Whether you are an amateur or professional athlete, cardio exercise is undoubtedly part of your workout regimen. Even if your cardio training is not an activity or skill directly related to your sport, cardio still plays a vital role in improving your level of athletic endurance. Even if your sport has cardio elements, such as running in football or baseball—specific cardio training is required for maximum success. Turn to the six ways below to kick start your cardio routine—as well as for tips regarding nutrition for endurance athletes.

Eat and Hydrate

One of the reasons why many athletes turn to nutritionists, is because their dietary needs are drastically different from the average person. For example, an average person requires approximately eight glasses of water per day—and needs to consume around 2,000 calories per day. This is in fact the diet that food labels are designed around in terms of more than just calories, but carbohydrates, fat, and essential vitamins and minerals. However, as an athlete you are likely to burn significantly more calories (aka. energy) per day—meaning that you must be far more aware of your dietary needs. Not only will you need drastically more in terms of both hydration and calories, but proteins and fat consumption are likely to be much higher than the average person. If you struggle to get through your cardio routine, it may simply be due to the fact that you are not eating a diet that is designed to support your demanding physical schedule.

Take a Pre-Workout Supplement

While increasing your caloric intake is an excellent way to kick start your cardio routine, you must also consider the benefits of a pre-workout supplement. Too often the focus is on post-workout meals and supplements. While post-workout and recovery nutrition is essential—so are pre-workout supplements. Pre-workout supplements are formulated with the perfect balance of ingredients designed to increase endurance, improve performance, and combat fatigue while working out. Even if you have increased your caloric intake, these supplements are designed to ensure that you still get the precise nutrition you require to support your athletic endeavors.

Stretch

Stretching is often celebrated for warming up your muscles, relieving tension-related to repetitive movements, and reducing the risk of injury. However, stretching is also an excellent way to maximize your pre-workout energy. Stretching will help to get your blood circulating throughout your body, and will begin releasing endorphins—which will help to keep you motivated during your workout. Endorphins will also provide you with strength and confidence. If you typically skip your pre-workout stretches, begin incorporating them—and you will start to feel the difference.

Mix Things Up

Another excellent way to kick start your cardio routine is to mix up your cardio workout. Sometimes the boredom of running on a treadmill makes it challenging to improve your performance—so try something new. This could include spinning, elliptical machines, and any variety of group cardio classes. By breaking the monotony of your cardio training, you are likely to push yourself to excel in the new cardio activities you are participating in.

Set Workout Goals and Milestones

By investing time before each of your workouts in creating specific goals, milestones, and measurements of success—you are more likely to push yourself to improve your performance. For example, simply setting a goal to run for 30 minutes is different from setting a goal to run a specific distance within 30 minutes. When setting your workout goals and milestones, make it a point to set both short-term and long-term goals. Returning to the example of running, you could set a goal to gradually increase the distance you are able to run in a 30-minute timeframe.

Ensure Your Bedroom Is Conducive For Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for maximizing your pre-workout energy—as well as maintaining optimal performance. With your busy training schedule, full-time job, school, and personal obligations—you may be guilty of skimping on your sleep in order to get everything done. However, sleep is when your body repairs and recharges. Even if you fall asleep quickly, you need to ensure you are getting an adequate amount of quality sleep each and every night. In fact, because you burn significantly more calories than the average person—you may require more sleep than the average person. Consider the quality of your sleep by rethinking:

• Your Mattress
• Your Pillow and/or Body Pillows
• Lighting
• Temperature Control
• Sound Control
• Aromatherapy
• Clutter and Organization
• Removing Electronics from the Bedroom

While each of the tips above are essential for improving pre-workout energy, nutrition for endurance is often one of the largest areas of opportunity for athletes. This is because athletes are individuals who push their body to the limits, meaning that customized nutrition must be provided to support extreme fitness goals. Workout supplements are an excellent place to begin, and athletes should revisit all factors related to the chemistry of one’s body.

If you’re looking for better and faster results, high-intensity cardio exercise is a must. Make sure you are performing at your maximum levels with help from the line of workout supplements from G6 Sports. The best path to better endurance is improving your focus. That’s why the sports nutrition experts at G6 designed their pre-workout energizer to give athletes the energy and focus they need to take their workout to new heights. The Pre-Flight incorporates agmatine sulfate and arginine AKG Pump Technology to increase the oxygen and blood flow throughout the body, while the pre-workout supplement’s beta-alanine decreases lactic acid to reduce muscle fatigue and soreness allowing you to work harder, longer. Try the entire line of workout supplements from G6 today and let us keep you moving and performing like never before!