Fitness rituals are very important to incorporate into your daily routine because they help you get through your workout on time and with ease. No matter where you go it seems like everyone has their own ritual that works for them.
Some people have their fitness rituals revolve around music, others their rituals are geared more towards how they get dressed. This article I’m going to show you the top four fitness rituals to help you ace your workout.
The American Council on Exercise talks a lot about shaping your environment if you want to succeed. Some of the things they mention, in their personal training literature, are setting alarms, having your bag packed and making sure you’re well-fed and hydrated.
Another thing that ACE talks about, that is an easy adaptation for a fitness ritual, is to make sure you have everything ready for your workout. This may seem like an easy thing to do. But, most of us get side-tracked in our daily routines and we forget the simple act of getting our gym bag together.
Whether you’re going for a run, or going to the gym, you need to make sure that everything is ready before you leave. The best way to make this a ritual is to have new items replaced as soon as you use them.
For example, if you are an avid swimmer make sure that you hang up your swimming clothes and goggles right next to your gym bag when you get home. Also stock fresh towels and whatever else you may need, like sunscreen, to make sure you’re ready to go the next time you swim
2 – Always Stay Hydrated
The reasons are not clear, but people in America are chronically dehydrated. One Fitness ritual that’s going to change your life is going to be incorporating water into your daily routine.
One of the ways to make drinking water easier is to focus it around meal and snack time. The National Institute for health says that you should drink one ounce of water per pound of body weight divided by 2.
So, a one hundred and forty pound man wouldn’t need to drink 70 ounces of water every day to stay hydrated.
If you’re eating on a 5 times a day schedule this gives you roughly 12 and a half ounces of water to drink before every meal.
Getting in the ritual of drinking water prior to your meals will not only make sure that you’re hydrated it will also keep your appetite in check.
3 – Pick Your Very Own Fight Song
Your fight song should be something that gets you motivated and gets you moving. This song should only be played at the start of your workout whenever you’re getting ready to warm up.
Why?
Having an audio cue that tells your body it is workout time gets your blood pumping and your body ready in anticipation of the great workout to come.
4 – Always Eat After You Work Out
Generally people like to eat the same thing ater a workout, unfortunately, most people tend to overeat after a workout. Ritualizing your post-workout snack can make sure that you don’t overdo your calorie budget.
One glass of skim chocolate milk, or maybe almond butter on wheat toast, would be a great post-workout ritual. Making it something sweet but nutritious that your body craves will help your body to recover. Giving you much needed nutrition to rebuild your muscle tissue.
Start incorporating these four rituals into your fitness routine will make sure that you are working out harder, better, and more efficiently than you ever have before.
