Whenever you do calisthenics and other exercises, you stimulate the redirect of blood flow starting from your liver to your digestive system, down to your skeletal muscles.
During this process, your hormones are signaling your body to turn fat into glucose which reduces pain then eventually lightens your mood.
To avoid injury and other unnecessary troubles that impede development through calisthenics, here are the proactive means you have to bear in mind.
- Consult a healthcare provider for a physical medical examination.
- Create a realistic game plan for your work-out routine (E.g. Specific list of calisthenics workout, warm-up and cool down exercises, lifestyle adjustments that includes your diet, sleeping habits, hydration
- Get enough sleep
- Maintain proper hydration
- Take a pre-workout snack if necessary
- Wear comfortable and appropriate workout outfits
- Do the dynamic warm-up
After doing calisthenics, cooling exercises are important to reset your body. Do a few stretches that will help your body return to its resting position.
Tight muscles as a result of intense workouts might cause strain on their neighboring joints when performing normal daily activities according to Sasha Cyrelson, clinical director at Professional Physical Therapy in Sicklerville, New Jersey. Furthermore, the necessity of stretching our muscles as we age is higher since we tend to have shorter and less elastic muscles.
Thus we carry the burden to do our part in the maintenance and improvement of our muscles’ strength and length so that we can fully enjoy their normal functions and abilities without pain and strain. Try these stretches for better flexibility and mobility.
- Standing Hamstring Stretch
- Piriformis Stretch
- Lunge with Spinal Twist
- Triceps Stretch
- Figure Four Stretch
- Hip Flexor Stretch
- Frog Pose Stretch
- Butterfly exercise
- Seated Shoulder Squeeze
- Side Bend Stretch
- Hip Flexor Stretch Lunge
- Lying pectoral stretch
- Knee to Chest Stretch
- Seated Neck Release
- Lying Quadriceps Stretch
- Sphinx Stretch
- Uttana Shishosana
- Glute Pretzel Stretch
- Reclined Cobbler’s Pose
- Standing Quadricep Stretch
- Knees to Chest
Hydration and Nutrition
Our bodies need at least 2 liters of water for our daily normal activities.
However, in doing calisthenics and other exercises, our bodies will require more water since we tend to use a lot of energy and sweat more. Maintaining proper hydration is necessary to keep our energy high during exercise and helps us get rid of toxins in our bodies.
Calisthenics nutrition is normally focused on gaining muscles and losing fat. Increase the amount of your protein intake. Eat foods that are rich in fiber but low in carbs and fat. Consume high-quality food which means you need to choose foods that are rich in micronutrients.
Vitamins and Minerals Intake
Heightened vitamins and minerals intake can speed up your progress in performing calisthenics. It also boosts the recovery process of your body after an intense exercise. It also aids you in healing muscle soreness.
Food supplements, vitamins, and minerals help you to increase muscle mass, preserve your present strength and provide you with explosive power to increase performance and endurance.
Though there are several products in which advertisements inform you of the different vitamins and minerals contents that will empower you to achieve your desired results, it is still wise and safe to not neglect the basics.
Do not let confusing information disorient you with flashy dietary maelstrom but instead focus on the stable effects of fundamental calisthenics diet.
Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
Most adults must sleep at least 7 to 9 hours daily according to the National Sleep Foundation. Adequate sleep is vital in the restoration and recovery of our mind and body. Sleep is especially involved in the healing and repair of your muscles and most significantly with your heart and blood vessels.
A good sleep is proven to lessen the risk of heart and kidney ailments, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and stroke. According to The National Institute of Health sleep is necessary to obtain good health and well-being all throughout your life.
Sleep-deprived individuals are prone to mood swings, depression, irritability, anxiety, forgetfulness, and fuzzy thinking according to Patrick Finan, Ph.D., a researcher from John Hopkins Medicine.
Aside from these mental and psychological effects of sleep deprivation, it can also increase your hunger hormone called ghrelin which will heighten your cravings for sweet, salty, and starchy foods; Thus, automatically lower your appetite-control hormone called leptin.
Ghrelin and leptin are neurotransmitters that inform our brain when to consume calories. The flux of these two hormones leads you to take a midnight snack or overeat during the nighttime. So less sleep will drive you to eat food with high calories.
To sum up this situation, people who get less than 5 hours of sleep have 50% higher risks for obesity and weakened immune systems. Moreover, less sleep reduces the amount of insulin released by your body. Therefore your body’s capacity to regulate your blood sugar level also decreases. These conditions are extremely opposed to the general target of calisthenics.
Sleep aids muscle tissue to recuperate faster between workouts. Deep sleep stimulates tissue growth and repair through protein synthesis. This enables your body to improve in your muscle mass and you will notice certain progress as you adapt easily to the more difficult regimen. More significantly, enough sleep is needed to boost your energy level needed to perform well in any type of exercise. Less sleep means reduced muscle strength and lower energy levels, especially during training.
Rest Days and Stress Management
Doctors’ consultations are caused by stress-related diseases as declared by the American Institute of Stress. Their research has shown that between 75% and 90% of doctor’s visits are caused by stress.
Stress is defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological tension. Usually, these emotional or mental strain results from adverse circumstances which are counteracted by adaptive processes which involve affective, physiological, biochemical and cognitive-behavioral reactions to regain stability, balance or control.
A survey from American Psychological Association (APA) revealed that 39% of the respondents were overeating or consuming unhealthy food due to stress. About 44% also reported that they have trouble getting enough sleep in relation to stress. Out of these statistics, you can already deduce that stress and sleep deprivation are significant factors that hinder optimum performance in calisthenics and creates a blockade in achieving a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Rest, sleep, and exercise build a two-way relationship that serves as a coping mechanism to stress. Physical activities stimulate hormones like endorphins that trigger positive emotions, provide a calm sensation and improved mood experience.
Regular Consultation with Fitness Pros
Acquiring a proper form and technique in doing calisthenics is equally important with its practice since practice does not produce perfection but permanence. However, perfection is not impossible with proper guidance, the right information, and regular execution taken from the experts.
Without the correct execution of the different exercises, you will not be able to gain optimal results from your valued efforts. Not to mention the adverse effects of improper form on your body.
Thus it is crucial to have a regular consultation with the fitness specialists.
Consultation with these fitness gurus will help you avoid unnecessary troubles, injury, and mediocre results.