Fit, Fitness: Taking Care Of Yourself When Exercising!

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We all know that exercise is, for the most part, good for us. After all, it increases flexibility and strength, burns energy, and release happy hormones. However, what too few people realize is that it's essential to take care of yourself while exercising too! Happily, you can find out all about the basics of staying physically and mentally fit while doing fitness activities in the post below.

Mental & physical fitness

Before we deal with some of the more physical issues regarding fitness, let's think about how mental and emotional issues are involved. In fact, if you set yourself any type of goal before you begin your run or get on that exercise bike, you will be dealing with the mental side of things.

Of course what is essential to remember here is that your goals can actually break your fitness success, rather than make it, as well as significantly increase the risk of injury if you don't set them right.

This because if you set unreasonable targets, you are likely to give up mentally way before you have reached the final goal. Additionally, some people respond to goals that are overstretched by pushing too hard in each individual session. Something that can easily raise your risk of injury and that will not only put pay to your daily target but endanger your ability to exercise over the long term as well.

To that end, you need to have a good grasp of where your fitness level is before you start in earnest. Then you can create goals that gradually increase the intensity, length, or duration of your workout. Something that will help you stay mentally and physically fit while engaging in fitness activities.

Always warm up

Next, when it comes to keeping your body fit and healthy when exercising, it's crucial that you always take the time to warm up thoroughly. This is because when your muscles are warm, they are much more adaptable and flexible, meaning that even if you push hard in your workout, they 'won't strain or sprain.

In fact, if you doubt the processes of warming up even for a second, you only need to look at the activity of hot yoga to see that it has a significant effect. This being a yoga class that is completed in a room heated to 105 Fahrenheit, to increase flexibility, a demonstration of which you can see in the video below.



Of course, it is vital to warm up in the correct way for the fitness activity you will be doing. For example, those heading out on a road run may do something like the exercises here, while those preparing for a ballroom dancing class would follow up warm-up routine like the one below to ensure minimize their risk of injury.

Don't push beyond your limits

There is a difference between having limiting beliefs about your body and your abilities and knowing what your limits are. Sadly, sometimes, these two things can be confused, and this is when the risk of injury can occur.

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This is because people tend to push themselves as hard as possible, choosing to ignore their bodies signs of being overworked, and this can mean the go past what is safe for their body and cause injury.

Happily, there is a solution to this, and it's learning to get in touch with the physical sensations inside your body, so you know the difference between a limiting belief and an actual hard limit. Then you will be able to push yourself as much as possible for an effective workout, but also ensure that your body stays fit and healthy while exercising as well.

Don't ignore injuries

Speaking of injuries, some folks don't even stop when they occur. In fact, for a few, it can be a badge of honor to train through them and ensure they still get a full workout despite being in a lot of pain!

Of course, the issue here is that the body uses pain for a reason, and that reason is to stop you doing further damage to an area that is already injured. What that means is that if you are training through the pain, you could be furthering harming yourself, and endanger your ability to exercise over the long term.

To that end, it's imperative that you not only acknowledge injuries, and stop when they occur, but allow your body the time and the treatment it needs to heal as well.

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Luckily, minor injuries will often only need a cold compress and some rest. However, if you have a more severe or recurring problem, then choosing a physical therapist that can help rehabilitate you is a smart idea. The reason being that they can work not only to help you recover, but also identify any issues with your posture and movements could be contributing to the injury as well. Something that can reduce the likelihood of it happening again, and keep your body as fit as possible while exercising.

Nutrition and hydration matter too

Finally, while it is essential to pay attention to both the mental and physical side of keeping the body fit when exercising, it's crucial to ensure that your nutrition and hydration is correct as well.

In fact, even something as simple as the amount of water that your drink can have a significant impact on the 'body's fitness while you exercise. With both drinking too much or too little being dangerous.

Additionally, if you are engaging in certain activities like Iron Mans and Ultra Marathons, you will need to address the additional nutritional requirements that your body will need to maintain movement over such an extended time.

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After all, your body will need the correct fuel to be able to perform the fitness activities you want to engage in, and even if you are exercising primarily to lose weight, it's crucial that you have the right kinds of and amount of energy to be an exercise in the way that you have chosen.