Lack of hydration
The body needs plenty of water, before, during and after exercise.
Train smarter
The 21st century has brought about a change in attitude towards sports. More people from every walk of life have started to participate in sports regularly. Sports such as football, rugby, weightlifting and boxing have become more inclusive on a competitive level to encourage this welcome change. The increased popularity of the Paralympic Games has also encouraged the differently abled and those with long-term health conditions to be physically active, and to take part in competitive sports. There has also been a significant growth in the number of senior clubs that offer dancing, yoga, bowling, golf, tennis and many more sports disciplines to retirees.
Despite this positive inclusion, many of these individuals have found themselves being quickly discouraged.
Although fun has been touted as one of the biggest factors in staying active, it is believed that extreme tiredness experienced after playing sports has caused people to abandon the idea of exercise completely. The general symptoms of tiredness usually occur after putting your body through strenuous physical effort, and can include muscular asthenia, cramps, breathlessness or slow physical recovery.
Here are the 5 most common reasons for feeling tired after sports:
Unhealthy diet
There is often an imbalance between the amount of energy your body utilises during physical effort and how much energy is provided to your body through food, drink and health supplements.
Magnesium deficiency
Magnesium is required for optimal muscle recovery after an intense workout.
Calcium deficiency
Calcium is essential for healthy brain function.
Unsuitable hours
It is not recommended to exercise straight after having a meal or very late in the evening.
Zinc and magnesium are two minerals that are essential for your body to produce energy.
A smarter way to exercise would be to support your energy levels. You may take a supplement with the nutritional support required to perform better.
Are you thinking about giving up sports because it constantly leaves you tired?
Do you lack motivation because you have not been able to achieve the goals that you've set for yourself? Has your love for sports waned as a result of you suffering from cramps and body aches regularly? Fret no more, here's a few useful recommendations on how to improve your physical and mental well-being, and achieve your sporting goals. Follow these tips to optimise your sports nutrition consumption and improve how you train.
1. Mental preparation
For your sports objectives to be met, you would have to first prepare your mind before you engage your body. Staying motivated plays an important role in helping you achieve your goals. Here are a few effective tips for helping you stay motivated.
- Know your strengths and weaknesses. If you push yourself too hard you might quickly get discouraged.
- Choose the right sport. Training should be enjoyable. If you are not happy anymore maybe it is time to change discipline.
- Schedule your training sessions. When you plan ahead you will always find the right time for your training. It also allows you to prepare for situations when things do not go according to plan.
- Train with others. It can awaken your competitive spirit. Having someone next to you can help when you are feeling down and ready to give up.
- Practice taking "baby steps". This old Japanese training method can help you to achieve progressive improvement on a daily basis. The more goals you achieve, the less likely you are to give up.
- Take joy in the simple things. It is good to sometimes enjoy simple activities such as running, swimming or cycling instead of continuously focusing on your progress.
2. Warm up
Before you start training, it is crucial to warm up and prepare your body for the physical effort it is about to endure.
- Warming up properly before your training session can help you to raise your heart rate, mobilise your joints and contract your muscles.
- It is recommended to do between 10 – 30 minutes of warm up.
- A warm-up that is done properly can also help you to avoid body aches, muscle cramps and injuries.
- Include a full-body stretch as part of your warm-up routine can help to prepare your muscles, tendons and ligaments for the training session ahead.
- The more complete your warm-up, the faster and better your muscles will recover after training.
3. Nutrition
The more physical effort you put your body through, the more energy-boosting foods, drinks and health supplements you would need to provide your body with. Sticking to a nutrition-rich diet can not only help to boost your energy levels, but also help you to prevent injuries and recover from muscle strain. You should also opt to eat foods that are particularly beneficial for restoring energy reserves as part of your pre-game routine. These foods include:
- soft fruits such as apples and bananas,
- raw vegetables, such as carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers
- salads, such as a corn or watercress salad
- starchy foods such as rice, pasta and cereals
As part of a varied and balanced diet, as well as a healthy lifestyle, taking a health supplement that is specifically recommended for sports performance can provide your body with an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals which can prevent you from being tired easily.
4. Stretching after sports
Passive stretching plays a crucial role in lengthening the muscles that have been put under strain, apart from also increasing the flexibility of these muscles.
- Longer stretch sessions should be performed after moderately-intense workouts, while shorter stretch routines should be performed after high-intensity workouts.
- It is important for you to stretch slowly.
- Stretching also helps to prevent your body from suffering muscle cramps. To alleviate the pain from a cramp, it is recommended for you to stretch the area of muscle that is experiencing pain and to subsequently consume a drink that is enriched in vitamins and minerals thereafter.
5. Sleep well
It has been established that there is a strong link between good sleep and improved exercise performance. Sleep can also aid in preventing injuries.
Sports play an important role in society. Not only are sports able to keep you healthy and help you to feel good about yourself, it is also capable of bringing people together as well. It also provides those who are used to being stuck at home - seniors, people with special needs and women with small children - with the opportunity to go out and enjoy life. To fully enjoy playing a sport, do not forget to abide by these basic rules:
- exercise before meals, or after digestion,
- hydrate before, during and after workout,
- have and energy boosting snack or drink after playing a sport
- load up on magnesium-rich foods to avoid muscle cramps
- do not exert your body beyond your physical limitations
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