Incorporating the keto diet in your life can have many health benefits for your body. Keto diet has been proven to reduce weight loss, control seizures in kids and also reduce diabetes. These are not the only significant changes that keto devotees see. When you know how to get into ketosis the diet in one way or the other will affect your body’s ability to handle workouts.
Is It Okay to Work Out While On a Keto Diet?
Working out while observing the keto diet can lead to high-fat burn in the body. A study conducted in 2016 for metabolism showed that athletes who followed the keto diet burned fat more quickly as compared to athletes who followed a high carb intake in their diet.
Another study which was published in 2009 on obesity showed that incorporating a low carb, high fat intake diet such as keto lead to fat oxidation during workouts. There is still a debate going on whether the keto diet negatively or positively affects workouts. Below is a guide on tips for exercising while on a keto diet.
Limit Your Carb Intake
If you want to control the level of ketones in your body, you should limit your intake of carbs. Eating many carbs will hinder your performance when working out. To know your daily carb intake, calculate the amount of carb you consume in a day then write the number down. If the number is between 10%-15% of your total carb intake, you may be out of ketosis. That is why it’s important to keep an eye on your ketone levels. Either monitor your physical ketosis symptoms or measure your acetone levels in your breath with a breathalyzer (read more about keto breath analyzers from Bodyketosis).
To reduce your carb intake, you can make certain swaps. You can swap avocado for banana, nut butter for jelly and keto bars with other high carb bars. Once you do this, you will be exercising with ease, and your muscles will not be sore.
Plan Your Meals Carefully
Planning your meals is vital if you want to continue exercising and learn how to get into ketosis. When exercising you tend to eat a lot of food because your body is using up a lot of energy. When you strictly observe a low carb diet the energy consumption is low compared to a high carb diet. This is the reason why people on a keto diet rarely feel hungry. Planning your meals includes making sure that the meals are prepared and available when needed to avoid unnecessary cravings and not sticking to keto friendly meals.
Take Things Easy During a Keto Flu
The first stage of keto is difficult, and it can make one to develop flu-like symptoms. The symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, and irritability. Each person responds to keto differently, but most people do not have a lot of energy when getting into keto.
When starting, you might notice that it gets tough to carry out your daily activities and more so exercising. You should dedicate the first week on the keto diet until your flu symptoms fade away.
If you start the process and still feel strong enough to hit the gym, go for it. You can try simple workouts such as swimming and walking but do not forget to listen to your body. If you feel too exhausted lay off working out for some time until you get back to your usual self.
Eat a Healthy Balanced Diet
A healthy, balanced diet is good for your body and a good way of how to get into ketosis since it gives your body all the nutrients needed for proper functioning. A balanced diet includes eating the right amount of fats, proteins, vitamins, and carbs. Your diet should consist of foods such as vegetables, seeds, nuts and healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, and canola oil.
Do the Right Exercises
If you want to have a good physique, proper nutrition is only half of the equation. The other half of the equation is exercising. Having a workout routine will help you to work on different parts of your body and also make proper use of the time you have set aside for exercise.
You also do not need to go to the gym you can simply workout from home. If you want to find an exercise routine which suits you, you can talk to a fitness professional who will help you.
There are some exercises which are recommended when on a keto diet and this includes: body weight exercises like squats, pull ups and push ups, walking, yoga, heavy lifts like back squats, kettlebell swings, bench press, and deadlifts.
The types of exercises you do will much depend on your diet. Exercises are limitless but remember that you should go easy on yourself especially if you are in the first stage of ketosis.
Know When It is Time to Quit
One crucial aspect while trying on a new diet is the ability to listen to what your body is telling you. Some people will respond well to the keto diet and others will not. The most common signs of not adapting well to the keto diet are if you are not getting past the flu stage.
In this stage, you may notice several changes in your skin and nails, and hair which indicates that your body is lacking some essential nutrients. If you have been on keto for several weeks and still are in the flu stage, then you should find another diet which will suit you.
Get Adequate Sleep
Exercising adds stress to the body hence it is essential that you get adequate rest every day to avoid being fatigued. In normal cases you need to get a minimum of 6 hours of sleep every night. When undergoing the ketogenic diet, you should make sure that you get up to eight hours of sleep every day. When you get adequate sleep, your body will recover quickly and also promote good overall health.
Conclusion
When you combine a keto diet with regular exercise, you can speed up your weight loss journey. Follow the above work out tips if you want to improve your results while on keto.
This article definitely gave me more knowledge about ketogenic diet. Thanks a lot for posting!