Warm up and cool down
Before starting any form of physical activity, it is crucial to spend 10-20 minutes warming up. Focus on the muscles you will be using during your warm-up exercise. Brisk walking, jogging, or light weight training can help prepare your muscles for more intense activities, such as long runs, sprints, or heavy weight training.
After exercising, be sure to take another 10-20 minutes to cool down. The cool down process is similar to the warm up process, just slower. Perform less intense activities to allow your muscles to fully recover.
Spending 10-15 minutes stretching your major muscle groups can greatly reduce muscle tears. Hold each stretch for 20 seconds to make the muscles more flexible, thereby reducing the likelihood of injury. Stretching your muscles can also help them achieve a full range of motion.
The best time to stretch is after warming up and before strenuous exercise. This way, your muscles will become warmer and they will stretch better.
What you eat can greatly affect the health of your muscles. Your diet helps your muscles strengthen, repair themselves, and function properly. Including protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals in your diet are important for healthy muscles.
Add the following foods to your diet to promote muscle health:
- Protein – Muscle is primarily made up of protein. It's important to include protein in your diet to replace the protein lost during exercise. Proteins include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy.
- Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates provide fuel so you can perform physical activity. They also promote the release of insulin so your muscles can build new tissue. Include whole grains, fruits and vegetables in your carbohydrate diet.
- Fat – Unsaturated fat aids in muscle recovery. These fats are found in walnuts, flaxseed, fish oil, peanut oil, and olive oil.
- Vitamins and Minerals – Eating a balanced variety of healthy foods from the ones listed above will provide you with the essential vitamins and minerals you need for healthy muscles. Taking a daily multivitamin can also help your body get the nutrients it needs.
Staying hydrated is important for overall health, including blood flow, kidney function, and digestive function. Water is also important for muscle health. It provides essential electrolytes necessary for muscle strength and control. It is also necessary for building muscle. The average person should drink two liters or half a gallon of water per day, which is eight 8-ounce glasses. When you're very active, you lose a lot of water during exercise, so you should increase your total fluid intake by a few cups.
This may seem obvious, but exercise is important for maintaining muscle health. People who exercise have stronger muscles than their peers. Any exercise that pits the body against gravity will help build muscle. Without exercise, muscles break down over time.
Practice weight-bearing exercises such as running, jogging, jumping rope, and dancing. Adults should exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
Follow these simple tips to keep your muscles healthy, and you'll find your performance improves and you feel better overall.