Fitness Plan Day 24: Take your workout a notch higher

Here is why doing that extra repetition is worth the pain.

WrittenBy

Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : February 29, 2016 6:50 PM IST

You have come a long way and we know that the results are now showing. Of course, you cannot expect differnce yet, but if you have sore muscles now, you know you are on the right track. Soreness is very common during the first few weeks of workinging out.

What you should be wary about is injury. If you have soreness and pain that isn t related to any injury, you can breathe easy. This soreness is a reminder that your muscles are remodelling themselves and adapting to your new found fitness-lifestyle. If you give up now, you are doing your body more damage than good. Read more to identify between good pain and bad pain.

Mornings: It s weekend but don t give your body and mind any excuse to quit. If it becomes complacent, even for a day, it will be hard to bounce back. So get up and hit the gym, run or do free hand exercises. Remember, mornings are the best time to maximise exercise efforts. Your testosterone levels are soaring, which helps you to do intense workout and metabolism is high, which helps in burning more calories. So don t push exercise for later part of the day. Here are five reasons why you should exercise in the morning.

Healthy recipes

There is a reason why they say diet and exercise go hand-in-hand. The more intense you workout the more disciplined your mind and body is and the more attentive you are about the food you eat. So don t binge just because it is weekend. Make healthy choices to keep yourself motivated.

Breakfast: Ever had soya paratha or nachni pancakes for breakfast. If not give it a try. These are healthy Indian options and far better than your English breakfast. Another option, which is quick and easy is to have a big bowl of sprout salad -- a boost of protein and you are all set to take the day head-on. Here are three Indian breakfast dishes that really make a good start.

Lunch: How about trying an entirely new recipe for lunch this weekend, like a Parsi dish? If you are open to experimentation try Patra ni machi recipe a fish dish made in steamed banana leaf which is tasty and healthy to the core. Want something vegetarian? Try this unique mushroom omelette which has just 130 calories.

Dinner: Want to have rice and think it will ruin your weight loss goal, don t worry do it in moderation and try this unique methi pulav. Complement it with a healthy spinach raita or grilled vegetables with walnut sauce.

Snack: If you have followed a stringent diet throughout the week, it is definitely time to reward yourself and nurture your sweet tooth. Oh no, it will not ruin your efforts, you can do it in a healthy way by eating two oats and cornflakes laddos.

Exercise

Home: If you have been working out at home try some new challenge today. Either increase the repetition of your sets or take a two-minute push-up challenge to assess your own strength and capabilities. Weekends are not for rest you can give your body a new twist to help prepare for the next set of challenges for the forth coming week. Here is the right way to do a push-up.

Gym: Whether it is your weights day or cardio day now it the time to up the ante. So do one repetition extra with your exercises and increase your resistance levels in the cardio machine to one level higher. This will not hurt your sore muscles but will help you push your limits ahead. Here is how strength training is beneficial for women too.

Yoga: It is winter and there is a high possibility that you might suffer from breathing problems or find it difficult to breathe due to the high pollutants in the air then try vajra kapotasana for healthy lungs. This exercise will not only help strengthen your lungs but will also get rid of fats from your back, hips and buttocks.

Sleep: if you feel it difficult to fall asleep at night after a fun filled day, try an Indian spice to induce sleep nutmeg or jaiphal. Mix powdered jaiphal with honey or milk and drink the concoction before going to bed. Here are six other ways jaiphal can help you to get good sleep.

Previous day's plan

Well, if you are motivated to start your New Year with a bang, spread the word by tagging your friends and #NewYearNewYou and @HealthSite4U. You can even mail your pictures and we ll post in on Facebook, Instagram and share it with our TheHealthSite.com Community.

Disclaimer: If you follow a fitness plan already, consult your nutritionist before switching to this one. If you are allergic to any of the foods/ingredients mentioned, please do not consume it. Do not follow this plan without consulting your doctor if you suffer from a health condition hypertension, hypotension, diabetes, etc. or are pregnant.

Image source: Shutterstock


Add The Health Site as a Preferred Source Add The Health Site as a Preferred Source