How to speed up your post-workout recovery

Whether you occasionally hop on your home elliptical machine or are a marathon runner, in order to get the most out of your workouts it’s important to give your body an appropriate amount of time to recover. The general rule of thumb is to allow yourself one day of rest between workouts, but if you’re itching to get back on your TRUE Fitness treadmill, follow these tips to minimize your post-workout recovery time:

1. Get plenty of sleep
Not only does sleep deprivation reduce your energy levels and cause you to be sluggish, making it difficult to even complete your workout in the first place, it can also have a negative effect on your recovery. Try to get a full six to eight hours of sleep each night to give your body plenty of time to re-energize so you’re ready to tackle your next workout. If that’s not possible, take a quick power nap approximately two hours after exercising.

2. Rehydrate
Drinking plenty of water is an essential component of a faster post-workout recovery. If you exercise while dehydrated you could damage your muscles, so replenish your fluids with water or sports drinks. Drinking cherry juice can also reduce the swelling from damaged muscles, and the protein in chocolate milk can help kick-start your recovery.

3. Eat the right food
Within a half-hour after you’ve completed your workout, reach for a high-protein snack to make sure your body has the fuel it needs to recover. Carbohydrates like nuts and avocados also make a great post-workout snack. Whatever you eat, make sure it’s easy to digest – avoid heavy, solid foods like pizza.

4. Workout regularly
If you really want to reduce the amount of time it takes you to recover after a workout, you’re going to have to exercise more regularly. Aim for spending time on your TRUE Fitness treadmill at least three times per week and your body will respond to the conditioning.

5. Take a cold bath
After your workout, hop in a cold bath to reduce the soreness and inflammation that can come with exercise. Icing your muscles can also speed your recovery time, especially if there are areas of your body that you chronically injure: Try placing the ice pack on sore muscles for 10 minutes at a time, giving them a 10 minute break in between.

How to overcome laziness and get motivated to exercise

For some people, it’s not the prospect of the sweat and burn that accompanies physical activity that prevents them from exercising – it’s just downright laziness. If you are one of those people that dreads working out, it may not be your fault: According to The New York Times, scientists have discovered that humans are naturally programmed to use as little energy as possible during movement. To push yourself to overcome this basic instinct and have a great workout routine, follow these tips:

1. Pick the right playlist
There may be some science behind that boost in energy you get when your favorite song comes up on your iPod as you exercise. According to a study from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, listening to upbeat music while you workout can reduce the perception of effort and increase your endurance.

2. Have great fitness equipment
It’s hard to get motivated to work out when you don’t have great fitness equipment. Try hopping on a TRUE Fitness treadmill to get motivated. Each one comes equipped with the TRUE HRC Cruise Control heart monitoring system, which will help you do the precise amount of work you need to maintain your target heart rate. The preset workout programs will also help take the planning out of exercising so you can get right to work.

3. Exercise with a friend
Having a set time to exercise with a friend can be a great motivator. You’ll be less inclined to skip your workout if you know someone is counting on you being there. Friends can also be extremely supportive and help push each other to meet their fitness goals.

4. Set goals
Setting concrete goals could motivate you to stick with your fitness routine. Try making an exercise schedule for yourself each week and approach your workout as if it were an important business meeting. You wouldn’t slack off in front of your boss, would you? If for some reason you have to miss a day, write down why and look over your excuses at the end of the week to brainstorm ways to overcome them.

5. Reward yourself
If you’ve conquered your inherent laziness and met your exercise goals for the week, reward yourself! Take a friend to that movie you’ve been dying to see, treat yourself to a pedicure or go to a basketball game. Figure out what motivates you, and use that knowledge to push yourself into sticking with a regular workout routine.

How to get out of bed and onto the treadmill

We all know how it goes: The alarm goes off bright and early and you begin to rise for the start of a new day. Then the thought "I should workout" enters your head. But it's still dark outside and your bed covers are oh so comfortable. Becoming an avid morning exerciser takes time and practice. Of course sleep seems more appealing at the time, but working out in the morning can provide you with the energy you need to take on the day and whatever it may throw at you. Check out a few of these ways to hop on out of bed and onto home fitness equipment:

Get to bed at a normal time
In order to be okay with getting up early, you must start going to bed at a normal hour to allow yourself enough hours of sleep. We realize this is easier said than done. If you have a show you love to watch at night, just record it and watch it the next day. When you're not exhausted the next morning, you'll be glad you did. If you find that you're not sleepy enough at night, FitSugar recommended cutting back your caffeine intake during the day. You may also want to try warm baths, a cup of your favorite tea or reading to lull yourself to sleep.

Let there be light
According to Discovery Health, light tells the brain that it's time to wake up. Light helps to regulate your circadian rhythms and keep them on track. So once your alarm goes off, get into the habit of opening your shades to let in a bit of natural light. If it's still dark out when you rise in the morning, turn on your bedside lamp to wake yourself up.

Sleep in your workout clothes
One of the hardest parts of breaking a sweat in the morning is simply getting prepared to do so – nobody wants to leave the comfort of their warm bed to put on shorts and a t-shirt. Daily Spark suggested giving yourself no excuses by snoozing in your workout clothes. Not only does it save you precious time in the morning, it takes one obstacle out of the way and you'll be one step closer to working out.

Play motivating music
Once you rise out of bed, put on an upbeat playlist that's going to get you moving and pumped up about exercise. According to Daily Spark, music can change your mood, give you energy and even motivate you to reach your goals. Continue this habit on the treadmill to keep your workouts intense. Many of TRUE's home treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes are iPod compatible, making it easy to listen to your favorite tunes once you step on your cardio fitness machine.

Make working out a priority, not an option
When your alarm goes off in the morning, don't even think about making that snooze button an option. Tell yourself that this is something you have to do. By saying "I'll wake up and see if I feel like working out tomorrow," you're essentially giving yourself an excuse to not exercise.

Bribe yourself
If you can't get out of bed for a workout, get out of bed for a different reason, whether that's a pre-workout snack or watching your favorite TV show before you hit the treadmill. If you have something to look forward to after getting out of bed, you're more likely to follow through on that morning routine.

Map out your workout
Instead of just getting on a piece of equipment and running, have a set workout regimen. TRUE's preset workout programs make designing the perfect workout for your fitness level easy.

Exercise leads to better sleep

If you're having trouble dozing off and aren't a fan of sleeping pills, you may want to turn to your TRUE Fitness treadmill or elliptical to integrate some exercise into your daily routine.

According to a poll from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), self-described exercisers reported better sleep than those who said they do not exercise, even though both groups slept an average of six hours and 51 minutes on weeknights. This was true whether the respondent was a vigorous, moderate or light exerciser.

"If you are inactive, adding a 10 minute walk every day could improve your likelihood of a good night's sleep," Dr. Mark Hirshkowitz, poll task force chair, said in a statement. "Making this small change and gradually working your way up to more intense activities like running or swimming could help you sleep better."

According to the NSF, 24 percent of non-exercisers qualified as sleepy and were in that state twice as often as those who exercise. Results from the poll also indicate that sleepiness can interfere with quality of life: 14 percent of non-exercisers reported having trouble staying awake while performing activities such as driving and eating.

Conversely, vigorous exercisers, which the NSF defined as those who participate in hard physical activities such as running, cycling or swimming, were nearly twice as likely as non-exercisers to report having a good night's sleep. They were also the least likely to report any sleep problems at all, which may also contribute to better overall health.

"Poor sleep might lead to negative health partly because it makes people less inclined to exercise," Dr. Shawn Youngstedt, poll task force member, said in a statement.

Even those who don't consider themselves vigorous exercisers can use TRUE Fitness equipment to maximize their potential for a good night's sleep. According to the NSFl, you can exercise at any time of the day to improve your sleeping habits.

Above all, it's important to minimize the amount of time you spend sitting every day. Spending less than eight hours per day sitting down will make it significantly more likely that you have a good night's sleep, according to the poll. If you absolutely can't avoid sitting at the office, take a walk over your lunch hour or spend some time on your home elliptical machine after work.

Melt off your love handles on the treadmill

The love handles, located on our sides, are likely one of the hardest areas to target and really burn fat. Home gym equipment is a great way to stay in shape, tone your body and even melt off those stubborn pockets of fat. You just have to know how to do it! Fitness treadmills allow you to create a workout especially made for burning fat and trimming your love handles. Women’s Fitness explained that cardio machines that work the whole body, like treadmills, are the best cardio equipment to help you lose your love handles and tone up. Here are a few things to keep in mind next time you hop onto the treadmill:

Stay in the fat burning zone
In order to shed those pounds, you’ll need to get your body into the fat burning zone. This will depend on your weight, height and heart rate. According to Women’s Fitness, the fat burning zone is around 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. All of TRUE’s home treadmills are equipped with heart rate technology called TRUE HRC Cruise Control. This makes it simple to stay at a steady heart rate and allows you to lock into your target. Once it is entered, your speed will automatically adjust throughout the duration of your workout, helping you to stay right in the fat burning zone!

Vary your workouts
Just because you’re working out on a treadmill doesn’t mean that you have to keep up with the exact same workout regimen. Try a variety of programs like hill training and interval training to keep your body guessing and get you on your way to burning off excess fat. TRUE’s treadmills have a wide array of preset workout programs, making it easy to keep a variety and not get bored with your workouts. Try sprinting for 30 seconds, then giving yourself a minute of rest, then going back to sprint mode. Do this for about four minutes. According to Yahoo, this four minutes of hard work on the treadmill will kick your body into the action of burning stubborn fat.

Use the incline
Walking on a flat surface may suffice, but by increasing the elevation on your treadmill, you can amp up the intensity of your workout. Your heart rate will elevate, causing you to work harder. As a result, you burn more calories. You can opt to set the incline at a variety of levels for a more interesting exercise regimen.

Nutrition tips for marathon training

When training to compete in a marathon, runners have more to consider than simply running a certain number of miles per day. Although working out regularly on your TRUE Fitness treadmill is important, maintaining proper nutrition while training will play a huge part in making sure your marathon is a success. TRUE Fitness treadmills that are equipped with preset workouts and an innovative wireless heart rate monitoring system will get you started on your journey towards completing a marathon, but to give yourself an edge, follow these nutrition tips:

1. Eat high-quality food
No, we do not mean caviar. Professional marathoners fill their diets with high-quality food like fruits, vegetables and dairy. Avoiding low-quality food such as sweets, fried foods and fatty meats will prevent long-term weight gain and improve your performance. Active.com also puts nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean meats and fish in the high-quality food category. To replenish your power supply, consume food rich in carbohydrates or protein approximately 30 minutes after your workout. However, if you are going to be running for less than an hour, it's best to skip the pre-workout snack.

2. Stay hydrated
Maintaining a proper level of hydration is a key part of marathon training. Dehydration will not only make your workouts more difficult, but could put your health at risk. During your run, drink approximately six to eight ounces of water or other fluids every 15 minutes. It's also a good idea to have a bottle of water or sports drink two to four hours prior to your workout to avoid fluid deficiencies. Be careful not to over hydrate: Consume fluids at a rate that is on pace with your sweating.

3. Eat regularly
If you are training for a marathon, now is not the time to skip meals. You are not guaranteed to burn fat if you don't eat prior to a workout, and a lack of fuel may actually impede your ability to exercise for the length of time you need, causing you to burn fewer calories. According to Fitness Magazine, nutrition for effective marathon training should include: 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent lean proteins and 20 percent fat. Above all, do not skip breakfast: It will give you energy and help you maintain your blood sugar level, which can lead to a more effective workout.