5 very simple pre & post workout rituals to get the most out of your investment

It is great that so many people are getting mindful about health and fitness these days. With the kind of urban lifestyle we lead, health is usually the pawn for accomplishments.  Unfortunately, most people, including myself surmise that exercising (as regularly as possible) will make everything better. But reality pointing otherwise.

From my experience, I have learnt that exercise needs to be complemented by some dietary reforms : basic (check water intake, cut back unnecessary sugar intake, add a fruit, have some milk etc etc) or drastic...to each her own.  But I am a bigger believer of moderation. I have suffered tremendously by pushing my body and mind to extreme limits and sadly, the only results I got were injury, burnout and stress. If there is one thing you take away from this, then let it please be: understand your limits and set realistic goals. 

I recently resumed working-out after a long hiatus thanks to a knee injury. So this time around, I wanted to figure out what could I do to not reach my earlier stage ever again. 

For most of us, its not easy to make it to make time for workout religiously. Mornings are often rushed and evenings usually run long at work. At such times, reaching the gym is laudable. But I figured that there 5 very crucial things we should do to make the utmost from workouts. 

Most of us are cognisant of the merits of hydrating during exercising. But what we don't do or perhaps know is to hydrate before the workout. I arrived at this while researching why I get excruciating headaches after a workout and turns out dehydration is the culprit. 

When we drink water during workout, we are replenishing what is being lost then. But if we are dehydrated from earlier, our muscles are fatigued which makes the body susceptible to injuries. According to this article "dehydration lowers hormone levels necessary for strong muscles.". It is therefore recommended to drink an ounce (30ml) of water for every 10 pounds (450gms) of body

weight an hour or two before workout.  



Following this math, I drink approximately 1 litre of water over a span of 2 hours and stop half an hour before the session. Since I have adopted this ritual, my headaches are gone and I feel a LOT more energetic while working out. To test this out, try this for 5/6 consecutive days and don't on day 7 and see if it is making any difference.

The day I first played squash, I landed at the court straight out of bed. No water, no breakfast, no warm up. At the end of two hours I felt like dead meat. It was horrible! I had a throbbing headache, I felt groggy, I had gone past the stomach grumbling hunger stage; my body basically just wanted to collapse. 

But next week, I had a banana and toast an hour before the session and man the difference! This advice is not new but often ignored. I cannot stress the importance of fueling the body before working out. If we don't supply fuel, there won't be any energy. Without energy, how can the body go through all that strain?

Having said that, I absolutely detest eating in the morning! After much suffering, I have narrowed down 5 options that I choose between and that's as much as I can eat at 8AM. 

> 1 slice wholemeal toast, 1tsp of peanut butter, half a banana slice. I sprinkle a pinch of cinammon powder when I'm feeling up to it. Tastes good either way.
(Note: I ate up my toast before taking a picture. The yummy photo above is from here.)

> 200ml soy milk and a tbsp of peanut butter (this happens when I'm super super late)

 > 3 boiled egg whites (I hardly ever do this at 8AM. This is mostly on Saturdays for my 12PM class. Also, 2 eggs make me hungry mid-session)

> 1 banana smeared with a teaspoon of peanut butter. Apples work too.

These snacks are cheap, easily available and require minimal effort (except the chewing part ) and will do a good job of fueling the body:

Read more on this here 

Must must must. Not warming up is the shortcut to injury. The objective of warm-up is to raise total body temperature and muscle temperature and prepare the body for the impending activity. 

Warm-up before a game should ideally be of 10-15 minutes so that energy is preserved for the game. Follow it up with some stretching.  Ideally, most workout classes start with a warm up session (if not, raise an alarm pronto). I refer to this set before my squash game or a treadmill run.

I have to admit that I am AWFUL at this and it spites my boyfriend to no end. He has played basketball at a competitive level and has drilled it in my head that not cooling down is the reason for the aches and pains the next day.

My usual set is:

Forward bend > upward dog >  child's pose > hamstring stretch > shoulder stretch > tricep stretch > palm stretch> 1 minute butterfly then corpse pose.

I wouldn't say this is gospel, but it sure works for me.

It is extremely important to nourish the body after workout to accelerate muscle repair. My personal trainer explained to me that for best recovery, it is important to feed the body some protein within 30 minutes of workout. I checked with my nutritionist on what I could consume and turns out one humble tablespoon of ground flax seeds, washed down with water is enough to help the body revive.



Amazing, isn't it! Its super super cheap compared to fancy-ass protein powders, very easy to source and best, convenient to carry around. I usually wash mine down with some fresh coconut water from a stall right outside the gym. It keeps me full till I get home and get a meal with protein and carbs. DON'T SKIP THE CARBS. Read why, here. More post-workout snacks here

While all this is for my body, I also have a tiny ritual for my mind. This is my own doing, no expert advice, so feel free to ignore.

A part of me feels that if we drag ourselves to workout and keep thinking about end of class, the negativity impacts the benefit of working out. So this time around, I have started preparing my mind for the impending workout. On my way to the gym, which takes about 20 mins, I talk to myself about why I chose to join the gym, why I felt the need to get fit, what my expectations from workout are, basically reminding myself of the intent behind working out. Its much like how I prepare myself before a big meeting. I don't have any facts to support this, but I feel a HUGE difference in my stamina and energy on the days I do this. 

I would love to know if this works for anybody else.  Is there anything else I could add?