In the Gym, Less is More!

Reasons why you DON’T want to workout everyday…

• Excessive soreness
• Lack of progress
• Increased risk of overtraining & injury
• Often feeling tired
• Trouble sleeping
… and It’s a waste of your time!

Working out is important but so is rest & recovery!
 

Rest is essential for muscle growth. 

Strength training creates a demand on your muscle that encourages it to grow and adapt to be stronger.

After your workout, your body will need the appropriate tools to recover and make the adaptions necessary- adequate sleep, nutrition and hydration!

SLEEP.

Your body produces its own muscle-building hormones while you sleep, including human growth hormone (HGH). 

During the N3 stage of NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, blood flow to your muscles increases, and tissue growth and repair occurs. 

During REM sleep, the muscles relax, which can help relieve tension and reduce symptoms of certain types of chronic pain. In fact, many of the critical restorative functions in the body—like tissue repair and muscle growth—occur mostly or only during sleep. 

A consistent sleep schedule of seven to nine hours a night (possibly more if you are a competitive athlete) will help the muscle-healing process.

NUTRITION.

Your body uses its stored energy sources during a workout. 

After you exercise, you need to restore those nutrients as soon as possible. Research suggests that eating foods high in protein after your workout (within 20-30 minutes), provides essential amino acids that build and repair muscles.

Here are some foods with certain nutrient profiles that can help reduce post-exercise soreness and give your muscles a fighting chance at your next workout. 

Foods for muscle recovery

HYDRATION.

Don’t forget to hydrate! ?

Fluid balance is crucial too, and it is important to get enough water before, during, and after exercise. 
A general rule of thumb is to drink your weight divided by 2 in ounces per day. 

(100lbs divided by 2 = 50 oz of water)

On top of this, add 1-2 cups of additional water 30-minutes after exercise.

When it comes to exercise, sometimes less is more. 

? Avoiding rest days can set you up for things like repetitive stress injuries or overtraining, which will eventually force you to take some rest days—whether you like it or not.