SPORT & FITNESS TIPS

SPORT & FITNESS TIPS

energy sport morning wake up
When it's a habit, playing sports in the morning is a real pleasure (read the article: why I put my alarm clock at 5:45 am ) but when it is not yet the case ... The idea is a bit scary . Already, because the awakening is a struggle for some (especially if it's still dark!), But also because we are afraid of not having the energy to make a good session before starting the day for true.
There's no magic recipe here, but here are my little personal tips that make the morning workout a real pleasure - and the best time of the day to challenge yourself and give it all.

So, how to refuel in the morning before a workout?

1. We get up (enough) in advance

Impossible to be on top if it's only 10 minutes that you are awake: your body needs a time of adaptation, to go from the phase "sleep" to the phase "beast mode". We aim 30 minutes minimum - I need between 45min and 1h to be at the maximum in terms of energy. It does not apply to running, which is more cardio and less demanding on the muscular and mental awakening (in my opinion anyway.)

morning sport wake up dog
Good morning.

2. Adopt an energizing morning routine

Each his method, but start the day with a large glass of water , just to wake up the digestive system, is always a good idea. (Read here " Why drink water makes you lose weight "). Then, a little water on the face (or we take a shower, according to the habits, but it is more useful after the sport, hehe) and we put on his clothes directly , just not to hang out in pajamas. We are RE-VEIL-LES, not yet half dozing.
We can also do some dynamic warm-ups (we avoid stretching in static cold, it is not good for the muscles, we risk to damage them), like some squats, cracks, circles with the arms, knees and neck.
My favorite move to instantly wake me up: (sorry for the photo of bad quality, I'm going to make a real one) Sitting still in bed, knees bent, we bring her head between her knees and press gently to the low . It stretches the column and activates the nerve endings of the base of the neck - and personal, it wakes me up almost instantly! 

3. We make a light breakfast but enough

If you want to have energy to spend on the sport, you will have to bring your body still numb. We choose something that is digesting well , and that contains carbohydrates (for energy) and lipids (to slow the assimilation of carbohydrates, and keep energy longer.) We forget the proteins before the sport, since the body blocks their assimilation during the effort - it is therefore an unusable contribution. We keep them for after sport, when the body claims them the most.
My favorite combo: a slice of wholemeal bread (my favorite is the one with carob from Prozis , for energy over time - code TFT10 for 10% reduction ) + a small green apple(for immediate energy) + 30g of natural yoghurt with aroma ( flavors without kcal available here ) or light chocolate syrup ( available here ) , to dip the apple and bread in it.
This is a routine that I adopted a few months ago, and I'm just a fan: it's exactly what I need, it does not stay on the stomach, and it gives an immediate boost. .

I know, there are fasting sports fans in the morning - I do not advocate this method, because the effects on weight loss have not really been proven, and in my opinion, it's counterproductive with the fact of wanting to make a real good session (which does not imply that a caloric expenditure, but also a muscular effort).

otter eating breakfast alarm clock sport
Me in the morning in the dark, with my breakfast pre-sport.
4. If necessary, we adopt a pre-workout that gives the little magical boost
If you've ever seen people at the gym slip on sips of colorful stuff before and at the beginning of training, you know what a pre-workout is: it's a powder to mix with water, which acts as a booster for the session.
All the compositions are different according to the marks and the dosages, but as a rule, a preworkout contains: an exciting (caffeine, taurine or both), beta-alanine & creatine (for the boost of muscular performances), and vitamins . Other components such as amino acids are sometimes added to complement the effect on performance.

My selection:

I use 2 pre-workouts alternating (to change the taste, especially). This is Prozis' Energy Charge Professional  (orange flavor) & Myprotein's Mypre V2 (blue raspberry flavor)

5. We persevere.

I KNOW that it's not easy to take, as a habit. I was like snoozing until I was late for school / office. But doing sports in the morning has so many benefits  - on the mood, on the physical, on the energy available then during the day - that it would be a pity not to try to put it there. So we try, and if we snooze, too bad, we try again the next day. It takes 3 weeks to make a new habit, and I'm sure this one, you'll love it once adopted.