How To Get Over Sore Muscles

I hate the day after a workout...its great to feel the burn right after. In my mind I tell myself, "those are muscles forming" then I wake up next day and I swear to myself I'm never putting myself through that again!

Anyway, been researching how to get over sore muscles because hey are a major dent in my motivation and found another great post from the awesome Kathrine Kunde, which you can read here!

As much as I put time into training, I also have had to put time into rest and recovery, and here is a few things that helps me deal with soreness:

1. I watch my diet! I make sure my body is getting enough food (meaning highly nutritious foods) to support the physical activity I have done or that I will do. I try to get allot of fresh fruits and vegetables, some protein, fiber and vitamins (Creatin, iron, B12 and B6, vitamin C)
2. Ice ice ice! After a run, I dig out that bag of frozen vegetables in my freezer and let my calf rest on it while I check my e-mail or tell my husband all about my very interesting run.
3. H2O! Try drinking at least equal amount ounce of water as minutes of working out. 40 minute work out equals 40 ounce etc.
4. Rest! relax, sleep, laugh, read, draw and destress...which leads us to the next one:
5. I take baths! A hot Epsom salt bath with lots of Eucalyptus oil/soap does any achy muscle good.
6. Get a massage! Having someone do the after work on your muscles is amazing. It increases the blood flow to the muscles which acts as an aid to the stiffness and swelling in your muscles.
 7. Get motivated for more! Some of us needs a reason to go back on that treadmill or whatever the work out is, I found that getting the actual proof of my work out in pictures is a good way to stay motivated. My muscles look toned, I am a happy girl and I take care of my health! That is something to celebrate!! So ask someone you know who`s in to photography to do a photo shoot with you, or pay a professional one! You wont regret =) 

source: Kathrine Kunde

xo
Jo

It's a Numbers Game

To calculate your basal metabolic rate (amount of cals needed to just live, sleep, and breathe) use thisBMR formula

Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) – ( 6.8 x age in year )
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) – ( 4.7 x age in years )

So for me;

Jo: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x 136 ) + ( 4.7 x 61.5 ) – ( 4.7 x 22 ) = 1432.25


Once you get that number – use the Harris Benedict Formula to determine how many calories you need to function daily and maintain your current weight:

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) :  BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) :  BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) :  BMR x 1.9

Now you know how many calories you need to maintain your current weight.

So for me, without adding an exercise routine to the mix, I'm, sedentary, I walk about 30 minutes a day to the bus stop or to school, which is little or no exercise, so my daily calorie need would be;

1432.25 x 1.2 = 1718.4 calories

Adding moderate exercise 3-5 days a week, would make that

1432.25 x 1.55 = 2219.9

So what if you wanna lose 5 lbs?

Well 1lb of fat = 3500 calories

So to lose 1 lb, you need to create a 3500 calorie deficit.

If you want to lose 1 lb a week, then you need to create a 500 calorie deficit everyday. You can eat less by 250 cals and workout more by 250 cals. 500 calorie deficit x 7 days a week = 3500 calorie deficit per week. At that rate you will be losing your 5 lbs in 5 weeks! It’s been said that you can safely lose about 2 lbs a week, so you do the math. Some people can lose more based on how drastic the diet change is and it’s also based on where you’re starting from!

So for me, I'll be aiming at keeping my calories around 1700-1800.

I'm not a calorie counter, but this is a good idea about regulation and checking the nutritional value of my servings.


xo
Jo