lol.  (Thanks Christelyn!)

But working out and eating well should be paired together to reach your optimum fitness level and it will definitely get you to your fitness goals quicker vs. just doing either one alone.  Here are a few workout do's and don'ts that Christelyn and I have compiled based on our experiences.

-Do Prepare.  Get your necessities ready...water, towel, headphones, etc.  And don't forget to set up that playlist before hand.  Stopping your workout to mess with your gadgets to find a song impedes your goal to get to a certain heart rate.  

-Don't Exercise on an Empty Stomach.  Plan ahead and eat your big meals 1-2 hours ahead.  If you're past that, have a light snack 45 mins. before your workout.  This will ensure that you are fueled for a good workout.  Working out with no fuel will risk that you will be cannibalizing your muscle tissue which you DO NOT want.  If you don't have available sugar stored, your body will then try to convert your muscle tissue into energy.  Remember, eat better.  Don't eat less.  

-Do Stretch and Warm up.  Do you ever wonder why when you start a run and you're already tired in that first half mile?  Then you feel disappointed that you couldn't run further?  Ask yourself if you remembered to stretch and warm up!  It takes a while for your body to warm up those muscles so that you perform at your best.

-Do Challenge Yourself.  Workout at a level that challenges you but at the same time try not to workout too intensely.  Some people skip a lot of days and then workout SUPER intensely to make up for it.  We highly discourage this to avoid injuries.  But we do encourage getting off that elliptical to try something new.  It can get uncomfortable doing new things or exercises you aren't used to but you may see results quicker.  

-Don't Waste Your Time on Isolation Exercises.  This goes along with the previous tip.  Do exercises that target MULTIPLE muscle groups.  As busy moms, I know our time is very limited so we encourage you to use your time WISELY.  For example, at my gym, I do a class called CardioMix where we're constantly moving to fun, upbeat music to get the heart rate up but at the same time, we have free weights in our hands to work out our arms and also a step board to work out our legs.  If you don't have access to classes like these, you can create a circuit workout at home that combines cardio with strength training.  For example: jump rope 60 seconds, set of push ups, set of lunges, squats with arm raises, set of burpees and then start the whole circuit over again until you've worked out for 30-40 mins.  Follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram for workout printables you can do at home!

Do Get Adequate Rest.  Make sure you get enough rest.  Take at least one day off a week from training.  One of my favorite workout gurus is Jillian Michaels and she always says that exercise is the architect and RECOVERY is the builder.  Trust in the process because after a week of working out, your body is still doing work even if you aren't at the gym and you're resting.