Many people rely on exercise to lose weight, but at the same time there is a confusion, when exactly is the right time to exercise? How to arrange your diet before and after exercise? This post will be here for you today.
The time of exercise when first losing weight, in fact, does not have an absolute “optimal” standard, which mainly depends on the individual’s living habits, physical state and sports goals. But the movements in different time periods, indeed, are a little different.
Morning Rises:
Advantage: After a night of sleep, the body is in a state of fasting and the body has low glycogen reserves, when exercise (especially low to medium intensity aerobic, such as brisk walking, jogging, etc.) may mobilize more fat for energy supply. Moreover, morning exercise can improve metabolic rate throughout the day, and it can also help us develop regular exercise habits and reduce the possibility of being disturbed by other things.
Precautions: Avoid high-intensity exercise on an empty stomach and eat a small amount of carbohydrates (such as half a banana, etc.) in advance to prevent hypoglycemia. At the same time, the muscles and joints of the body are stiff in the morning, so you need to warm up fully to reduce the risk of injury.
Daytime movement
Advantages: At this time, the body temperature is high, the muscle strength and flexibility are better, and the cardiopulmonary function is also in a relatively active state, so it will make our sports performance more stable, suitable for high-intensity training (such as strength training, interval training, Sanda boxing, etc.), and can consume calories more efficiently.
Precautions: Avoid exercising immediately after fullness and start again 1-2 hours after meals to prevent gastrointestinal discomfort.
Evening sports
Advantages: For office workers, it is easier to arrange exercise during this time period; stretching and relaxing appropriately after exercise can also relieve the stress of the day and help improve sleep.
Precautions: Choose low and medium intensity exercises (such as yoga, jogging) to avoid excessive fatigue affecting the physical state of the next day. At the same time, you need to pay attention to avoid high-intensity exercise within 1 hour before going to bed, otherwise it may affect falling asleep due to nerve excitement.
So people who are losing weight can choose their exercise time based on their own state. For example, if you are full of energy after getting up in the morning, it is suitable for morning exercise; if you are prone to sleepiness in the afternoon, exercise can refresh you; if you have plenty of time and can persist in the evening, then choose the evening, and there is no need to forcefully follow the trend.
But finally, we have to remind everyone that it is more important to exercise regularly than to choose when to exercise. Regular exercise 3-5 times a week is more conducive to weight loss than tangles “the best time”. The body gradually adapts and develops a metabolic rhythm as long as it develops exercise habits.
In short, the time that suits you and that you can stick to for a long time is the best time to exercise. The focus of exercise weight loss is to ensure the intensity and duration of each exercise (such as more than 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each time, combined with strength training 2-3 times a week), and at the same time, combined with diet control, can better achieve weight loss goals.
Knowing how to exercise, let’s talk about how to eat.
Before exercising, we recommend supplementing with a small amount of low-GI carbohydrates (such as 1 slice of whole wheat bread + 1 apple) to provide energy to the muscles while also avoiding fatigue caused by fasting exercise and bloating caused by overeating.
If the duration of exercise is less than 1 hour, and the amount of exercise is of moderate intensity or less, no additional nutritional supplement is required; but if the duration of exercise is greater than 1 hour, or if there is a lot of sweating during exercise and the intensity of exercise is very high, then a small amount and intermittent supplement of sports drinks can be used, with the purpose of replenishing electrolytes and sugar.
Within 30 minutes to 1 hour after exercise, it can be replenished in time “protein + carbohydrate”, such as 1 cup of milk + 1 egg, or protein powder + banana, promoting muscle repair and glycogen reserve. And at the same time don’t forget about trace elements, dietary fiber and other food supplements. At this time, it is important to have a well-balanced meal.
Give examples of some recipes according to the different intensity of exercise, for reference only.
After low-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking, yoga, 30-60 minutes), there is no need to supplement a lot of nutrition, and the diet is mainly light: whole wheat bread, omelette, small tomato or milk oatmeal, almonds, bananas.
After moderate-intensity exercise (such as jogging, swimming, 60-90 minutes), you need to take into account the supply of carbohydrates and protein in your diet. Dietary recommendations: brown rice, steamed fish, stir-fried spinach or sweet potato + chicken breast salad (add olive oil and vinegar juice).
After high-intensity exercise (such as HIIT, strength training, more than 60 minutes), the proportion of some carbohydrates should be appropriately increased in the diet to help the body quickly restore glycogen. Dietary suggestions: whole wheat pasta + lean minced beef + broccoli + olive oil or corn + boiled eggs + avocado + blueberries.
The above recipes are just examples. For specific food intake and matching, you need to refer to height, weight, etc. for calculation. Please consult a professional nutritionist.
Disclaimer: All photos used in this blog are generated by artificial intelligence (AI). These images are original creations produced by AI technology and do not depict real people, places, or events. They are provided for illustrative purposes only and cannot be claimed or used as real photographs.
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