Fitness Friday – 3 signs you’ve had a good workout

A-Train's Super Fit

How do you determine whether you’ve had a good workout? Do measure this by how much you sweat, or how sore your muscles are? I’m guilty of this. The experts say this is not necessarily an accurate measure of your workout.

The amount of sweating you do is subjective.  I may break out in a sweat looking at a 25 lb. weight the trainer said I need to lift 50 times. A beginner may be able to use sore muscles as a sign they’ve worked out hard, because these are muscles they haven’t used frequently. This may not be true for someone who exercises frequently. So let’s hear what the experts say.

Below are 3 signs that psychologists say indicate that you had a good workout

1.      Difficult to hold a conversation – try talking mid-way through your workout, if you answer with short one or two word responses, you’re on target. I was an example of this during a recent fitness class. We were swinging kettle bells and I was singing along with the song blaring throughout the room. The trainer looked and me and said, “You need to grab a heavier bell.” I guess I should not have been able to sing a whole chorus while swinging the bell 15 times. Hmmm.

2.     You could barely finish your last rep – the experts say this is a good sign because it means you have fatigued your muscles.

3.      You slept soundly – you sleep through the night without waking up as much.

Read the entire article on signs of a good workout here.

The next time you hit the gym, go ahead and work up a sweat, but change your routine if you’ve been doing the same thing for a while. What would you add to the list of signs you’ve had a good workout?