Diet and exercise often go hand-in-hand when it comes to losing weight. However, if you are on a low carb diet, you might be wondering what your options are when it comes to exercising. Remember that carbs are supposed to be your body’s primary source of energy. And as you know, having enough energy is very important when it comes to exercising.
The good news is that it is definitely possible to exercise when you’re on a low carb diet. Below are three of the best exercises that can help you to lose weight when on a low carb diet.
#1. Aerobic Exercises
Also known as cardio exercises, aerobic exercises refer to any type of activity that makes you to quickly run out of breath. Examples are sprinting and lifting heavyweight. Since you are on a low carb diet, performing low-intensity aerobic exercises is recommended. This type of exercise makes you to use body fat as the primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates. Aside from helping you to lose weight, aerobic exercises are also good for your heart. Some of the best types of aerobic exercises are running, brisk walking, biking, and cardio.
#2. Flexibility Exercises
Flexibility exercises are the best types of exercises to stretch your muscles, improve your muscle range of motion and support your joints. Improving your flexibility can also help to prevent injuries that are often a result of the shortening of muscles over time. These exercises require less energy and can therefore be sustained even without carbs. Some of the best examples of flexibility exercises are yoga and other easy after-workout stretches.
#3. Stability Exercises
Stability exercises often consist of core training and balance exercises. These exercises help to strengthen your muscles, improve your alignment as well as your ability to control your movement.
Important tips to keep in mind for losing weight on a low carb diet
If you’re on the ketogenic diet and you’re trying to get into the state of ketosis, you may not want to begin exercising on the first few weeks of your diet. Even if you’re on a non-ketosis low carb diet, you must be cautious when exercising. Fatigue could set in early on your workout and this could greatly affect your performance and could put you at high risk of injury. If you want to exercise on a low carb diet, try to start slow. Closely monitor your progress and slowly increase the intensity once your tolerance starts to improve.
Try to avoid performing high-intensity exercises, such as anaerobic exercises because these exercises require using too much energy. Remember that when you’re trying to get into the ketosis, your body is still in the process of adjusting by using fat as your main source of energy instead of carbs.
It’s also a good idea to eat about 15 to 30 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates at least 30 minutes before you start to workout. Good examples of fast acting carbs are fruits and dairy products. Adequate hydration is also very important, so drink enough water all throughout the day or about 8-oz. of water 10 minutes before you start exercising.
