Taking Care of your Body

Taking care of your body

We only have one body to get us through life; I think there is a famous quote about not having a dress rehearsal for life, so we need to take as much care of our bodies as we can.

Good clean nutrition plans along with a tailored exercise program are the cornerstones of looking after what you have. If you can eat well most of the time incorporating plenty of fresh ingredients, like fruits and vegetables and lean protein sources from a wide variety, include red meats, chicken and fish, you are well on your way to having a good nutritious program that will give you the correct nutrients to function at your best.

The next thing is preventing injuries and being able to perform at our best.

Most people think that their joggers they bought at the turn of the century will be just fine, only to find after only a couple of sessions they have sore shins, feet, ankles, etc. You must have a good comfortable pair of shoes to exercise in; they will help to make sure you don’t suffer the niggling injuries that can derail your fitness program. It might seem like a big investment as good joggers can be anywhere over $150 up to $300; however over your entire life it will seem like small expense. But consider the statistic I heard last week that over 80% of Australians have pizza from one of the fast food chains once a month, a few months without that and hey you have paid for your new joggers. The choice for me really is a simple one.

Compression garments can also help with recovery and performance; they are designed to aid in getting athletes back to their best in the shortest amount of time. If they can do that for the pros think of what they can do for you. Simply wearing them while working out or for a period afterwards will help get you ready for your next session. I even have clients that sleep in them; they swear that it helps so much with their recoveries!

And for women an excellent quality sports bra is a MUST. They are specifically designed for physical activity and should be worn whenever exercising. It is advisable that you get fitted correctly; it is the same as with shoes. If the bra is ill fitting it will defeat the purpose of going and purchasing a good quality one.

The next thing is sleep. You absolutely must get in a good night’s sleep. If you are looking to gain muscle mass for example, it does not grow while you are working out. It is while you are recovering between workouts, i.e. when we sleep. If you are not sleeping well or long enough it will show in your ability, or lack thereof, when you are working out. You may feel as though you have plateaued, when in essence you just have not had enough rest.

So to sum it all up. Work out hard, rest when you need to, wear the right type of clothing and use the right equipment and fuel your body correctly. The last one is an absolute must!

Talk to your PT about what you should be doing in regards to all this and they will be able to point you in the right direction to getting the most out of your body.

About the Author

Jim Ridley is the owner of Gym Ridz Personal Training Studio, Armidale’s only private training studio.  Jim has successfully lost over 20 kilos in fat, kept it off and has become Armidale’s accomplished PT. He is also an avid, if not tragic, St George Illawarra Dragons fan.

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