5 Ways To Stay Lean & Strong Without Spending Hours At The Gym

Guest Post From: Evelyn

I would like, to begin with an assertion, “Great arms happen mostly outside the gym.” You might wonder why I am rejecting all your energy-draining efforts at the gym and how do I plan to support this assertion with facts.  The rest of this post will talk about how you can get the perfect arms and a strong body without spending hours in workout and exercise.  This does not at all suggest that you should quit going to the gym or using fitness equipment such as Treadmills and rowing machines.  It’s a good practice to take time out of your busy life and spend some of it for self-grooming and fitness.  However, you need not spend hours in exercise to achieve your fitness goals.  Bottom line?  You don’t need to join an expensive gym or buy fancy equipment to get Lean and strong.

Instead of expecting all your fitness returns from rigorous exercise, you need to spend the rest of your day carefully and develop habits that are good for your fitness, not only physical but also mental.  If you have made it this far in the post, you certainly want to know the best ways to get strong and lean without investing your time in the exercise room. Below you will find the five easy ways you can start practicing today to get the perfect body shape.

1. Hello Proteins

Proteins are a superb source for boosting energy levels and maintaining your overall Health.  Protein not only helps you build muscle, but it also reduces the risk of muscle breakdown.  You can obtain protein from two kinds of sources:

Animal protein: This includes all the protein you can get directly from animals like mutton, beef, fish, and chicken.  Remember to keep a balance between your diet when consuming your proteins from animal products as an excess of it may lead to health issues.

Plant protein: Proteins obtained from plants like lentils and vegetables has no side-effects whatsoever.  You can never exceed your limit of protein from plants.  There are multiple ways to include veggies and lentils in your diet.  You can make a delicious soup and drizzle it with some cheese, stir fry the veggies, or make a salad.  A healthy protein shake in the morning can give you enough energy to run your day and improve muscle health at the same time.

2.  Time it right

A balanced diet does not only mean what you eat, but it also emphasizes on when you eat.  To get the most out of your meals, it’s essential to eat at the right time.  Building muscle and losing the extra pounds is possible when you set a routine for your meals separating them with a gap of four to six hours.

The ideal meal timing is as follows:

• A protein rich breakfast, in the first hour after you wake up
• Meals containing low carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats with regular intervals of four to six hours.
• Eating green leafy vegetables and non-starchy salads as snacks between your main meals
• Eating at least three hours before going to sleep at night to avoid high levels of blood sugar

3. Good sleep means good health

Most of us tend to ignore one of the most important elements to good health, both physical and mental.  Experts recommend getting 7-8 hours of sound sleep every night.  This helps your body repair and recover.  When you sleep less, you eat more and put up unnecessary fat.

If you have trouble sleeping, try developing a night routine.  This can vary from person to person.  For some a prayer works best while others focus on deep breathing exercises.  A cup of green tea and a good book can also help induce good sleep.  It doesn’t matter what habit you adopt, but what matters is having some.

4.  Don’t ignore stress

High-stress levels lead to a dozen health problems, one of which is muscle breakdown and fat storage.  We cannot completely eradicate stress from our lives because we are all human, but we can surely address it using the right strategies like:

• Taking out time for things you love
• Meeting and networking with the ones you love
• Taking up new challenges (learning a skill)
• Yoga (should be top of the list)
• 30-minute walk once a day (take your pet along if you have one)
• Spending time with nature

These are just a few examples, but there are a hundred ways you can keep yourself engaged and renew your energy by doing the things you love.

5.  Supplement when needed

Supplements are a good way for filling the gaps between our diet with necessary vitamins and minerals.  Athletes and heavy lifters need extra nourishment to get enough nutrients to aid their energy consumption.  Health experts recommend taking a multivitamin or mineral supplement when you are not getting all of your nutrients from food.

Practicing these ways above, you can become your strongest and leanest self in a reasonable time. 

The post 5 Ways To Stay Lean appeared first on Ask Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter.