Make Your Workouts More Effective With These Moves

Most of us work out with a few goals in mind: to keep fit, stay healthy, or get that beach body. But how can you ensure that your workout is effective? Read on for some simple ways to measure your workout performance and reap its full benefits.

The first thing to do is to set a baseline for your exercise routine. This will not only help you get a complete picture of your health, but also allow you to set realistic goals and track your progress effectively.

While most of you may be tempted to track your weight, you should pay attention to your muscle and fat distribution. Your goal here is to shed fat and build muscle, which may not have an immediate impact on your weight.

Track these numbers at home with a smart weighing scale like the Wifi-enabled Garmin Index S2 Smartscale. It doesn’t just show you your weight, but also information such as your body composition, like your muscle, fat, bone and water percentages.

To access these useful features, all you have to do is sync the Smartscale with a compatible smart fitness watch like the Garmin Forerunner 745 or the Garmin Connect app on your phone.

In addition to the frequency and duration of your workouts, the intensity is important as well. To objectively track how hard your body is working, measure your heart rate; the higher the exercise intensity, the higher your heart rate will be.

To get a sense of what heart rate is ideal for your age, use this heart rate calculator. You should also find out what your resting, recovery (the time taken for your body to return to resting heart rate after a vigorous workout) and maximum heart rates are.

But a higher heart rate doesn’t always mean that the workout is more effective. In fact, heart-rate training is all about sticking to a heart rate range while going through certain exercises.

Research suggests that most exercises can be categorised into five heart rate zones. It ranges from Zone 1 (‘very light’ exercise that keeps your heart pumping at maximum rate up to 50 per cent of the time, such as light walking or cycling on flat terrain) to Zone 5 (‘very hard’ exercise that keeps your heart at maximum rate for 90 per cent or the full duration of the workout, such as interval training). According to Polar, which developed the world's first wireless heart rate monitor, exercising within each heart rate zone can bring different corresponding benefits, and helps prevent under- or over-exertion.

Before you start on your heart-rate training, get yourself a fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor function. This is an easy way to keep track of your heart rate as you exercise. The Polar Unite Fitness Watch with Connected GPS, is a great option as it tracks your heart rate and activity levels around the clock, while also providing daily workout guidance to keep you inspired.

It’s also important to vary the intensity and type of your workout. Do this by incorporating other exercises or adding a new sport to your routine. That way, you can challenge different muscle groups to avoid muscle fatigue. 

For instance, if you run frequently, try including a session of yoga once or twice a week. Or if you’ve been doing a lot of strength training in the gym, get outdoors for a change. Go for a hike or bike ride to work your quads and glutes without overstressing your joints.

If you love working out at home, don’t just do bodyweight exercises on your yoga mat. Investing in multi-functional exercise equipment, such as the Nexgim AI-powered exercise bike, can go a long way. Not only does it check the box for cardio workouts, it offers a variety of spin classes, numerous cycling routes, interactive guided courses and even fitness reports.

Improving the effectiveness of exercise doesn’t end when the workout does. After the post-workout endorphin high wears off, the aches of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) begin to set in. Don't strain your muscles by pressing on without proper recovery. Overtraining can result in injuries, so avoid them with the following options.

One enjoyable recovery-boosting method is massaging the sore spots (who doesn’t love a good massage?). Instead of looking for a masseuse, try out the Urikar Pro3 handheld massager. Running for up to 10 hours on a full charge, this massage gun also boasts QuietPower™ technology to deliver a powerful massage that can reach up to 14mm deep into your muscle groups to relieve tension and soothe soreness anywhere in the body. The only thing you have to worry about with this stealthy massager? Keeping the rest of your family away from it.

You can also consume these easy-to-find foods to help your muscles recover faster. Watermelon is high in antioxidants, and rich in the amino acid L-citrulline. Consuming these nutrients will increase your body’s production of nitric oxide, which in turn enhances blood circulation to muscles and helps your cells generate more energy to heal faster.

Eggs are a good choice too, as they contain a high amount of bioavailable protein. This protein helps increase the speed at which your body repairs muscle damage caused by exercise, effectively speeding up muscle growth, improving recovery and athletic performance, and increasing overall endurance. Nuts, chia seeds, whole-wheat bread and even coffee can also help muscle recovery.

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