Five Things to Avoid When Working Out

We’ve talked about tips and tricks to integrate into your workout routine to maximize its effectiveness for your mind and body. But is there anything you should avoid?

As it turns out… yes. Read on for what to avoid doing before, during, and after your exercise routine.

Not eating enough before or after your workout

It’s simple: your body needs fuel to exercise. And while you don’t want to work out on a full stomach, you also don’t want to be running on empty. Although many folks claim that cardio workouts are best on an empty stomach, it’s still a rule of thumb that your body needs some sort of fuel to perform. 

If you end a workout feeling completely famished and like you could eat three cheeseburgers without blinking an eye, that’s a good sign that your body could have used a bit more fuel before exercising. Try eating an easily digested snack or small meal 1-3 hours before working out.

Your nutrition needs are equally important after your workouts. Your body worked hard! Now it needs to replenish itself. Snacks that feature a healthy combination of carbs and protein will help your muscles rebuild and recover - just make sure to eat something within one hour of wrapping up your workout to experience maximum benefits.

Eating too many processed/packaged foods

So now you know when to eat - but what should you eat?

This can be tricky, since so many protein bars and snacks out there are specifically marketed towards athletes. But the fact of the matter is that anything packaged or processed likely has way more sugar and additives than you’ve bargained for.

Since processed foods typically take longer to digest and all those added sugars can actually lead to an energy crash in the middle of your workout, your best bet is to snack on whole, fresh foods to fuel up instead.

Check out this handy list of easy pre- and post-exercise snacks to both fuel and replenish your body.

Skipping the stretches

We know, we know… after a long run or a serious weightlifting session, it can be very tempting to forego the post-workout cooldown and just hit the showers. 

A good stretch, though, is critical for your muscles to recover effectively. You know how your muscles produce lactic acid when you exercise? Stretching helps reduce the accumulation of it, and can mitigate the aches and soreness that can follow a workout.

Stretching is also key for maintaining muscle and joint flexibility, helping you ward off potential injuries in the future. So grab a mat, get comfortable, and try some breathing exercises during your stretches to help your mind and body recover.

Related article: Tips for recovering after a minor injury

Grabbing an alcoholic drink immediately post-workout

Hitting up happy hour following an afternoon workout seems like a great way to wrap up the day. But… not so fast. Since alcohol is famously dehydrating, it’s best to avoid boozy beverages for at least a few hours after exercise while you rehydrate.

If you’ve just gotta have a fun beverage right after a workout, try one of our CBD mocktails. They’re not only delicious, but the cannabinoids can also help support your muscles and joints.†

Related article: 5 Tips for Your Post-Exercise Routine

Starting a new supplement routine… before testing it out first

We love CBD for post-exercise recovery† - that’s probably a given. Still, taking a serving or two of a brand new CBD product - or any supplement, for that matter - right before a workout without testing it out beforehand to see how it affects you, isn’t generally recommended.

If you’re looking to start a CBD routine to help with post-exercise recovery, we recommend taking a smaller serving size twice a day for a period of two weeks as a starting point. You can adjust your serving sizes from there once you have a good idea of how CBD interacts with your specific endocannabinoid system. 

For more information on the benefits of CBD and how to get started with a CBD routine, check out our free guide.