Frequently Asked Fitness Questions (Part 2)

Answering Fitness Questions Regularly Asked

Sooner or later, everyone will make the decision that they need to take the steps to improve their health and fitness.  Covid has emphasized the need for a healthy lifestyle. Once the decision is made, where to start or begin is unclear and often a very formidable obstacle to advancement.  The goal of Optimal Personal Fitness is to remove obstacles to your fitness health and provide valuable information.

The valuable information you need begins with addressing your questions in a way that Carlos Perez can which is easily understandable and makes sense. Carlos’ education and passion for exercise and fitness is his secret to offering advice and devising quality exercise routines.  Click here to learn more about me, Carlos Perez,  and my passion to help everyone at every stage of life. [click here]

How Often Should I Rest?

Workout schedule and rest are directly dependent upon each other. It is recommended to give your body enough time to recover from workouts, which is typically 1 or 2 full days of rest per week. This rest is great for giving your body time to recover but also can be a valuable time for self-care to promote mental health.

When and How Often Should I Stretch?

Stretching is a very important part of any workout routine. Start every with dynamic stretching, which could also include specific exercises designed to increase range of motion, promote mobility, and wake up muscles, such as walking lunges, or leg swings! Ideally, you should choose exercises focused on the muscles you plan to use during your workout.

After a workout stretching is just as important. After workout stretching, which is typically static stretching, should include standing forward fold or kneeling hamstring stretch. Just like dynamic stretches, choose exercises focusing on the muscles you just worked during your workout to give them some TLC.

What Can I Do About Muscle Soreness?

Eventually, everyone will experience muscle soreness, and understanding the factors to recovery is essential. Start with nutrition. Eat foods designed to fuel your body and workouts so that you provide your muscles with the nutrients needed for recovery. Make sure you get plenty of rest and sleep.  Rest provides your muscles with the vital time they need for repair. Just doing these two things is a start to reducing or even preventing muscle soreness.

How Long Does It Take to See Results?

The time to see results is different for everyone but it can take anywhere from 6-8 weeks or more. Do not be discouraged. Yes, we live in a world that expects results and changes instantaneously. Understand your hard work is paying off, even if you don’t see the results, you’re looking for on the scale right away.

However, if you need a little encouragement through results, you could do a few things:

• Track your progress as you go can be the fit of your clothing
• Observe yourself being able to complete more challenging or longer workouts
• Take progress photos and compare them as you continue your journey.

It’s all of the little wins along the way that help keep you going, so keep cueing into your body and all of the smaller successes and changes you see along the way and celebrate them!

What is the Best Diet for My Fitness Goals?

Your diet is huge. Your diet is key to your success. It’s important to give your body the fuel and energy it needs to crush, recover from your workouts, and reach your goals.

Diets abound. It all boils down to your personal preference. My general advice is to simply focus on including more whole foods in your diet. If you want to show up for your workout and perform your best, the nutrients you’re filling your body with matter. The quality and content of what you eat make a difference, so try maximizing fresh foods where you can.

FAQs for Better Fitness and Health

As we, at Optimal Personal Training, focus on your fitness health and knowledge, we will continue to bring valuable information and answer your questions.  Feel free to send us your questions and we will get them answered.

Finally, don’t forget to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet highlighting whole foods. With any fitness routine, it’s important to maximize the nutrients in the calories consumed to fuel workouts!

In the words of Michael Jordan, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”