One of the most common diet programs people are trying today is intermittent fasting. Several studies indicate that this dieting program brings a lot of fitness and health advantages ranging from enhancing the immune system to rapid weight loss. This makes intermittent fasting one of the trendiest dieting programs in the fitness world.
One of the reasons people love intermittent fasting is its simplicity. All you need to do is to cut down the hours you dedicate to eating. Starters often begin with fasting for 12 hours and eating anytime within the next 12.
Several reports from health experts claim that working out before ending your fast results in faster fat burn and improves endurance. Hence, many people are looking to intermittent fasting and working out to help attain their fitness goals faster.
In this post, we will look at the things you should and shouldn’t do when working out while on an intermittent fasting program.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO
Here are a few things you should do when working out on an intermittent fasting program:
- OPT FOR STEADY-STATE CARDIO ROUTINES WHEN ENDING YOUR FAST: You should go for steady-state cardio routines before breaking your fast. A health expert stated that the glycogens stored in your body are often used up when you get to the 8th hour of your fast. Glycogens are a simple form of carbohydrate. They are converted and stored as fat when we don’t exercise and used to generate energy when we do. Hence, working out when there is no glycogen left in you forces your body to look for alternatives. Hence, burning up stored fats instead. Browse this site to learn more.
- PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY: Our bodies are configured in such a way that they communicate what is wrong with us as best as they can. Hence, you should skip your routine if you begin to feel dizzy, weak, or lightheaded. Never forget that working out when fasting might work for someone else but not you. Hence, start gradually to find out if it does.
- BREAK YOUR FAST WITH A HEALTHY DIET: Your body has used up all the stored glycogen at this point. This creates a need to choose a nutritious meal when breaking your fast. We recommend that your meal contains carbohydrates, vegetables, and protein.
THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO
Here are a few things you should avoid doing during fasted workouts:
- PUSHING YOUR BODY TOO HARD: HIIT consumes more energy than medium or low-intensity workouts. The energy requirements to perform HIIT are too much for your fats to offer. Hence, your body starts torching its muscles as an alternative source of energy. We recommend that you stick with Low-intensity routines while you are fasting.
- WORKING OUT DURING A FAST PROGRAM THAT IS LONGER THAN 16 HOURS: There are several intermittent fasting plans. This ranges from 12 hours to 16 hours. Other extreme intermittent fasting plans can last as long as 48 hours. If you are under any program that spans longer than 16 hours, you should avoid even low-intensity workouts.
Fasted workouts are healthy and its results outstanding if we follow the guidelines listed above.