It’s safe to say most of us want to learn to live a better lifestyle that involves eating healthy, nutritious foods and exercise. Having the desire to make the changes in our lives, however, can be very hard to follow through and even know how to do it in a healthy way. For those of us who are ready to take the next step to the life we are hoping for, understanding nutrition, proper lifting and exercise will make the biggest difference.  

Nutrition 

It’s important to always be sure to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to restore your energy and give you the protein you need to gain strength. When trying to gain muscle, you must be eating enough food. Carbohydrates are what fuels the body. 

Lacking proper nutrients while working out hard daily isn’t good for your health. Muscles have a set amount of carbohydrates that are actually stored, which is called glycogen. The more our body is working and the more strain and use of our muscles there is, the more food we must eat to have the energy to workout. 

People trying to gain a lot of muscle and bulk up eat a good amount of food with a lot of protein to boost their muscle mass. To gain muscle fast, they eat more and more foods gradually and make sure to workout frequently. They eat a lot of carbs to fuel hard training. Good foods for bulking up are eggs, nuts, beef, beans, yogurt, cheese, pasta, potatoes, and oats.

People looking to lose weight in a  healthy way must be sure to cut out the foods with high levels of added fat, sugar and salt. Replacing the foods we all wish we could live off of will make such a major difference in our health. Everyone’s body is different and each person needs a different diet to help them reach their goals. The one thing everyone trying to lose weight should do is to cut out the junk food. 

Lifting

When lifting, there are important concepts to learn to make sure you don’t injure yourself. The first thing to note is making sure you’re doing everything correctly with correct form, especially when using heavy weights that your body is unfamiliar with. If you’ve never lifted before, begin working out with a trainer or someone more experienced than you are. You can also take classes to learn proper form and technique to gain strength. 

Taking rest days is so crucial for recovery and it prevents injury. After lifting heavy weights, your muscles are ripping and turning into damaged muscle fiber. Then, when the muscles begin to heal they go through a cellular repair process and connect to other muscle fibers to create a new, stronger muscle. The best way to grow muscles is to gradually build up the weight you’re lifting to make sure you don’t seriously injure yourself by lifting too much weight. 

Make sure to keep a constant workout schedule. Consistency is key if you want to see results. 

Cardio

Most people can handle 30 minutes of cardio every day. You can go on runs, dance, play a fun sport or any active activity you enjoy. Cardio is a great way to burn calories and keep your endurance up. If, however, you do a more intense cardio workout, a day of rest would be beneficial for your body. 

If you are an athlete you know you have to do cardio consistently to get in shape or stay in shape for your season. Cardio would then be necessary every day. If you are just trying to lose weight the most important thing to remember is to be consistent with your exercise. 

Incorporating exercise in your life will better your health and make you feel more productive and happy with yourself. Having a healthy diet, with a few good cheat days if necessary, will contribute greatly to hitting your personal health goals. It’s not an easy process, but once you get there, you’ll never want to go back to where you started.