So you’re hitting the gym and logging all of your results in your favorite fitness app. You’ve made your workouts a daily priority, and sometimes you even have nightmares about doing extra sets of burpees. But the results just don’t seem to be happening. Don’t fret: there may be some surprising things that are keeping you from getting fit.
Of course, you don’t intend to sabotage your own workouts. But the solution may not be logging more hours in the gym. All aspects of your health, from your sleep schedule to dietary habits, can have a tremendous affect on your fitness level. Although it’s tempting to think you can eat whatever you want after a grueling workout, a box of doughnuts may not be the best recovery food. (But if the idea of a little treat is what gets you to workout in the first place, it may not be the worst thing in the world).
You don’t have to completely overhaul your entire life at once to make your fitness goals stick. In addition, being fit does not necessarily mean you have a six-pack and mega muscles. Maintaining your own ideal fitness level means you have the energy to get through your day feeling physically and mentally capable. So these minor tweaks, such as getting a little more sleep each night, can help make your workouts more effective. Because when you feel refreshed and energized, you are almost guaranteed to rock your workouts like never before.