Do's and Don'ts

I know this week was suppose to be a post about making nutritious meals, but I honestly want to try my hand at making a "vlog" for that topic. So this week, I'm going to go over something different--The Do's and Don'ts of healthy living and exercise. These are important, but easy guidelines to follow.

DO: Eat A Bunch of Food
 I know if you are trying to lose weight this seems counterproductive, but if you are working out consistently everyday you also need to be eating consistent everyday. When I say eat a bunch of food, I mean eat many meals of natural and nutritious food (not fast or frozen foods). Also try to eat relatively soon after working out. Right after a workout your tired and broken down muscles are craving nutrients to help themselves rebuild, so be sure to give your body that!

DON'T: Drink Alcohol All the Time
This seems obvious, but alcohol will seriously affect your fitness if you consume it too frequently or large quantities at one time. As someone trying to gain muscle mass, alcohol actually makes me lose weight and sets me a step back in progress. It can have many adverse effects for a healthy lifestyle, so be sure to consume in moderation.

DO: Sleep and Get Up Early
Getting enough sleep is a really important part of a fitness lifestyle, if you are working out hard everyday you should be exhausted by the time it's ready for bed. Five hours isn't going to cut though, make sure you are getting at least eight hours a night, and try to wake up early. Waking up early will jump start your metabolism in the morning, so your hunger peaks in the mid-afternoon and evening when your eating. This will help you metabolize and absorb food more rapidly, which means food is less likely to be stored in your body as fat.

DON'T: Workout Too Much
This is really bad for your body and making progress. The body can only gain so much benefit from a workout, so an extremely long workout isn't necessarily a good thing. When it comes to running, the average person sees the most progress between the 20 minute mark and the 40 minute mark, and little-to-no fat is burned after the 45th minute. Apply these ideas to other workouts too, doing 20 different lifts for your chest may only be as beneficial as 10. Also make sure you aren't working out too many times a day or week. Make sure to give your body a day off every few days, and rotate your muscle groups for maximum benefit.

Check back next week for more great workout tips!