Not all that long ago, I was having one of the greatest naps of my life when I was abruptly awakened by a pain in my leg; my muscles had cramped and seized, making even the slightest move into a struggle. I massaged it as best I could, until the leg cramp finally began to subside. 

That experience, and many ones like it, are all too common these days. In fact, News Medical states that “…around 39 percent of marathon runners, 52 percent of rugby players and 60 percent of cyclists” suffer from them. If you’ve ever cramped up before – and I’m certain you have – then you’ve probably wondered why leg cramps and muscle cramps happen in the first place. Hopefully we can shed some light on the issue as part of this article, and give some tips and tricks for how to avoid cramping in the future. 

Cramping from Overtraining Syndrome

According to research done by Samitive J Hospitals, one of the leading causes of leg cramps – also known as charley horses – during exercise is over-working your muscles without giving them enough time to rest between sessions. 

When we exercise, the fibers of our muscles get ripped apart and then heal over time. During the healing process our bodies build the torn muscle again, but stronger than before, to respond to the stress that they were put through in the first place. 

When we don’t have enough time in between workout sessions, we can’t fully rebuild that broken muscle, which means that our bodies won’t be able to withstand the strain of exercise as it comes. The official name for this is Overtraining Syndrome, or OTS for short. There’s a whole article on that subject right here: 

While this is the most common reason behind leg cramps and charley horses while you exercise, it’s far from the only way that your muscles can cramp. Unfortunately. 

Dehydration and Electrolyte Imbalance

Not all cramps are the same. Nor are drinking water and staying hydrated – though they are related to each other. In the previous section we briefly covered leg cramps from over-exertion, but what about other cramps? While overworking can contribute to getting more random muscle cramps, it’s also common for them to happen when you’re dehydrated. 

The average human body is made up of over 60% water, and that water is found everywhere from blood to muscle. If there’s not enough water to go around, though, things start to seize up. If our bodies were cars, water would be the oil that helps our personal engines run smoothly. 

That being said, though, not all water is created equal. Plain water, all by itself, can actually cause more problems than it solves when we drink too much of it. How does that make any sense? Let me explain.

To stay hydrated we need to consume electrolytes, which are key minerals – such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphate, bicarbonate and chloride – that conduct electricity in our bodies, acting almost like a battery for us and our muscles. They’re responsible for:

• Cell movement
• Removing waste from cells
• Helping nerves function
• Muscle recovery
• Helping muscles contract

Just to name a few! In short, they do a ton of stuff for us. To keep up with a list like that, we need a constant supply of electrolytes. Once we start running low on them, our bodies start to prioritize certain tasks over others which can lead to a variety of symptoms such as:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Vomiting
• Weakness 
• Numbness 
• Diarrhea
• An irregular heartbeat
• Confusion 

And last but not least, cramps. Here’s where consuming too much plain water comes in. If you drink too much water that’s poor in electrolytes, you can dilute the electrolyte levels in your body and cause an “electrolyte imbalance” which leads to the symptoms listed above. If you’re wondering about how to keep yourself hydrated anytime, anywhere, check out this article on the subject:

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive into the details behind cramps related to dehydration.

Exertional Heat Cramps

Exertional heat cramps get their name from the fact that people tend to get them after sweating a lot, which consumes valuable electrolytes and water pretty fast. Since electrolytes are needed everywhere, these types of cramps can easily spread to other parts of the body.

They start out as subtle contractions – also known as fasciculations – on a person’s skin. Since they’re so small, most people tend to miss them, especially if they’re focused intently on something specific. Within half an hour of these contractions, the cramps tend to start happening. These are some of the most common areas that cramp:

• Abdomen (belly)
• Arms
• Feet
• Hamstrings – the back of your thighs
• Hands
• Quadriceps – the front of your thighs
• Calves – the back of your lower legs

Wherever they start – in the legs, for example, because of how often we use them – they often spread to other random areas of the body, which can lead to a full body cramp. Think of a really painful paralysis, since you can’t really move and everything is seized up.

Stopping a muscle cramp like this can only be done by rehydrating and rebalancing one’s electrolytes and, in severe cases, athletes may need to seek medical assistance to bring things back to normal. While all electrolytes are important, the main ones that you may need in a severe situation are sodium and chloride, which are the first we lose when we sweat.

Idiopathic Leg Cramps

Idiopathic leg cramps are cramps that seem to happen randomly, without any specific reason or warning beforehand. A prime example of these would be nighttime leg cramps. While there’s no single symptom that triggers them, there are a bunch of factors that can come into play. Here are just a few:

• Stress
• Overworked muscles
• Lack of blood-flow to affected area
• Involuntary nerve discharges – random electrical impulses

According to Cleveland Clinic, you’re likely to get them more often as you get older. This is because your tendons – which connect your muscles to your bones – tend to shrink over time. 

“Of people over age 60, 33% will have a leg cramp at night at least once every two months. Nearly every adult aged 50 and older will have them at least one time [per month]. Approximately 40% of people experience leg cramps during pregnancy” due to the extra weight and strain that comes with that. 

The same article mentions some of the following factors that can contribute to having leg cramps at night:

• Sitting for long periods of time
• Standing or working on concrete floors
• Having poor posture during the day
• Kidney failure
• Diabetic nerve damage
• Mineral deficits

I think of other cramps as being the ones that happen as soon as your body passes its breaking point, while idiopathic cramps are the ones that come up when your body is stressed, but not strained to breaking yet. 

Avoiding Muscle Cramps: Tips and Tricks

Growing up, I always heard this quote from Benjamin Franklin: “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” That principle applies really well to this sort of topic, even if it isn’t the same context in which I used to hear that saying. 

When it comes to muscle cramps, there are quite a few things we can do to both prevent and “cure” cramps when they come up. Here are some things you can do to before they become an issue:

• Stay hydrated 
• Include a bunch of electrolytes in your diet
• Be aware of the conditions in which you exercise (cramps are more commonly occur in hot climates)
• Warm up properly before participating in intense exercise
• Take your time – if you’re starting a new routine or coming back after a break, make sure to ease into it and give yourself time to adapt
• Stretch daily

We actually have articles about how to start off any routine properly and set yourself up for a great workout. Check it out:

If prevention isn’t an option, you can go ahead and try some techniques to help alleviate the pain and bring things back to normal. Web M.D. suggests that you:

• Stretch it
  • When a muscle cramp happens, stop the activity you’re doing and stretch it out by tightening the opposing muscle. For example, if the muscle on the back of your thigh cramps, squeeze the muscles on the front of your thigh and lift your leg toward your head.
  • If you have a calf cramp, stand up and put your weight on the leg with the cramp, gently bend your knee, and actively lift your toes up toward your nose.
  • For leg cramps, sit on the floor with your leg or foot stretched out in front of you. Keep your leg straight while you gently pull your foot back towards you.
• Massage the muscle
  • After stretching, try massaging the muscle cramp for relief using a foam roller or your hands.
• Apply heat
  • A warm bath or shower can help your cramped muscles loosen up. You could also put a heating pad or a warm towel on the area.
• Apply a cold pack
  • Once the pain subsides a little, place an ice pack or a bag of ice on the cramping muscle. Remember to wrap it in a towel first so you don’t irritate your skin. You can also try massaging the cramp with the ice pack to help relax the muscle.
• Elevate the area (if possible)
  • If you can, lift the part of your body that has the cramp. If your foot is cramping, prop it up until the cramp starts to go away.

If all else fails, you can also take things like ibuprofen to help release muscle tension or – in more extreme cases – you can go to your healthcare provider and try to get a prescription for some sort of muscle relaxer. Just remember that taking any sort of medication can come with possible downsides like dizziness or fatigue, so make sure to go over the pros and the cons with your doctor.

There are also some stretches that are simple to learn and remember, which means that you could make them into a habit pretty easily. You can read more about those in an article here:

While they might seem monotonous, doing things to prevent your cramps before they start is well worth it.

Electrolyte Sources

Now that we’ve gone over how important electrolytes are when it comes to avoiding muscle cramps, it’s pretty important to know where you can find them, right? 

That’s far from everything that has electrolytes, but it should be more than enough to get you started. Sports drinks like Powerade and Gatorade can also be effective supplements to your electrolyte levels in a pinch. Not every electrolyte you take is going to be the same, though:

• Potassium helps with muscle function and the regulate nerve signals
• Calcium is essential for muscle contractions and the health of your bones
• Magnesium helps regulate your blood pressure and offers general support for your muscle and nerve functions

Wrapping Up

Leg and muscle cramps of some kind have always been a part of life and they always will be, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get a handle on them early or get them taken care of. Muscle fatigue and electrolyte deficits can lead to some tough challenges, but you can always work with people around you for support when necessary.

If you found this helpful, there’s a whole lot more information where it came from! Read more articles and guides here:

At the end of the day, the more you know about different types of cramps and what can be done about them, the more prepared you’ll be to help both yourself and others. Between stretching, proper rest, water and electrolytes, you’ll always be at your best when prepared for the worst.

The post Find The Best Tips And Tricks For Helping Leg Cramps appeared first on ReGrow Supplements.

Ready to find some exercise bike exercises to lose weight? These days, there seems to be a pretty big focus on getting in – or staying in – shape and on weight loss in general. It makes sense, but sometimes it seems like a crazy challenge to get from point “A” – finding exercises to do – to point “B”, when we actually see the results of our work. Going before that though, you may be wondering how effective exercise bikes are for weight loss. 

We’ll get into that in just a bit, but as we go through the process of using an exercise bike to help you accomplish your goals, we decided that we ought to mention a few important things to keep in mind. Here are some things you can expect from this article today:

• Benefits of using exercise bike exercises to lose weight
• Potential risks of using an exercise bike
• Some example routines and exercises to lose weight
• How effective exercise bikes are for weight loss

There’s a bit more to all of this than simply jumping on a bike and starting to pedal, so let’s get right into it!

Risks and Benefits of Using Exercise Bike Exercises to Lose Weight

When trying to find effective exercise bike exercises to lose weight, it’s pretty important to have some knowledge of both the pros and the cons of getting into it. An article on Exercise Pick’s website mentions that using an exercise bike daily can give some of the following benefits:

1. Improved heart health
   • Using an exercise bike regularly can help strengthen your heart and lungs, which reduces one’s risk of heart disease and improves overall cardiovascular health.
2. Increased calorie burn
   • Exercise bikes are an effective way to burn calories and aid in weight loss, especially when combined with a healthy diet.
3. Boosted mental health
   • Exercise in general has been shown to have a positive impact on one’s mental health by reducing stress and anxiety levels while improving mood at the same time.
4. Enhanced physical fitness
   • Using an exercise bike on a daily basis can improve overall physical fitness, from increased muscle strength and endurance to flexibility.
5. Improved sleep
   • Daily cycling over a few weeks can strengthen your back muscles and improve joint mobility, which can lead to you getting better rest overall.

Those sound pretty good, right? Whenever you do any sort of exercise though, it’s a good idea to stretch first to both keep you from getting hurt and to maximize your efforts. We actually have an article about how to do it here, if you’d like to learn about that.

So far as “risks”, here are some things to consider:

• Overuse injuries
  • When using exercise bikes daily it can be easy to strain your joints, especially your knees, hips, and back, leading to overuse injuries if not properly warmed up and cooled down beforehand.
• Plateauing
  • As your body adapts to the exercise, you may experience a plateau in your progress which can make it hard to keep improving.
• Lack of variety
  • Using the same exercise bike exercises to lose weight can become monotonous, which can lead to your motivation taking a hit and you losing interest in your routine.

Again, stretches are a great way to both warm up and cool down. If you want to learn some basic stretches to start your routine, check out this article here:

Anyways, now that we’ve gone over that part of things, let’s move on to some sample routines you can try.

Example Routines

The biggest differences from one exercise bike exercise to another are intensity and time, since the motion you do is exactly the same regardless. As a general rule though, a 20-30 minute cycling session should be more than enough for your daily needs. Medical News Today recommends these three different workout intensities for you to try:

1. Beginner Routine
   1. Warm up at a low resistance level for about 5 minutes.
   2. Increase the resistance to a level that is slightly challenging but that still allows for conversation. Cycle at a brisk pace for 1 minute. Return to a comfortable pace for 3 minutes. Repeat this sequence 3–5 times.
   3. Return to a low resistance level for a 5–10-minute cooldown.

A routine like this is best for making cycling into a daily habit. Doing it won’t provide anything crazy, but it’ll still be helpful without being too hard to follow.

2. Weight Loss
   1. Begin with a 5-minute warmup at a brisk pace.
   2. Increase the resistance to a level where sprinting is comfortable. Sprint at a hard pace for 30 seconds, at a medium pace for 30 seconds, and at an easy pace for 60 seconds. Repeat this interval cycle 3 times.
   3. With the same resistance, sprint as fast as possible for 40 seconds, then at an easy pace for 20 seconds. Repeat this 4 times.
   4. Finish up with a 5-minute cooldown at a lowered resistance.

This one is a bit harder to do, but sprinting is a great way to burn calories fast. 

3. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
   1. Warm up for 5 minutes at a low resistance level and medium pace.
   2. Pedal at a light resistance level but high intensity for 30 seconds. Follow this with 30 seconds of easy pedaling. Repeat this pattern 5 times.
   3. Cycle at a medium intensity for 5 minutes.
   4. Pedal at a high resistance level and low cadence for 30 seconds. Follow this with 30 seconds of easy pedaling. Repeat this pattern 5 times.
   5. Finish up with a 5-minute cooldown.

HIIT is on the tougher side, and really relies on quick bursts of energy to keep you going.

Regardless of which type of workout you’d like to try, just remember to make it something you can enjoy. When you find a routine you like, make it yours and don’t push yourself until it hurts. We have an article about why that is here:

Slowing Down the Ride

Is it effective to use exercise bike exercises to lose weight? The answer is YES! According to this article from Live Science, “…you can burn around 400-600 calories per session.” That’s a pretty good return for half an hour each day.

Using exercise bike exercises to lose weight is pretty simple, as long as you stay consistent. The benefits outweigh the cost, don’t you think? You’ll get stronger, rest better, stay sharper, and burn those calories that you don’t want all at once. Rest when you can, and then come back for more tomorrow. 

Happy cycling!

The post Find the Best Exercise Bike Exercises to Lose Weight appeared first on ReGrow Supplements.

If you’re anything like me, your first few days at the gym were – or will be – rough; everyone there seems to know what they’re doing already, and even the internet seems to just be full of solutions for the experienced gym-goer. Where’s the “workout routine for beginners” that we’re looking for?

Let me tell you friends, that search is over. I’m going to give a guide on how to make the best beginner workout plan you can so that you can start out your weightlifting journey right. We can get into more complicated stuff later, but for now, let’s start with the basics of making a great routine.

Specifically, we’ll cover: 

• What a beginner is
• Some basic routine making guidelines
• Some example exercises and stretches to include

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Beginner Breakdown

To start things off, I want to make clear what I define as “beginner” so that we’re on the same page when it comes to making a workout routine for beginners. Medium published an article on how one can determine their lifting level, in which they mention the three most common ways people to try and measure their progress:

1. How long you’ve been lifting for
2. How strong you are
3. How much muscle you have

For the sake of this article we’ll assume that a beginner has only been working out consistently – at least 3 times a week – for between 6 and 12 months, and tends to stick with simple exercises.

That’s still a pretty broad category, and time – or lack of time – doesn’t always make someone a beginner, and neither does sticking to the basics, even though it is more common. As Medium states, “These methods are often less than ideal, and not very accurate when it comes to figuring things out…” but using time as a benchmark will make it a little easier to explain things, just to keep us on the same page. 

Now that we have that taken care of and out of the way, let’s get on to some tips!

Make Your Routine Balanced

You may have been wondering if there’s a single exercise that you can do to cover all the bases when it comes to making a workout routine for beginners… if you were hoping for a “yes” answer with the holy grail of exercises to boot, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. 

HelpGuide goes over this point in an article on their website:

“…to get the most benefits from your routine, you want a mix of activities during the course of a week. Otherwise, it’s like a diet consisting only of fruit—healthful as far as it goes, but lacking a lot of the nutrients you’ll find in other foods, such as fish, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.”

A day of cardio and two days of strength training, for example, can be a good place to start.

Keeping things balanced in your weightlifting routine – or any workout routine – will lead to far greater success for you in the long run than just sticking with one or two exercises. After all, just because it’s a “workout routine for beginners” doesn’t mean that it has to be ineffective.

Remember to Stretch

A workout routine should always include stretches, whether you’re a beginner or not. An article from BrownHealth states:

“Your exercise routine should include stretching to improve circulation and elasticity of muscles before and after activity. Core exercises are always important, because your core muscle group is made up of over 29 muscles in the pelvis, abdomen, and back, providing the foundation for the entire body and needs to be addressed. You should individualize your program by selecting the right exercises for you, or seek the help of a professional trainer.”

If you want some specific stretches that would be perfect to start out with, take a look at this article here:

Listen to Your Body

Our bodies are amazing machines with tons of potential, but they aren’t quite perfect. When problems arise, though, they generally do a good job at letting us know that something’s wrong. If you’re in pain, for example, that’s a sign to stop. Being overly tired is a natural sign that we need to rest. Follow these signals as they come up, and you’ll avoid getting hurt or overstressed in the future. Overtraining can be dangerous!

If you’d like to learn more about that, take a look at this post on overtraining and how to avoid it:

These tips should be enough to get you started, so let’s move on to the example exercises:

Strength Exercises

Strength training exercises help build both muscle and bone mass. Some pretty common ones to use in your workout plan are:

• Squats
• Lunges
• Push-ups
• Pull-ups
• Planks
• Crunches
• Leg Raises

Something great about these is that they’re relevant to everyday activities and they’re simple. All of them can be done without any crazy equipment, but they still can make a huge impact. 

Cardio Exercises

Cardio exercises help keep your heart healthy and burn calories at the same time. Here are some good ones to start with:

• Walking
• Jogging
• Running
• Biking
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Jumping rope

A lot of people don’t care for cardio – myself included – but I find that they also boost my energy throughout the rest of the day. Even though they aren’t always the most fun, they’re super important.

Stretching and Mobility

We already covered this briefly, but here are a couple of exercises to keep in mind when it comes to stretching: 

• Static stretches
• Dynamic stretches
• Foam rolling

Shaking things up a bit with your stretches will help keep your muscles both relaxed and loose, which will let you do far more in your routine and your day in general.

Wrapping Up

A workout routine for beginners should include stretches and other exercises for many reasons, but one of the main ones is that your first routine tends to shape lasting habits; you need to make sure to build the best habits that you can.

Some of the benefits of following through with your routine are increased strength, energy, and flexibility. In my experience, my confidence has grown through the roof along the way. If you’ve made a plan but are having trouble with sticking to it, we have tips on how to change that. 

Whatever the case, now you can make the “workout plan for beginners” that you’ve been looking for, and it’ll be tailored to you and what you feel. Good luck!

The post How to Start Working Out: Crafting a Workout Routine for Beginners appeared first on ReGrow Supplements.

We train everywhere, regardless of temperature and altitude, but have you ever wondered if any of these climates are better than others? Which ones are more helpful if we want to keep on improving our game?

The truth is, each extreme environment – whether it be the heat, cold, or altitude – triggers a unique response in your body which will translate into different types of benefits to come with each new challenge. That being said, training in extremes can be dangerous, and you need to make sure you’re prepared first. take a look at this article about how to start your routine correctly:

Let’s see which one could be your secret to success.

Heat training: turning things up

Heat training may feel awful, but there are actually a few benefits that are interesting to take into account. According to Fleet Feet, heat training can:

• Increase cardiac output (the quantity of blood pumped by the heart)

• Increase plasma volume (the liquid component of your blood)
• Increase VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can take in and use during exercise)
• Lower your internal thermostat

These benefits are pretty similar to training at altitude, but heat is a lot more accessible than a mountain. 

The Science Behind the Benefits

Heat training works differently than altitude training, although the main outcome – increased oxygen delivery to muscles – is the same. While altitude creates additional red blood cells, training in the heat increases your blood plasma volume, which enhances circulation, oxygen delivery, and results in a higher VO2 max at a given effort level.

Both heat and altitude trigger the body’s heat shock response, producing proteins that defend cells from stress-induced damage. This creates what scientists call “cross acclimation” – meaning heat training can actually help prepare you for altitude. The two go hand in hand.

Pros and Cons of Heat Training

Pros:

• More accessible than altitude training for most people
• Faster adaptation time (8-14 days vs. 3-4 weeks for altitude)
• Increases cardiac output and plasma volume
• Improves VO2 max and running economy
• Benefits last for months with consistent training
• Helps you perform better in all temperatures

Cons:

• High risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke if done incorrectly
• Requires careful hydration and electrolyte management
• Can be mentally draining and uncomfortable
• Need to significantly reduce pace during adaptation period
• Isn’t suitable for everyone, especially those with certain health conditions

Cold Exposure: Keeping Things Chill

While cold exposure might not be the first thing that comes to mind for improving performance, more and more people are starting to notice it as a useful tool.

Our bodies are designed to protect us from the cold, so as the temperature drops around us, they kick into overdrive to sharpen our focus, optimize energy use, and preserve our internal temperature to keep us both safe and functional.

Cold exposure includes activities such as cold showers, cold air exposure, applying ice packs, ice baths, swimming in cold water, and more.

Pros and Cons of Cold Exposure

Pros:

• Reduces muscle soreness and inflammation
• Speeds up recovery between training sessions
• Improves mental toughness and resilience
• Enhances sleep quality
• Accessible through ice baths, cold showers, or cryotherapy
• Can boost mood and emotional well-being

Cons:

• May temporarily impair muscle hypertrophy if done immediately after strength training
• Risk of hypothermia if exposure is too long or extreme
• Uncomfortable and requires mental commitment
• Not ideal as a primary performance enhancer (better for recovery)
• Can suppress immune function if overdone

Altitude Training: Life Up Top

At altitudes between 1,500m and 3,000m (roughly 5,000 to 10,000 feet), atmospheric pressure drops, making it harder for your body to transfer oxygen into your blood. According to a post from World Athletics, this is why people often feel so tired when they first get to high altitude.

In response, your brain triggers increased production of erythropoietin (EPO), which encourages your body to make more red blood cells to transport the available oxygen. Over the course of three to four weeks, your body will adapt and work more efficiently. 

When you get back to sea level, the higher quantity of red blood cells gives you a natural boost, with additional oxygen available for aerobic performance.

The most effective approach to altitude training is known as the “live high, train low” method. What it entails is this: athletes live and sleep at around 8,000 feet to trigger red blood cell production, but they then train at elevations below 4,000 feet where air is less thin – so they can perform easier – but still have the extra oxygen in their blood cells from adapting to higher altitude.

Pros and Cons of Altitude Training

Pros:

• Increases red blood cell production and hemoglobin
• Improves VO2 max and aerobic capacity
• Enhances oxygen utilization efficiency
• Raises lactate threshold
• Benefits can last 10-14 days after returning to sea level
• Proven effective for elite endurance athletes

Cons:

• Requires access to high-altitude locations or expensive equipment
• Initial side effects include lethargy, headaches, and sleep difficulties
• Risk of acute mountain sickness above 3,000m
• It’s hard to maintain consistent training intensity at altitude
• It might not work for everyone due to genetic variability
• Requires 3-4 weeks minimum to see benefits
• Not beneficial for purely anaerobic/sprint athletes

Which one’s best?

Honestly, that depends on your goals, sport, and what you have access to.

Heat training is good for endurance athletes who race in hot conditions, but the adaptations help performance in all temperatures. It’s a practical option for most people since you can train pretty much anywhere during the summer or use saunas.

Cold exposure won’t directly boost your VO2 max, like heat or altitude will, but it’s great for reducing soreness, speeding recovery between hard sessions, and building psychological resilience. It works best as a complementary practice to what you already do.

Altitude training offers the most dramatic changes to one’s oxygen-carrying capacity, but it’s also very demanding and expensive, not to mention time consuming; you’ll need to take at least three weeks to train, if you want the best results.

Each one is beneficial in its own way, and the reality is that many athletes combine aspects of each type of training. For example, they might use heat training in the summer, cold exposure for recovery all year round, and then go do altitude training right before a competition.

Don’t just suffer the extremes for the fun of it; find out what works best for your situation and interests, and then go from there. 

If you’d like to learn more about how to get the most out of the efforts you’re already putting in, check out some of our other articles:

The post How to Use Temperature and Altitude Training to Give You an Edge appeared first on ReGrow Supplements.

Have you ever been exercising and gotten really thirsty, only to realize that you’re out of water? Imagine that happening in a more extreme setting, such as a mountain trail or a ski slope. That’s never a good feeling. 

Extreme conditions – whether they be scorching heat, freezing cold, or high altitude – can wreak havoc on your hydration levels without you even realizing it. Once dehydration sets in, your performance, energy, and overall health can take a huge hit.

That being said, let’s rise to the challenge and find out how to stay hydrated and at our very best in every condition and climate.

Staying hydrated close to home

In an article on the subject, The American Heart Association stated: “Drinking enough water keeps the body hydrated, which helps the heart more easily pump blood through the body. It also helps muscles work efficiently. If you’re well hydrated, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard.”

Water makes up roughly 60-70% of your body and is essential for transporting the nutrients we need to function, removing waste, supporting the immune system, and maintaining proper body temperature.

In extreme conditions, these basic functions are even more important and become far more difficult to maintain; Your body has to work overtime just to keep everything running smoothly, which means you’ll lose fluids faster than you might think.

Hydration also plays an important role when it comes to stretching before we exercise; check out that article here:

Fighting the Heat

Doing any sort of exercise in the heat brings unique challenges. In fact, when trimming in high temperatures, roughly 75 percent of the energy required for muscle contraction is lost as heat, making it difficult for your body to regulate its overall temperature.

As your body creates sweat things get more humid and your plasma levels in your blood drop, which means your body has to try to find ways to get it back. It’s estimated that endurance athletes lose up to 2.5 liters per hour through sweat!

While that’s bad for them, it gets even worse the less fit you are. Then, the combination of heat and humidity prevents our sweat from evaporating, making it harder for your body to dissipate heat.

Heat Hydration Strategies

Here are some things you can do to keep yourself hydrated in the heat:

• Drink water before you exercise or go out into the sun, so that you start out prepared.
• Try to consume fluids at the same rate of fluid loss during workouts lasting 90 minutes or more; aim for 500-1000mg sodium per hour and drink about 500 mL every 30-45 minutes.
• Drink cold liquids – as they can help cool down your core as they hydrate your body and quench thirst – but don’t overdo it; You don’t want to accidentally give yourself hypothermia.
• Replace electrolytes so that you can absorb your water effectively (especially sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, and calcium).
• Keep track of your urine color – while gross, the color can help tell how hydrated you are. Pale yellow means you’re properly hydrated, while darker colors signal a need to drink more fluid.

Conquering the Cold

Believe it or not, it’s definitely possible to become dehydrated in the cold. A post from the Massachusetts General Hospital states that: 

“It may be difficult to notice when you’re sweating in colder weather, so pay attention when you’re bundled up. Even when you’re not sweating, you lose water through the skin, and the drier air from indoor heating can cause you to become dehydrated without even noticing.”

It’s not uncommon for us to feel less thirsty in cold weather, and even us seeing our breath is an indicator that we’re losing fluid, so we have to be extra careful.

Cold Weather Hydration Strategies

Next time you’re in the cold, try these:

• Drink warm fluids; they’re a lot easier to drink when you’re feeling chilly, but still are helpful in keeping you hydrated. Try broths, warm water, or herbal teas, for example.
• Don’t wait to get thirsty; set reminders to drink water on the hour to keep the fluids flowing.
• Find out how much fluid you need; A simple method is to take your weight in pounds and divide it in half to get the minimum ounces of fluid you need each day.
• Eat foods that can help hydrate you. Think soups, melons, cucumbers, or any other fruit or vegetable with high water content.
• Steer clear of caffeine and alcohol, which flush water and electrolytes from your body and limit your cold perception, thus increasing your risk of hypothermia

Altitude: The Hidden Challenge

From skiing in Colorado to hiking in Utah or summiting any peak above 5,000 feet, high altitude dehydration is one of the most common challenges you may experience. 

Almost like the cold, we tend to notice thirst less when we’re at high altitudes, and dry or thin air means that we breathe faster – which can cause us to lose twice as much water as we would at sea level – and moisture evaporates more quickly from our skin, which can make us think that we’re sweating less than we actually are.

Altitude Hydration Strategies

Camelbak has an article with some quick tips on how to stay hydrated at high altitude:

• Drink plenty of water in the days and hours before heading to a high altitude destination. 
• Start slow and ease into your activity. 
• Consume hydrating foods like apples, cucumbers, melons, strawberries, broccoli, celery, zucchini, and lettuce. These foods won’t replace your necessary water intake – rather they supplement it.
• Moderate caffeine and alcohol, which are both diuretics, which means they promote increased urine production. 
• Drink consistently throughout the day; make drinking water at high altitude an ongoing thing.
• Balance with electrolytes; Electrolyte balance is critical for peak performance and avoiding dehydration. 

Know the signs of dehydration

No matter where you are, recognizing symptoms of dehydration is critical. Initial physical symptoms include:

• Headache
• Dry mouth and lips
• Fatigue and weakness
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Decreased urine output or dark-colored urine
• Muscle cramps

Moderate to severe dehydration can lead to confusion, rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, and vomiting; If you experience severe symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

Up the trail

All of this comes down to simply being – and staying – aware. Make hydration a priority from the start, and carry water with you always. Set reminders on your phone, if that helps, and avoid substances that will leech away your water and electrolytes.

Regardless of where you are, hydration is key to your health and safety; keep that water bottle close!

If you’re curious about hydration, stretching, or anything else related to your health, take a look at some of the rest of our posts for more information:

The post How to Keep Yourself Safe and Hydrated in Any Extreme appeared first on ReGrow Supplements.

Have you ever wondered how to stretch? It seems like a really simple thing; after all, people have been reminding us to stretch before exercising for most of our lives. 

I remember all the way back to when I first started taking PE as a kid, for example. My teacher would always remind me and the rest of my classmates to run through at least some simple techniques before diving into the fun stuff.

I also remember what happened shortly after I ignored said council, when I started to cramp after doing too much, too quickly. That wasn’t exactly fun, but I was a little lazy when it came to stretching.

Water and staying hydrated were things I was always warned about, but I “forgot” them too, and pretty often. Today, we’re going to cover 10 tips and tricks to start your routine out right, from proper hydration to some stretches so that you don’t make the same mistakes as my childhood self. 

Really quick, let’s cover the basics before we dive into the stretching tips:

What is stretching, and why should you care?

In an article on their website, Physio-pedia defines stretching as follows:

“Stretching is a physical exercise that requires putting a body part in a certain position that’ll serve in the lengthening and elongation of the muscle or muscle group and thus enhance its flexibility and elasticity.”

In other words, stretching helps prepare our muscles to move more freely. Imagine a rubber band; a really cold one will be tighter and more likely to snap if you try to use it immediately. Once it gets warmer and more flexible it’ll work like a charm, but not before. Your muscles work on a similar principle; they need to warm up in order to work at their very best. 

Sometimes, this comparison is more literal than it sounds. In fact we have a different article about how extreme conditions affect us and our performance, right here:

Our bodies are designed to move but in this day and age, we spend more time sitting or staying idle than ever – office jobs and long road trips are prime examples of this. That means we can get still and sore remarkably fast, but sometimes a quick stretch is all we need to feel better. 

According to an article from Cleveland Clinic, here are a couple of things that stretching can do for us:  

• Increase blood flow to our muscles
• Improve our posture
• Help prevent injuries
• Reduce stress and tension in the body
• Increase jump height, speed, and strength
• Improve flexibility and balance

Those benefits can save us a bunch of trouble in the long run, and stretching doesn’t even have to take long. No matter who you are, stretches can make a huge difference. 

As good as stretching is, it can get even better when paired with water. 

Why does staying hydrated matter?

Let me explain: your muscles are 70% water, so adding it’s crucial that they stay as hydrated as possible in order to perform at their very best. Water governs how well they can both expand and contract, so being dehydrated can be one of the most limiting problems that we can have. 

On the flip side, here are some things that happen when our bodies get the water they need. 

Our muscles:

• Receive nutrients
• Can get rid of waste products that build up during exercise
• Recover more quickly

Our joints:

• More fluidly
• Without pain

There’s more: the tissue that surrounds our muscles, joints and organs – also known as fascia – relies on water to stay smooth and healthy, which allows our muscles to have even greater flexibility and movement. Without enough water the fascia and muscle layers tend to stick to each other, which can really decrease our range of motion.

The last benefit is really simple, and probably one of the easiest ones to recognize. Our muscles love to cramp when they’re dehydrated, so keeping our fluids topped off will help prevent that by quite a bit.

Just remember that staying hydrated also means drinking water consistently, and not just downing a bottle of water before you start your routine. Also, staying hydrated can be easier or harder depending on your environment; check out this post to learn more:

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into the tips!

1. Always Warm Up Before You Stretch

Yes, it sounds crazy – generally we think of stretches as the warm-up – but you should never stretch cold muscles. You need to ease into it if you want the best results, and in some cases if you aren’t careful, you can even get hurt. Don’t go for too much, too fast. 

Light cardio is a simple way to help get yourself ready for a full session of stretching; 5 to 10 minutes is more than enough. Try jumping jacks, jogging in place, or a brisk walk, for example.

Dynamic stretching is another effective warm-up method; Cleveland Clinic defines it as follows:

“[M]ov[ing] a body part in a slow, controlled way through its full range of motion, like with arm circles or high knees.”

In this case, you’re not trying to hold a pose or position at all. Just go through the natural way that your joints move, and you’ll be golden.

2. Hold Your Stretches for at Least 30 Seconds

Sometimes we may be tempted to do quick, bouncy stretches in order to save time. However, this method – also called ballistic stretching – can be harmful. Ideally, you should spend about 60 seconds in total on each stretching exercise. Doing it in segments of 15 seconds is an easy way to do it. 

Static stretches – stretches that require you to hold a stationary pose, like touching your toes – are held for 10 to 30 seconds. You should feel mild tension as you do them, but never pain.

It’s generally considered a good idea for adults to stretch their neck, shoulders, chest, trunk, lower back, hips, legs, and ankles at least two to three times a week in order to stay healthy.

3. Don’t Forget to Breathe

It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people hold their breath while stretching. Breathe comfortably during stretches. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth, and try to breathe into the stretch. 

Believe it or not, this actually helps increase range of motion, since you’re giving yourself a signal to relax. Holding your breath can make you tense up, even if you’re not thinking about it.

4. Stay as Hydrated as You Can

Water is key, 24/7. A good rule of thumb is between a half-ounce to one ounce of it per pound of bodyweight. If you use that amount as your target, each and every day, you’ll be well on your way to staying well hydrated.

Take a drink about 30 minutes before you stretch, sip some during your routine if needed, and rehydrate afterward. Keeping liquids topped off before, during, and after a stretching routine will help you both perform and recover well. 

5. Focus on Major Muscle Groups

You don’t need to worry about stretching every single muscle in your body; focusing on a few key muscle groups is more helpful anyway. 

Here are some different areas to try:

• Calves
• Hamstrings
• Hip flexors
• Shoulders
• Chest
• Neck
• Lower back

Focusing on these consistently will help you feel a lot better on a day-to-day basis, improve overall mobility, relieve lower back pain, and help prevent injury.

If you’d like to learn some specific stretches for beginners, take a look at this article here:

6. Make Stretching a Daily Habit

Consistent stretching is key to making a difference in your overall well-being. We’re talking daily, if possible, if you want lasting benefits. 

Find a way to make it a normal, natural part of your routine. Some people set aside time either right before bed or right after waking up in the morning, just to make it easier to remember.

It can take a few weeks to months of stretching before you really notice a big difference in your range of motion and flexibility, but stick with it and you’ll get there. Just like with anything your body will get used to what it does regularly, so all you need to do is keep stretching as much as you can. 

7. Listen to Your Body

Your body will try to let you know when you’ve reached your limits; when that happens, if you start to feel pain – not just tension or discomfort – make sure to STOP. Stretching won’t do you any good if you overdo it. While some resistance is normal, back off for a bit if it starts to hurt. 

Stretching should feel like a gentle pull, and nothing more. Your body knows best, so pay  attention and respect its signals.

8. Try Both Static and Dynamic Stretching 

Different activities call for different types of stretches, and so do different goals. We mentioned static and dynamic stretching a little bit earlier, and while both are helpful, they’re best used for different things. 

Static stretching is especially good for cooling down after exercise and improving flexibility, while dynamic stretching can act as a sort of warm-up for a more active routine. 

9. Stretch Both Sides Equally

It can be easy to favor one side of your body, especially if you’re right or left-handed. However, imbalances can lead to poor posture and injuries if you stretch unevenly for long enough. Make sure you give both sides the attention they need. Now, if your left hamstring is tighter than your right, you might need to spend a bit more time on it, but don’t neglect the other one.

In fact, being more flexible on one side over the other can make you more prone to getting injured or overextending yourself. That being said, do your best to keep things as equal as possible.

10. Be Patient

Flexibility doesn’t happen overnight. It can take a while to get as flexible as you’d like to be, and then you need to keep up with it. Don’t stress if you’re not progressing as fast as you think you should. Just stay consistent and celebrate your small wins as they come. 

Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all, so why should meaningful changes?

Words of Caution

Now that we’ve gone over the tips, it makes sense to give a recap of things to keep in mind while stretching:

Overstretching is probably the most common issue you’ll run into. When you push too hard, too fast, you can strain or even tear your muscles. Remember to ease into stretches gradually and never force your body into positions that feel painful.

Bouncing during stretches – or ballistic stretching – can trigger a stretch reflex in your muscles, causing them to tense up instead of relax. This can lead to small tears in the muscle fibers and actually reduce your flexibility over time.

Stretching injured muscles is just a bad idea. If you’ve recently strained or pulled a muscle, stretching it can make the injury worse. Give it time to heal first, and consider seeing a physical therapist if you’re unsure when it’s safe to start stretching again.

Not warming up first puts you at higher risk for pulls and strains. Start with some light cardio as often as you can before you start your stretching routine.

Holding your breath during stretches makes your muscles tense and the stretch less effective. It can also cause your blood pressure to spike. Keep breathing steadily throughout each stretch.

Luckily stretching is a fairly light activity, so taking a little bit of extra care and using common sense should be all you need to stay healthy.

Wrapping up

Stretching is pretty simple at the end of the day, but their impact can be pretty profound in the long run. It doesn’t matter if you’re an accomplished athlete or not; everyone from your grandparents to children in first grade can and will benefit from stretching a little bit everyday.

Add some water into the mix to keep you hydrated and you’ll be ready to either build your routine or follow what you have. These are small things, but oh so important. Pay attention to what your body tells you, and don’t be afraid to commit to taking care of it. 

What are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

If you still want to learn more, go ahead and check out the rest of what we have to offer about how you can become your best self:

The post How to Stretch: 10 Tips and Tricks to Start Your Routine Out Right appeared first on ReGrow Supplements.

Let’s talk stretches; we hear about them all the time. If you’re anything like me, you probably have thought two things before. First: “stretching is over-rated”, and second – after learning that stretching is a good idea: “how do I get started?”

In fact, we’re going to address both themes today. To start off, let me prove that stretching is not over-rated in the slightest.

Why does stretching matter?

To understand this point, it’s important to know what stretching actually does for you, and what it is. Wikipedia defines it as “…a form of physical exercise in which a specific muscle or tendon (or muscle group) is deliberately expanded and flexed in order to improve the muscle’s felt elasticity and achieve comfortable muscle tone.”

In other words, stretching helps loosen your muscles before you need to use them more extensively. Some people look at stretching as a warm up, which works, though it’s a good idea to prepare yourself before stretching by doing some light cardio – jogging, doing jumping jacks, etc. – for a good 5 minutes to get your muscles in the mood beforehand.

It can sound like a bit of a chore, but the benefits are all there. An article from Cleveland Clinic lists some of them; they include increases to: 

• Flexibility
• Balance
• Speed
• Jump height
• Strength
• Endurance
• Range of motion

That’s not to mention that stretches decrease the risk of injury when exercising, as it allows our muscles to both receive the water they need to function and get rid of the natural waste that accumulates in them as we exert ourselves.

It takes a bit more time, effort, and planning, but I promise it’s worth it. If you want to learn more about how to start your routine out right, check out this post:

10 Essential Beginner Stretches

Hopefully you’re convinced. Now we can get to the fun stuff. Here are ten simple stretches that target pretty much every major muscle group. Many of these have standing, seated, or kneeling options, so choose what works best for you and your space.

1. Neck Stretch

How to do it: Sit or stand up straight. Gently tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear toward your shoulder. You can use your hand to apply gentle pressure for a deeper stretch.

Hold for: 30 seconds each side

Real-world benefit: This one is great for anyone who spends hours looking at screens, as it helps relieve tension from your neck and upper shoulders. As an added benefit, you might also get less headaches at the end of the day. 

2. Shoulder Rolls

How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms loose. Slowly roll your shoulders backward in circular motions 5 times, then forward 5 times.

Real-world benefit: This opens up your chest and counteracts the hunched-over posture we tend to get from sitting for long periods of time. After a while, you may notice better sitting posture.

3. Doorway Chest Stretch

How to do it: Stand in a doorway with your hands on the frame at shoulder height, then step forward slightly to lean into the stretch until you feel a gentle pull across your chest.

Hold for: 30 seconds

Real-world benefit: This stretch helps with the rounded shoulders we get from sitting and using our phones. It also opens up your chest for better breathing and posture.

4. Standing Hamstring Stretch

How to do it: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Place one heel out in front with toes up, keeping that leg straight. Sit your hips back like you’re sitting in a chair until you feel a stretch in the back of your straight leg.

Hold for: 30 seconds each leg

Real-world benefit: Tight hamstrings contribute to lower back pain and can limit your movement in sports and daily activities; This one helps keep your legs limber and protects your back at the same time.

5. Quadriceps Stretch

How to do it: Stand near a wall for balance. Grasp your right ankle and gently pull your heel toward your glutes until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. Keep your knees close together and your core engaged.

Hold for: 30 seconds each leg

Real-world benefit: This one is essential for runners, cyclists, or anyone who does leg workouts, as it helps prevent knee pain and improves overall leg mobility.

6. Hip Flexor Stretch

How to do it: Kneel on your right knee (use a towel for cushioning). Place your left foot in front of you with your knee bent. Gently push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your right hip.

Hold for: 30 seconds each side

Real-world benefit: If you sit a lot, your hip flexors are probably tight. This stretch opens up your hips, improves your posture, and can reduce lower back pain, too.

7. Seated Inner Thigh Stretch

How to do it: Sit on the floor or in a chair. If standing, position your feet wider than hip-width apart with toes facing forward. Lunge to one side by bending that knee and sitting your hips back, keeping the other leg straight. You should feel a stretch in the inner thigh of the straight leg.

Hold for: 30 seconds each side

Real-world benefit: Opens up tight inner thighs, which improves your ability to move laterally, which is especially important for sports and preventing groin pulls.

8. Calf Stretch

How to do it: Stand at arm’s length from a wall. Place your right foot behind your left foot. Slowly bend your left leg forward while keeping your right knee straight and your right heel on the floor. Keep your back straight and hips forward.

Hold for: 30 seconds each leg

Real-world benefit: This prevents calf tightness that can lead to Achilles problems or foot pain. If you walk, run, or stand a lot, this one is great to try.

9. Lower Back Stretch (Knee-to-Chest)

How to do it: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Using both hands, pull one knee up and press it toward your chest. Keep your back flat against the floor.

Hold for: 30 seconds each leg, then try pulling both knees to your chest

Real-world benefit: This one relieves lower back tension and tightness, especially after long days of sitting or standing.

10. Spinal Twist

How to do it: Sit on the floor or in a chair. Cross your right leg over your left. Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee and gently twist to the right, looking over your right shoulder.

Hold for: 30 seconds each side

Real-world benefit: This stretch improves spine mobility and can relieve back tension, which helps the overall health of your back.

Before You Start: Important Safety Tips

Now let’s get into some things to keep in mind before you stretch, so that you don’t get hurt. An article from Mayo Clinic recommends the following:

• Keep stretches gentle and slow
• Don’t bounce
• Breathe through your stretches
• Only stretch until you feel a slight pull
• Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds

If you feel any pain, don’t push yourself. An injury isn’t worth it. Take a second to wait, and then either try again or move on to something different. Slight discomfort is normal and to be expected, but pain isn’t.

The Bottom Line

How do you start stretching? Simple: pick a few basic ones and just start doing them. That’s it. The best part of any of this is that most stretches can be done anywhere, from home to a classroom to your workplace. Once you start though, just make sure you stick with it so that you can reap the long term benefits.

Happy stretching, and if you’d like to learn more? Check out some other articles we have here:

The post 10 Beginner Stretches: How to Start From the Comfort of Your Home appeared first on ReGrow Supplements.

Whenever you go to the gym and talk to anyone about how to get stronger, odds are you’ll hear the phrase “progressive overload” get thrown around a time or two. Walking into that for the first time you may not know exactly what that means or what it is, and that’s perfectly fine. In fact, that’s exactly what we’re going to dive into today!

So without any further ado, let’s explore and explain a little more about the ins, outs, in-betweens and even possible risks of progressive overload.

What is Progressive Overload?

Progressive overload is an increase in time, weight, or intensity relative to your workout so that you can get stronger. The reason behind doing this comes down to a simple fact: our bodies are hardwired to adapt to the stresses or challenges with which they are faced.

A perfect example of how our bodies react to things is what our eyes do in the dark: they adjust to the light levels in order to let us see better. When it comes to exercise, our muscles only grow when they’re being challenged and strained, leading to microtears. When those tears heal, our muscles get both bigger and stronger.

The problem with that is that our muscles quickly get used to the strain we’re putting them through and stop tearing, which leads to a flatline in growth. Progressive overload helps make sure that that doesn’t happen by slowly making things more challenging.

Make sure not to quit when things get difficult, though! Struggling with that? Read this!

Anyway, you need to go about doing your overload in the right way. In an article from NASM they reference something called the Principle of Progression, which states that “increases in time, weight or intensity should be kept within 10% or less each week to allow for a gradual adaptation while minimizing risk of injury.”

On the other hand if you don’t overload at all, your body may actually start to get weaker over time. Your muscles just get lazy, more than anything. An extra pound here, an extra rep there or even doing everything a little bit faster can be all you need to avoid a plateau or decline in strength.

Now that we’ve got the basics of progressive overload out of the way, it’s time to look at the possible risks that come along with going about it wrong. 

Overtraining Syndrome

As a general rule progressive overload is really good for you, but adding too much weight, too many reps or going too fast can mean trouble. The most common sign of overdoing it will be extra sore muscles, but things can go downhill quickly and lead to injuries that can take a while to get over.

Cleveland Clinic breaks overtraining syndrome – or OTS for short – into three groups, as listed below.

The Stages

1. Functional Overtraining – mild symptoms that may be hard to notice, such as:
   • Aches
   • Pains
   • Fatigue
   • Soreness

This is your body giving warning signs that you aren’t getting enough rest or recovering properly between sessions of activity. However, these symptoms normally pass pretty fast.

2. Sympathetic Overtraining (Basedow’s Overtraining Syndrome) – symptoms affect your sympathetic nervous system, which controls your body’s response to stress. You may experience:
   • Accelerated heart rate
   • Restlessness
   • Irritability
   • Insomnia
   • Weight loss
   • Delayed or slowed recovery

Basically, your “fight or flight” instincts kick on and don’t turn back off for a long time.

3. Parasympathetic Overtraining (Addison’s Overtraining Syndrome) – symptoms appear in your parasympathetic nervous system, which causes your body’s systems to relax. Symptoms include:
   • Depression
   • Decreased heart rate
   • Fatigue
   • Decreased performance

Unlike sympathetic OTS those in stage 3 may find sleep easy, be able to maintain a constant weight and recover from exercise in an almost normal manner. That being said, this stage is the most severe and can take months to years to recover from.

WebMD has a post on their website that sums things up pretty well:

“Some injuries cause you to pause training, so they can really interrupt your progress. If you’re training for a marathon or some other time-sensitive event, an injury can be a blow to your mental health as well as your body.”

In my own personal experience, the blow to mental health takes a while to get over, even after I make a full physical recovery. Regaining confidence in yourself and your abilities can be a tough hurdle to clear, especially if you keep trying and get less results than you think you should. 

“The toughest challenges often happen internally.” – Brinley Beck, writer for The Cool Run

Preventing and Recovering from OTS

One of the first things that I’d do if you’re concerned about overtraining syndrome is pay attention to yourself. Keep track of how you’re feeling, how tired you are, etc. Often the first stage of OTS can be hard to notice, after all. If you think that you might have it, I’d say a bit of extra rest can’t hurt.

Here are some other things that might help you prevent getting OTS:

• Keep track of your workouts – that way you can find problems with your routine before it comes back to bite you
• Balance your workout; switch things up and do a mix of cardio and strength to let different muscle groups rest
• Stay hydrated and well fed; if your body doesn’t have enough nutrients to sustain itself, it won’t be able to recover very fast

So far as recovery goes, you might be in for quite the long haul. Depending on how bad things have gotten, you might be looking at anywhere from a week to years before you’ll be back to normal. 

There are definitely things you can do to speed up the process though. For example:

• Take a step back from training
• Make sure to get enough rest

Some people also have reported that some relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga are helpful. Take it easy, and find what works well for you.

Looking ahead

We all want to excel in what we do; it’s just who we are. Sometimes, though, we push too hard, and when we do it can be hard to get things rolling again. 

Not a single one of us is immune to the dangers of overtraining syndrome, but we can definitely do our part to keep it at bay. A little attention to details, rest, and good nutrition can be all we need to stay on track. 

Thanks for reading, and we’ll catch you later!

Want more? Check out more tips and tricks here!

Questions? Comments? Contact us today!

The post Progressive Overload: Beware of OTS appeared first on ReGrow Supplements.

It was January 2nd, and I remember looking at myself in the mirror thinking, “This is it. I’m finally gonna get in shape.” I’d made the same resolution for multiple years in a row by that point, but this time felt different. I was motivated, determined, and… completely lost.

Sound familiar?

We’ve all been there – excited to start working out with dreams of how things will be… only to realize that we haven’t a clue how to start exercising. Regardless of who you are, most of us end up confused and back on the couch by February.

That’s how it goes, year after year.

Today, though, we’re going to try and change that. Here are five tips to help keep you out on the track or gym floor all year round. Let’s get right into it!

Tip #1: Set Goals and Make a Plan; Be S.M.A.R.T.

Before you even step into a gym, you need to know why you’re going. The classic “I want to get in shape” doesn’t count. That’s too vague and – let’s be honest – has been our reason for the past few years. It hasn’t really taken us very far, has it?

Years back I heard about S.M.A.R.T goals, which stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

We need an end in mind if we really want to make it anywhere.

Karlee Brown, in a blog post on Elements of Exercise, mentioned a few examples of specific goals to set: 

• Weight loss: Do you want to shed a few pounds?
• Muscle gain: Are you looking to build strength and definition?
• Improved endurance: Do you want to run longer or feel less tired during daily activities?
• Stress relief: Is the gym a place for you to unwind and de-stress?
• General health: Are you aiming for a healthier lifestyle overall?

Your goals will shape your workout plan. Be specific. Instead of “get fit,” try “be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping” or “increase my bench press by 10 pounds in two months.”

Like she mentioned, our goals will shape the rest of what we do. Clear goals will lead to real results, as long as we do our best to meet them. Making a plan and sticking to it is one of the best ways to accomplish any goal. 

Your plan should answer questions like these: 

• Which days will I work out? 
• What time works for my schedule? 
• What exercises will I do? 
• How long will each workout be?

Once you’ve got that part down, write the plan somewhere that you’ll see it. Writing things out helps things stick in our minds, and also keeps us accountable.

Tip #2: Don’t Go Alone If You Can Help It

I’ve tried going to the gym alone before, and I’ll bet you’ve been there too. I’d skip workouts, get bored, and make excuses. Eventually, a roommate asked if we could go together, and everything changed.

Having a workout buddy makes a huge difference:

● You’re less likely to skip – It’s easy to bail when you’re only letting yourself down. 

● Workouts are more fun – Everything’s better with a friend. 

● You stay safer – Someone can spot you, check your form, and make sure you’re not about to drop a weight on yourself.

● You push harder – A little friendly competition goes a long way.

Even if you don’t have someone to go with, something like attending a group fitness class or working with a personal trainer can also work as a starting point. They’ll help you get in the door and keep you more accountable than just you by yourself.

Tip #3: Start Simple and Focus on Form

Starting with basic exercises and mastering them first is far more helpful, in the long run, than trying everything at once. Exercise doesn’t have to be fancy.

Here are some good starting points: 

• Squats 
• Push-ups (even on your knees!) 
• Planks 
• Lunges 
• Glute bridges

They may be boring, but form matters a lot more than how much weight you lift. Alex McDonald, an athletic trainer, stated in an article for InspiraHealth that proper form “…protects you from sprains, strains, and fractures.” 

Here are some tips that may help: 

• Use lighter weights than you think you need 
• Watch yourself in the mirror 
• Ask gym staff for help – that’s literally what they’re there for 
• Record yourself occasionally to check your technique

Everyone starts somewhere. Nobody’s judging you for doing the basics or asking questions. And if they are? They’re not worth worrying about.

“Don’t be afraid to experiment…” – TJ Wilkinson, writer for Auto Spotting Productions

Tip #4: Rest Days Aren’t Optional

“Rest is for the weak”, they say. Then I tried working out seven days a week and ended up so exhausted I could barely get out of bed. Turns out, rest isn’t lazy – it’s necessary from time to time.

If you train before your body’s ready, it won’t be able to keep up with the strain. An article by UCLA Health highlights some benefits of taking some downtime between sessions of exercise:

• Better mental and physical health: Taking a break is as important for your mental health as it is for your body.
• Fewer injuries: Giving your body time to rest and recuperate helps you avoid injury.
• Less muscle soreness: Lactic acid builds up in your muscles during hard exercise sessions. Resting gives your body a chance to flush out that excess lactic acid so muscles feel less tired and sore.
• Stronger muscles: Intense exercise creates small tears in your muscles. When you rest, those tears not only heal, but allow your muscles to strengthen. 

For beginners, aim for 3-4 workout days per week and 1-2 complete rest days. Light activity on rest days – like walking and stretching – can also help your body recover more effectively.

Tip #5: Track Your Progress

When you don’t take note of what you’re doing, you just show up, do stuff, and leave. After a few weeks, you won’t remember if you’re actually getting better or just spinning your wheels. That can be discouraging.

Writing things down is proof that your hard work is paying off.

I’d recommend tracking: 

• Which exercises were done 
• How many sets and reps were completed
• How much weight was lifted 
• How you felt during the lift or exercise

A notebook or your phone is perfect for this. If you want to go above and beyond? Take some progress photos every once in a while. It can feel awkward, but sometimes a visual representation of before and after can help more than notes by themselves.

Sometimes a reminder of our little wins is all we need to keep coming back.

Moving Forward

Remember me staring in the mirror on January 2nd? I actually followed through that year. All I did was this:

1. Set a clear goal (Bench my bodyweight for a one rep max within four months)
2. Found a workout buddy (my equally clueless roomate)
3. Started with basic exercises 
4. Took rest days 
5. Tracked my progress in a beat-up notebook

Was it perfect? Nope. I still missed workouts, had bad weeks, and wanted to quit more than once. As I kept showing up, the gym just became part of my routine.

None of this has to be complicated. You don’t need the perfect plan or the perfect gym buddy or the perfect anything. You just need to start, be consistent, and give yourself some grace when things don’t go exactly as you thought.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger said: “The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion.”

Just showing up consistently is what matters most. Whether you want a huge transformation or just to feel a bit healthier, these five tips will help get you there. Make a plan and stick with it; you’ve got this!

Looking for more? Check out our other posts here.

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