The 3 Key Habits To Establish Before You Start Exercising
Our exercise is only one aspect of living a healthy lifestyle, and before we do that we must form the 3 habits above first...
Drinking at least 2L of water per day will ensure we are hydrated enough for our workouts. As mentioned when we exercise our body will sweat to cool us down and bring us back to an ideal temperature. The sweating process also results in heat being removed from the body, so on the days we work out vigorously we may need to have even more. Being hydrated ensures our bodies and mind will be functioning at their best, without proper hydration you will feel fatigued easily and like you don't have a lot of energy.
Eating a diet based on whole foods, this statement can be fairly vague, but it is important and still allows a lot of options. It basically just means staying away from processed foods, typically things in boxes or packages or in the "centre aisles" of the grocery stores. The whole foods tend to be on the perimeter of the grocery store, most things that are boxed or canned being highly processed and high in preservatives.
This could mean eating:
▪Whole wheat grains instead of refined or white grains whenever possible.
▪Fruits, vegetables, and beans instead of supplements to provide the fibre and vitamins they contain. Real Fibre! Also a good replacement for someone with a sweet tooth
▪A chicken breast cooked with seasoning instead of chicken nuggets processed with added fats, and preservatives.
▪A baked potato with chopped green onions and sour cream instead of a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips.
▪A blueberry smoothie made with yogurt, and a frozen banana instead of a sugary juice or other drinks with added flavours/sugars.
Many health experts believe that eating more whole foods is our best bet for improving health and preventing disease. Whole foods – like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes -- retain their fibre as well as the whole selection of beneficial nutrients that are often removed in processed foods.
When we eat highly processed foods this affects our energy levels and makes us feel fatigued because our body is using the energy to digest what we have consumed. Eating whole foods will also ensure we have the proper nutrients when recovering to build and repair muscle tissue, as some of these nutrients are removed from processed products.
And last but certainly not least.. our sleep! This is a very big factor in having enough energy to exercise, as well as recovering from intense workouts. Sleep gives your body time to recover, conserve energy, and repair the muscles worked during exercise. In turn, if this is something you have been struggling with, exercise can also help improve our sleep. It has been noted that proper exercise can help relieve sleep-related problems and alleviate stress, calming the mind as well. Recent research also shows poor-quality sleep can lead to lower levels of physical activity the next day, the two really do go hand in hand.
So once you have these 3 habits starting to develop, it's time to start regular exercise! Feel free to reach out if you're ready to make your next step or have any questions on one of these 3 topics :)