You don’t get fitter in the gym, but outside of it you do. That’s not a statement design to confuse you, it’s scientific fact. During our workouts what is happening is the breaking down or cells. Our muscles are suffering tiny little tears, which is what we need in order to shock our bodies into becoming stronger. When the body senses this, it begins to make repairs and make our bodies stronger in the process. This happen outside the gym, while we rest and or sleep. What we eat is just as important as our workouts. The workout itself is purely to hurt our body so it can get shocked and start a process of making sure that next time something similar happens again, it will be ready. So you don’t get fitter while you workout, but outside and away from your workouts you do. What could aid you in this?

Get to bed!

You only truly begin to heal when you’re sleeping. The body can begin to replenish damaged muscle tissue with nutrients and protein but the real healing process begins when you’re in REM sleep. REM sleep is when the brain will activate chemicals that send signals to the body to begin releasing different cells to go to the places in your body that are damaged. An increase supply of white blood cells will also be launched and they will travel to wherever they can find damage. The only way you can get the most benefits from your workouts is to get to bed on time. You really do need 8 hours of sleep every single night. Not 5, 6 or 7 but 8!

Scraping away the old

When your workout, little tiny microscopic tears are formed. This means that little but little, an area will have old and dead cells clustering around a tear which will eventually heal. If this is allowed to happen, scar tissue can form which is a very hard wall that stops proper blood flow and also slows down repair. If you take a sports massage course such as Dave Taylor Training you’ll get the inside knowledge of this profession and since it is sports deep tissue massage it can be called a hidden artform. The techniques you’ll learn will allow you to scrape away the old cells from an area and allow fresh new blood cells to come in and rejuvenate your body. Professional athletes will pay huge sums of money to such professionals that can aid their body in faster and more efficient recovery so take this knowledge seriously. 

Eat healthy

It’s sound like a completely obvious thing, but eating healthy is far tougher than you might think. It’s one thing to workout but to make sure that for 3 or 4 meals throughout the day you are make sure to limit carbs and increase fruit and vegetable intake takes a lot of willpower. 

Get the sleep you need to recover properly, and this means getting into a REM sleep phase. Learn about how you can utilize deep tissue massage for yourself and how it might be able to wash away the old unhealthy cells to flush in the new blood. 

Sarah x

Staying fit and well is essential for both body and mind- we all know the importance of getting enough activity each week. However it’s so easy to put off, not because we’re too busy like so many of us claim but because exercise isn’t always fun. It can be strenuous and hard work and can sometimes feel like torture! However if this is the case for you, it’s just a sign that you’re doing the wrong activity. There are lots of ways you can move your body, tone your muscles and burn calories while having a good time in the process. Here are some ideas!

Take a class

When you think about the gym, chances are you picture yourself slogging away running on a treadmill, cross trainer or weights machine. Maybe this kind of exercise isn’t for you, or perhaps you already do but want to mix up your routine a little. If so, check out your gyms classes schedule. Most offer everything from body pump to yoga to spinning to dance classes. You could bring a friend with you and motivate each other while having fun. It’s only an hour or so a week and can massively boost your fitness and help you to work out muscles that you’d struggle to use any other way.

Get a dog

If you’re serious about getting fit, and know that you have the time, money and energy to look after a dog then why not adopt one? There are millions of dogs across the globe in shelters in need of a home, there are probably thousands in your hometown alone. If you can make just one of their lives better then you’ve done a wonderful thing, and they can benefit your life as much as you can benefit theirs. Choose a breed that suits the level of activity you do, if you like to go on frequent laid back strolls then a smaller or lower energy breed will be fine. If you want to go running, hiking or on long walks then a younger or more energetic dog will be for you. You can find out lots of information about breeds and more on sites like Dogs by Nina. If you’re not in a position to have your own dog, how about walking one for a friend or family member? Often older people struggle to walk their dog for long or far enough so you could help them out as well as making their dog happy. Walking with a dog is so much more fun that walking by yourself too, you’ll usually walk further when you know it’s for them rather than just yourself.

From this site

Try trampolining

The best exercises are those that don’t even seem like exercise. When you go trampolining, you’ll be having so much fun you won’t even be thinking about the huge number of calories you’re burning! There are trampoline parks up and down the country and there are also lessons offered at sports centres and some gyms. Bounce your way to a better physique!

Sarah x