Exercise is not always the easiest; otherwise we wouldn’t call it ‘working’ out. So, when we do actually make it to the gym or go for that long over-due run, we would like to ideally make the experience as comfortable and enjoyable as it can possibly be.
Sure, once we get our blood pumping and some endorphins released, it can feel really great to be working out, but there are other affects of working out that are less joyous, such as chafing, aching muscles, foot soreness, blisters, smelly clothes, and other minor, but annoying, little details.
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If you want to work out more often, try to set yourself up for success by utilizing these different tips to make your workout (and post workout!) as comfortable as possible.
- Prevent Chafing: Chafing can be relentless and unforgiving. Instead of treating chafing, prevent it before it even happens. So what’s the easy solution to chafing? Just rub anti-chafing lotion, Vaseline, or baby powder on your problem spots prior to working out to drastically reduce friction and chafing.
- Invest in Good Shoes: Your feet take a beating during any workout, so it is extremely important to invest in quality, comfortable footwear. For example, when you are running, every time you put your foot on the ground, no matter how fast or slow you are running, you are exerting three times the amount of your body weight in force on each foot, so it is easy to see how foot injuries can happen.
- Shoe Insoles: Using shoe insoles may seem redundant, but podiatrists agree that simple shoe inserts can “do wonders for absorbing shock and making exercise more gentle on your whole body”. Considering the amount of weight exertion our feet are exposed to during workouts, shoe insoles seem like a no-brainer!
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- Listen to Your Body: Guess what – not everyone is made for 6am work-outs, and that’s ok! Each person has different energetic cycles, and different patterns to their days, so listen to your body and your schedule and decide if morning or evening workouts will be more productive and beneficial.
- Sweat-Proof Workout Clothes: One of the worst side-effects of working out is your smelly, sticky clothes when you are done. Although they do cost more, investing in some sweat and odor proof clothing can make a world of a difference for your comfort level.
- Reframe Your Mental Associations: Researchers have found that when we use our minds to reframe our perspective on discomfort, we can decrease pain levels as well. For example, say you are halfway through your run and start to get a cramp, but still have another mile to go – simply remind yourself that the cramp is not causing any kind of damage to your body, and direct your mind to other thoughts to push through the discomfort.
- Take Your Time: It is important not to shock your body, because that can cause severe injury. Make sure you ease into exercises, especially ones that you may not have done before.
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- Take a Dip: It has been found that swimming and other forms of water aerobics provides you with the same high-impact exercise, but without any of the uncomfortable drawbacks. Swimming can also be a refreshing and rejuvenating experience as well – two-for-one!
- Plan Your Playlist: Have a playlist already set up for your workouts. It has been shown that when you listen to upbeat music, you are much more likely to push harder and workout longer. Who says you can’t sing and dance while you lift weights anyways?
- Practice Recovery: Honor your body and the work it just went through by making sure to utilize different recovery practices, such as getting enough sleep, icing sore muscles, taking cold bathes, eating whole, nutritious foods, etc. This will allow your body to heal faster, which means more muscle, and more work-outs!
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