Working out is known to release endorphins, but there are steps to take before your workout to make sure you are getting the most out of your sweat session. If you’re short on time, we’ve included steps that you can do throughout your day to prepare yourself.
Pro Tip: for the fitness business owners out there, try to rearrange your class times or add extra pre-workout sessions to make sure you are providing all of the tools for your members to stay healthy so they can keep coming back for more!
If you’re a morning workout person, this step will likely be small in comparison to someone who is working out at nighttime. This will take some testing to figure out what your body can handle with a short amount of time before a workout. Once you find how much you can handle in your stomach during a workout, make sure to carve out enough time before each workout so you can churn out consistent results.
If you work out at nighttime, the process is the same as above, it will just vary in regards to how soon you can eat before a workout and how much. If you don’t know where to start, you can reference our blog, “Tips for Planning the Best Pre- and Post-Workout Meals”.
All old-school CrossFitters know the infamous “Pukie the Clown”, but he could have simply been dehydrated so this step is extremely important. If you aren’t properly hydrated before (also during and after!) it can lead to overheating, muscle fatigue or cramping, and even fainting or dizziness. There’s a good reason that Pukie doesn’t make appearances in modern-day CrossFit gyms - hydration and preparation for a workout are important!
According to the Family Doctor, you should be drinking at least 8oz of water about 20-30 minutes before you start your warm-up.
If you feel like you’re taking all of the steps to fit in your hydration and fuel before a workout, you might need a little boost and should consider hydration multipliers. Wodify’s Team loves the Liquid IV to get that extra hydration pumping through the body before a workout.
So your coach or teacher includes a warm-up in every class, but the entire hour would be dedicated to warming up if they included the muscles that were sore for everybody. So targeting and working through your sore muscles is key to getting in a good workout.
What exactly is a sore muscle? A sore muscle is usually indicative of lactic acid buildup that needs to be released. Releasing the lactic acid can be achieved through utilizing different recovery tools dependent on which muscles are aching and tender. You can check out some of the best recovery tools in our blog “5 Best Recovery Tools”. This blog also includes tools if you have pesky pressure points limiting your range of motion.
Pro Tip: invest in these tools to have at home, some are very inexpensive, and break up the lactic acid on days that you don’t go to the gym. Releasing this tension is key! Are you in the Marital Arts world? We have a blog specifically for you: “Why Warms Ups and Cool Downs are Crucial for Martial Arts”.
Do you have trouble getting out of a submission hold while grappling because you can’t twist your body the way you want? Or how about that elusive heavy squat snatch because you can’t keep the bar overhead in the right position when receiving? Almost all of the time, these issues are caused by a lack of mobility.
How do you improve your mobility and range of motion: stretch. Stretching is not only good for the short-term effects of getting your muscles primed for a workout, but down the road when you’re ready to PR or progress to the next belt level, you’ll thank your muscles, joints, ligaments, and fascia for being extra mobile.
Need more convincing why flexibility and mobility are key to fitness? Check out our blog “Why Maintaining Flexibility is Crucial”.
Now that you have the tips and tricks to get your ready primed for a workout, it’s time to put them into place! Don’t try to jump into adding all 4 ideas into your daily routine. Start by adding one or two and build consistency before adding another one.
Are you a fitness business owner looking to add more functionalities to your software like allowing your members to check in and reserve those pre-workout sessions you’re adding to your calendar? Book a one-on-one demo today!
If you want to add demo videos of recovery methods to your workouts, you can utilize videos within the workout builder to give your members a preview of new tips and tricks!
Want the 411? Make sure you and your admins are opted in to receive software updates from Wodify! Text WODIFY to 844-418-8438 to subscribe!
Be sure to follow us on social media where we are always pumping out new blogs and ideas, @wodify.
