Regular exercise is so important because it will improve your physical health, and everything in life will be so much easier. Most people who start exercising want to get results because there is nothing worse than putting yourself through pain only to see nothing change. Regular exercise can change your body when you do it at the right intensity, and unless you have a disability that is worsened by exercise, you will feel better. It is hard to improve your fitness, and there is so much more to it than the exercise itself, because the habits you build when you are not exercising are equally as important. When you are exercising consistently, and the scale isn’t moving, it is frustrating, and instead of trying to figure out what you’re doing wrong, people tend to give up. I exercise consistently and am very mindful of what I do before and after my workout because sometimes people do things that they don’t realize are negatively impacting their performance. In a previous post, I shared what I never do after a workout so now I am going to talk about things I will never do before a workout.
Eat a large meal– Walking after you have eaten a meal can improve blood sugar levels, and I do most of my walks after I eat a meal because it helps keep things moving. Some people have better workouts when they do them fasted, but I personally have worse workouts because my body needs some kind of fuel to have the energy to perform well. I eat something before most of my workouts, but you will never see me eat a Thanksgiving meal and then try to do a high-impact workout. Heavy meals before a workout are not usually advisable because bloating and high-impact exercise are not a good mix. It can cause a lot of cramping, which can cause some people to get sick. If you have just eaten a large meal, give your body some time to digest it before you exercise because you aren’t going to have a good workout if you are bloated.
You will never see me stretch- I always stretch after my workout because you aren’t going to be able to push yourself as hard with tight muscles. You will never see me do static stretches before a workout because they can decrease your performance, which can potentially lead to an injury. I used to stretch before a workout, but stopped doing that because I noticed that my muscles were becoming more stiff and I wasn’t able to complete as many reps. If you do see me stretching before a workout, I am probably not planning on exercising for an hour or two because my muscles need time to lengthen. Don’t skip your stretching routine because flexibility is just as important as the workout and prevents injuries, but save them for when you are done. Skip the static stretches and do a good warm-up instead.
Skip the warm-up– When it comes to exercise, sometimes people will skip the warm-up because they don’t see a point to it, and will go straight into lifting heavy. If I am going for a walk, I don’t generally do a warm-up set because I am physically disabled and walking requires a little more effort, and any cardio exercise would be considered part of the workout, even if I tried to make it lower impact. I always do a warm-up set before I lift weights because you should never skip the warm-up if you want to avoid injury. Before I start to lift heavy, I do a few reps with my lighter weights to get my muscles warm and ready for the workout because most people who get injured skip the warm-up. I used to never do a warmup and went straight into the workout, and was amazed by how much more I could do when I didn’t skip the warmup. Warm-ups can sometimes feel boring and a waste of time, but it’s so important that you do them for injury prevention.
Drink too much water– When you sweat during exercise, you lose water, and it is so important that you make sure you are adequately hydrated to avoid a migraine. Fitness influencers sometimes make people think that they have to drink gallons of water before exercising. You probably do not need as much water as your favorite influencer says you do because there is such a thing as having too much. I drink some water before I exercise, but you will never see me drink large amounts because it’s unnecessary, and I don’t want to have to stop to urgently pee during my workout. Hydration is important, but too much water can put a lot of stress on your kidneys, and it’s not doing as much for you when you consume more than your body can handle.
You will never see me eat a bunch of sugar– As a disabled person with a physical disability, I have to think about things that a non-disabled person does not have to think about. I like to eat some carbohydrates before I exercise because it improves my performance, but I can’t overdo it. I have a stoma that reacts to sugar, and if I were to eat three cookies before my workout, I run the risk of having a stoma problem and not being able to exercise. You will never see me eat large amounts of sugar before I exercise, and if I must have that, I save it for when the workout is complete.
When it comes to exercise, people sometimes think that all you have to do to reach your goals is be consistent with your exercise routine. Consistency is important for improved fitness because if you aren’t doing your exercise, you can’t expect anything to change. It doesn’t end there because exercise only plays a small role in improved health, and you also want to make sure your nutrition is on point. It is so important that you pay attention to the habits you have when you aren’t exercising, because sometimes your exercise routine isn’t the problem, and it’s the alcohol you had before you exercised. Everyone has different goals, and even though an exercise program works for someone else, that doesn’t mean you will get the same results. Find something that works for you and be as consistent as you can be because everyone is different. What do you not do before exercising? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
If you liked this post, please be sure to check out my previous post about things you should never do after a workout
Subscribe And Never Miss A Post
My Rockin Disabled Life 