3 Ways To Maximize Your Gym Time

 Strength isn’t linear.

Your habits play a significant role in an effective fitness routine. Do you want to maximize your time you’re in the gym? The key is to develop important habits outside the gym!

Here are three ways to support your fitness routine.

No.1 Eat foods that fuel you.

The nutrients you consume have a major impact on how your body feels on a daily basis. Particularly, these 3 macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) help you FEEL your best in your workout routine.

Protein: Fuel for the Body

Protein is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of the body (i.e. your hair, skin, nails, bones, and muscles). Think of your body as an office building: amino acids are the bricks and structure of the building.

Carbohydrates: Fuel for the Brain

Carbohydrates are the brain’s main energy source: this is the electricity to your office building! Carbohydrates are also known as glucose, or sugar, which is what our body needs to burn for energy.

Fats: Fuel for Function

Fats are equally, if not more, important than proteins and carbohydrates. They make sure the body is functioning at a cellular level. This is the maintenance team behind your office building.

• Increases integrity of bone and connective tissues
• Muscle growth (which helps you move)
• Improves joint health
• Increases metabolism (essential for your body to determine how it’s using energy)

Needless to say, the nutrients you consume play a pivotal role in your ability to show up and crush your gym time. Prioritizing protein, carbohydrates, and fats into your meals will be extremely beneficial! Here’s a delish vegetarian taco recipe that incorporates those 3 macronutrients!

No.2 Prioritize intentional rest. 

Intentional rest, such as high quality sleep, meditation, journaling, mobility, and yoga, has a number of benefits on your fitness routine. Rest days allow your body to repair its muscle tissues damaged from the mechanical stress during your workouts. Scheduling days off allows you to set time aside to set your future training sessions up for success (i.e. schedule meal-prep, walks or RMT sessions). A large part of our day is in a “flight-or-fight” state (i.e. personal and work deadlines, responsibilities, etc.), causing our nervous system to be heightened. Building in moments to relax gives your body and mind breathing room and purposeful time to chill, which in turn prevents strain and burn-out.

High quality sleep is the most crucial kind of rest for your body. Check out these 10 tips to get better sleep.

No.3 Honour your stress.

STRESS is the silent killer of health and performance. Are you overworked? Highly caffeinated to keep you going? Have a “more is better” or “no pain no gain” mentality for training? Financial troubles? Poor body image? Regularly under-slept? Our society is becoming more and more chronically stressed out. Too much stress heightens physical and mental fatigue, which impacts your ability to show up fully to your workouts. If your goal is to thrive in the gym AND LIFE, you need to check-in and manage the rest of your life.

Here Are 5 Stress Management Tips:

1. Sleep is the #1 for recovery – you cannot out-train or out eat poor sleeping habits.
2. Incorporate breathing pre and post-training.
3. See an RMT – for the physical release AND relaxation of your mental state.
4. LAUGHING – laughing does us SO MUCH GOOD. It’s the best form of stress relief.
5. Practice gratitude – practice having a positive attitude and seeing the good in situations. When shit happens…EXHALE it out!

By tuning into your habits (particularly nutrition, sleep and stress) you are able to build a fitness routine you can stick to and enjoy! See how you can put it in practice by scrolling down!