This content is brought to you in partnership with OrthoCarolina, one of the nation’s leading orthopedic practices with offices across the Southeast.

Spoiler alert: Chances are that you could be getting WAY more out of your workout if you did these five things before exercising.

We spoke with Megan Bogart, a PTA at OrthoCarolina, to get the inside scoop on how to get the most out of your fitness routine. Read on to hear her recommendations.

Pre-hydrate

“It’s important to drink plenty of water prior to exercise to avoid dehydration during or after your workout,” Bogart said. “High intracellular water content in muscle has been linked to muscle strength and healthy muscles. Staying hydrated prior to, during, and after exercising can aid in muscle recovery and decrease soreness after a workout.”

Bogart added that high water content in muscles also decreases the risk of injuring a muscle during exercise.

In addition, she noted that drinking water helps to lubricate your joints by increasing synovial fluid, which decreases friction or “bone on bone” during movement or exercise. Drinking water can decrease/prevent joint pain during or after exercise.

“Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink water, as thirst is already an early sign of dehydration!” she cautioned. “Prehydration does not simply mean drinking water right before a workout — it is drinking water consistently throughout the day.”

According to the Federal Institute of Medicine, women should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water and men should drink twelve 8-ounce glasses daily — so, drink up!

Start with a dynamic warm-up

Bogart let us in on a secret.

“Most people think they should stretch prior to a workout when they actually should be doing a dynamic warm-up for their muscles,” she said.

She explained that there are many reasons for this. First, you never want to stretch a “cold” muscle (or a muscle with low blood flow). Performing a dynamic warm-up before a workout increases cardiovascular function thus increases blood flow and circulation of water and oxygen to the muscles.

As we just talked about, good water levels in muscle cells are linked to increased muscle function, strength, and decreased risk of injuring the muscle or causing delayed onset muscles soreness after working out.

“A dynamic warm-up is meant to physically and neurologically prepare the body for the next exercise, thus the dynamic warm-up should include light aerobic exercise (like walking or riding a stationary bike) and smaller movements that are similar to the chosen exercise (for example, mini squats if you plan on performing deep squatting or leg presses),” Bogart said. “This allows for the joint to get used to the range of motion needed to perform the exercise.”

Bogart noted that research has shown that stretching a muscle before working out actually decreases muscle tone, thus causing the muscle to act weaker and slower. In addition, she told us that studies have also shown that stretching prior to a workout does not decrease the risk of injury.

Ultimately, stretching should occur when the muscle is still “warm” and more “elastic,” like after a workout.

Set (realistic!) goals for yourself

Prior to any exercise, whether it’s weight-lifting or aerobic exercises like biking or running, it is important to set realistic goals.

“Setting realistic goals not only motivates you to push yourself during a workout but also decreases the likelihood of injuring yourself by pushing yourself too much,” Bogart explained. “In addition, meeting a set goal during your workout helps to keep you motivated to stay consistent with working out long term!”

Positive reinforcement is known to help with behavior change, so rewarding yourself (whether with an activity, a snack, or anything else — may we suggest a beer?) after you meet your goal can help keep training consistent, and it can decrease those “on and off” periods of working out which can contribute to injuries.

Plan out when you’ll eat

If you’re anything like us, we have a tough time eating before we work out. And there’s a reason for that. Bogart told us, “Try to avoid eating immediately before your exercise. This, once again, has to do with blood flow and making sure there is an adequate amount supplying your muscles. When you eat food, blood flow is directed to the GI tract to aid in digestion, and if this is done before you work out, blood is being redirected from your muscles to your stomach.” 

Okay, so when should we be eating? According to Bogart, we don’t want to work out on an empty stomach, as food is what fuels our muscles. “Plan to eat a meal at least 2-3 hours before your workout, and remember carbs are what give your muscles energy to perform! So don’t be afraid to carb up.” Beer counts as carbs, right? Kidding. (Are we?) 

And most importantly, rest!

We talk about the importance of rest days a lot here at Work For Your Beer. Bogart confirms our passion around rest stating, “Rest time is just as important as working out.” 

Make sure you are taking time to rest and recover before jumping into another intense workout. Maybe even grab a local craft beer on your rest day.

LEARN MORE FROM THE EXPERTS AT ORTHOCAROLINA

​Whether you’ve recently experienced an injury, need help with recovery after tough workouts, or are simply experiencing chronic pain and need help managing it, OrthoCarolina can help. Make an appointment at a location near you to start getting the treatment you need.