The Brunette Diaries

Post Workout Mistakes You May Be Making

No matter how much effort you put into your workout, if your post workout habits are inappropriate, you’ll be losing out on your desired results. Pretty soon, you may find yourself de-motivated to work out and give up on your health goals. Therefore, it is necessary to maximise your workouts by paying attention to healthy post workout habits. Here we take a look at a few unhealthy post workout habits that you have.

(Also read – How to burn fat without losing muscle)

Cooling down

Post workout aerobics can help you cool down

Letting your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal levels cuts your risk of injury, according to experts. We hardly ever pay attention to this and return to our regular chores after a rigorous workout. The best solution is to end your workout with a light aerobic exercise to bring back your body to the normal resting levels gradually.

(Try reading – Benefits of push-ups)

Stretching

You must stretch to prevent muscle soreness

Stretching can prevent muscle soreness on the following day. Less soreness will mean you can hit the gym the sooner than ever and get back to working those muscles to attain your dream body!

Nutrition

Nutrition helps your muscles repair after a break-down workout. A combination of carbs and protein, like yogurt or a handful of nuts, is a great post workout snack to revitalize your body!

(You can also read – You can dance to lose weight!)

Hygiene

Make sure you take a shower and change your clothes after a workout

This may or may not apply to you; however, there are some people out there who don’t change their clothes or wash their bodies after a workout. Gross as it sounds, it obviously has more to it than just plain dirtiness. It can lead to yeast infections!

Sleep

Most people do not find the time to rest their bodies adequately due to hectic schedules. But what is important to note is that a good 7-8 hours of sleep is imperative for a person who works out.

(Also read – Get fit in 15 minutes!)

So the next time you think that skipping any of these things is fine, think again. Workouts can be good for you, but don’t let it affect your health!

Fitness habits to establish in your 20’s

Your twenties is the time to live life to the fullest, to explore, to go on adventures and do everything your body permits you to do. However, if we neglect our body at this age, it is obvious that we have to bear the brunt of it at a later age. It is essential that you take care of your body and inculcate the following fitness habits at this age.

(Also read – How to avoid weight gain due to a desk job)

Strength training

Strength training is one habit that you must get into. It increases lean muscle mass, boosts metabolism, torches calories, eases back pain, helps you sleep, and even wards off diabetes. Doing this at a young age when you have the strength and time to do it is like making hay while the sun shines.

(Try reading – Benefits of push-ups)

Drink water

Get into the habit of having enough water

If you aren’t into the habit of having six to eight glasses of water per day, you must! Our body is made up of 50-65% water and it is the most essential and overlooked part of our fitness regime. So get to chugging on that H2O.

Learn proper form

The key to weight lifting and circuit training is proper form. If you do not use proper form, you risk injury; and injuring yourself at such a young age could make matters worse later on in life.

(Also read – Too much of fatigue ruining your lifestyle?)

Stretching

Stretching before and after your workout is essential. If you do not stretch, your muscles can get tight and this sets you up for injury. Stretching is one thing that most of us overlook but is imperative in your fitness regime.

Have fun

While you’re at all of this, make sure you have fun. Because, remember, you’re in your twenties after all!

(You may find this interesting – Post workout mistakes you may be making)

Your 20’s is basically a time to prepare yourself and your body to live a wholesome life. So get off your behind if you are lazy and make the most of it!

Bad skincare habits

Many of us indulge in temporary skin care cover-ups that damage our skin in the long run. You must realise that health of your skin will deteriorate with age and therefore you must take care of it with utmost care today. Try to stay away from these bad habits and keep your skin healthy and enduring.

Over exfoliating

Although exfoliating gets rid of dead skin cells and removes clogged dirt from pores, if this is overdone it can damage your skin. Generally, exfoliating twice a week with a natural product, devoid of harsh chemicals, is enough.

Biting lips

If you have dry chapped lips, you may feel that licking or chewing can work a charm, however this will do nothing but severely dehydrate them. Try investing in a lip scrub to remove rough skin from your lips and then moisturize with a lip balm.

Squeezing pimples

We may convince ourselves that acne squeezing helps, but the only help it could give you is temporary. This will only worsen the situation over time and even cause acne scarring.

Using too much product

When it comes to skin care, try to keep it simple. Most people layer their skin with moisturizers, sunscreen lotions and makeup products. Extra product building up on your skin can irritate it. Try cutting down on excessive products on your skin and let it breathe.

Not changing sheets and pillow cases

Often our pillow cases become a haven of bacteria and dirt. Staying exposed all day makes it an easy target to harvest bacteria. Change your pillow cases and bed sheets often and dust it once in a while.

Taking very hot showers

They certainly feel nice, but they can wreck havoc on your skin’s lipid barriers, leading to drier skin. This can also lead to acne as your pores are opening due to severe continuous heat. Lukewarm water is advisable, and keep the showers short instead of exposing your skin to heat for such extended periods of time.