11 Indicators to an Effective Workout
11 Indicators to an Effective Workout
You’ve been working out regularly and that is a good thing. Afterwards, you feel all sweaty, tired, and sore. Is that still a good thing? Sometimes, you take for granted how successful a workout is as long as you had it done. However, having a great workout is crucial to your health and wellness. Besides, optimal fitness is really your main goal from the start, right? Accordingly, measuring exercise success is not just about how much you sweat. Take for instance hot yoga and how it is guaranteed to make you sweat a lot. Some places which do not use fans or any air conditioning can also make you sweat more. Owner of New York’s Form Fitness, Morit Summers agrees that being out of breath and sweaty does not always equate to a good workout.
Meanwhile, soreness is equally not a trustworthy indicator of a quality workout. You must have noticed how you feel sore that first day at the gym or when you haven’t exercised for a long time. A high intensity interval training or weight lifting is sure to make you experience the soreness even if you haven’t really worked it out to your full potential. So what are the more reliable ways for you to evaluate your workouts? Here are signs that indicate that you have performed the kind of quality workout that you are looking to achieve.
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- You feel hungry
If you feel hungry after workout, then that is a good sign. Your body needs to recover and you need to feed and fuel it. You will tend to crave for foods that are rich in carbohydrates that your body used for energy after a great workout. You can try eating approximately 30 minutes after you have exercised. Your body is going to use the energy or the calories to cool down right away and it will allow you to retain less fat. You will also be able to recover faster as you consume the proper nutrients.
- You’ve hit your maximum heart rate
Heart rate targets differ from one individual to the next and Dr. Gaile Vitug, a physician from Houston, specifies how targets can vary depending on weight, age, gender, and fitness levels. But individually, heart rate provides an objective way of measuring aerobic exercise. Hitting your maximum heart rate and then being able to maintain 70 to 75% of it for up to 20 minutes or more is a reliable indicator of a great workout.
- You find it difficult holding a conversation
If you find yourself enthusiastically chatting with someone at the gym, then it is most likely that you are not having a quality workout. Because if you were, you won’t really be able to talk to somebody mid-workout or maybe you will be able to answer back but in two-word grunts only. It will be hard for you to complete a sentence because you will be busy focusing on the right execution for each exercise. If you would like a more scientific way of measuring it, you can do so by tracking your RPE or Rate of Perceived Exertion. At the University of Oregon, human physiology professor Dr. Christopher Minson recommends that you at least do a moderately hard workout. On a scale from 0 to 10, aim for 6 or 7 RPE where 0 is lowest or when you are quietly resting and with 10 as highest or when you are working the hardest that you possibly can. When you work out at a 6 or 7 RPE, you will notice that it won’t be easy for you to carry out a conversation and it is guaranteed that you will be having a great workout!
- You have this feel good kind of vibe
This indicator that you had a great workout seem obvious for some but it does not always happen. Sometimes, working out leaves you feeling too tired or pooped out and that is not a good sign. If you had a successful workout, it will leave you feeling so good you will want to have more of it. Notice how you sometimes have to drag yourself to the gym but feel really good afterwards? A great workout allows your body to release the endorphins or happy hormones that give you that light, satisfying feeling.
- You are mentally alert
Aside from the physical perk up, you will know that you had a great workout if you get mentally jazzed afterwards. New York-based Scott Weiss, CSCS, an exercise physiologist recognizes how it can be tough to push yourself when you exercise. However, you should not be so drained that you are depleted. You should still feel energized. Even elite athletes do feel tired but psychologically, you should feel pumped up for the next level of workout experience. Mentally, you should be feeling all jazzed up if your workout was a success.
- You almost didn’t get that last rep
One of the most powerful indicators to a successful workout is dependent on how much you are challenging yourself. Matthew Martin is a certified personal trainer. Martin points out that even when not all exercises leave you in a fetal position on the floor, your fitness improvement is not likely to happen unless you are challenging yourself. In this case, he recommends that you choose weights that look difficult but are doable. You have to challenge your body enough to help with muscle building. If you notice that the last rep seems to be a bit of a struggle, then you are on the right track to having a great workout.
- You’ve become more flexible
Summers understands how stiffness and soreness can be a part of your post-workout condition. However, you will also tend to feel more limber if you did your workout the right way. You will notice how your body is able to move generally better than when you first woke up earlier. Flexibility is one of the long-term benefits of proper exercise.
- You experience less stress
Another important benefit of exercise that is supported by research is the reduction in an individual’s stress levels. For most Americans, stress levels continue to increase so it is important to deal with stress head on using some form of release. It can be in the form of meditation or some meditative breathing exercise. A solid sweat session can also help reduce feelings of distress especially when you enjoy doing your workouts. Unwind with some yoga sequences after a day’s work and you will see how your stress can be significantly brought down.
- You sleep more soundly each night
You have your workout to thank for if you have been sleeping more soundly at night with less waking up all throughout. While there are other factors that go with achieving a restful sleep, a great workout really makes you sleep better. Apparently, sleep is likewise critical in allowing your muscles to recover. A successful workout is equally beneficial to your stress levels and mental cognition. A research study from the Johns Hopkins University emphasizes how a great workout not only helps with a good night’s rest but more importantly helps you achieve the right kind of slumber. Proper exercise has been linked to deep sleep or better slow wave sleep as the body and the brain are both given a chance to recover.
- You are getting more powerful
A great workout is also indicated by long-term fitness where you get stronger every day. If you have been running or lifting weights, you will not notice the transformation in your body right away. As time goes by however, you will see your improvement as you take less time in finishing a course or is able to carry heavier weights. Six-pack abs and sculpted arms are most sought after but you will only achieve them over time as you become consistent with your workout schedule. Martin wants you to look for the signs to a great workout as you are able to run faster, lift more weights, or do more pushups. Besides, these are indicators that you’d rather have and be proud of, more than the aesthetic changes that tend to come later.
- You had a lot of fun
The fun factor counts a lot when you want to measure the success of your workout plan. Most of the time, you tend to get caught up in the numbers that you forgot how physical activity should be fun too! Exercise has to be something that you enjoy if you are to stick to it for the long run and make it a part of your fitness lifestyle. Your workouts have to be something that you look forward to on a regular basis instead of something that you dread or hate doing. You do not have to love every minute of it, but it can only count as a great workout when the overall experience is enjoyable for you.
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