5 things to do before you workout

One of the best things you can do to make sure you stay on track and reach your fitness goals is schedule your workouts. Many of us are pressed for time, so we often just show up at the gym and start working out. According to Dr. Jack Rutherford, a professor at Eastern Kentucky University, there are a number of actions you should take to get the most out of your workout. He recently wrote an article for the Richmond Register that outlined five things you should do before every workout:

1. Fuel up – people who arrive at the gym without being properly fueled are not going to be able to perform at their best. A pre-exercise meal will help maintain stamina and help your body perform at its best.
2. Get mentally prepared – anything done well should be done with a focus on detail. Visualize yourself perfectly executing your routine or achieving something you haven’t been able to do before. “Mental preparation will not only get your mind in the game, it will stimulate the release of epinephrine and nor-epinephrine, those central nervous system hormones that provide that adrenaline rush to get you ready for ‘fight or flight’,” Dr. Rutherford said.
3. Foam roll your muscles beforehand – foam rollers break up knots in muscles which helps to improve blood flow and increases mobility. It will help you feel more limber and be able to perform exercises more effectively. Related article: How to Foam Roll Like a Pro. Click here for more information about our CanDo® foam rollers. These rollers can be ordered through one of our network of dealers or directly through us.
4. Do dynamic mobility work 5 – 10 minutes before training – Dynamic exercises are best done before a workout. Dynamic stretching involved full body movements where the stretch is only held for a brief period of time.
5. Do a muscle-specific warm up before each set – when strength training, perform a warm-up set at 40 to 70 percent of your one-rep max at the beginning of each of the major lifts you plan to do. The warm up sets activate the muscle-tendon nerve units, priming the body for the more vigorous lifts that follow. It is also a great way to prevent an injury.

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