You’ve just had your intensive workout and you can now spoil yourself with some goodies, right? A reward is good, but not as most people think or do…

How do you choose the right reward after your workout? In this article, we explain why rewarding yourself is so important, and what rewards there are that can contribute to achieving your goals!

Many athletes assume that they already burn more calories than they actually do. This is often disappointing in practice so that the result of the workout falls apart.

Everyone has ever worked inside a bar of chocolate or a plate of fries because the workout went so well. Not a bad idea, because rewarding yourself is important to stay motivated.

But this does not help if you choose the wrong rewards that conflict with your goals. How do you approach this? In this article, we explain why rewarding yourself is so important, and what rewards are that contribute to your goals. Between these options, there is certainly one that makes you happy.

Why would you reward yourself?

Is a reward necessary after your workout? No definitely not. You could also simply do something nice if you have been doing well, but this often results in much less satisfaction than an eating treat.

In addition, if you know exactly what a healthy treat is to reward yourself, it also feels a lot better, both mentally and physically. So you also know that you really reward yourself without compromising your goals.

If you have a busy life, then you may have a tendency to go past the gas station after a workout to pick up a tasty snack before you go to work. This is fatal for your motivation.

If you train hard, but you do not achieve the desired results in the long term because of the wrong reward, you will not be satisfied with this. Rewarding yourself in the right way ensures that you get new energy and do not give up! That way you work towards your goals more effectively.

The wrong thought of rewarding

If you look at your energy consumption, then your workout is important. At the thought: “I train, so I burn more calories” is a logical thought. Unfortunately, many athletes estimate their energy consumption too high, which gives them a distorted picture of the calories burned.

You may have read on various sites that you can already burn an average of 500 kcal with an hour of fitness. But it is not said that you actually burned this. This depends on various factors, such as the intensity of your workout, your weight, age, muscle mass and fat mass.

“The wrong thought is if you think you’re not doing well when you skip a workout. The workout serves as an aid! “

So don’t start rewarding yourself immediately after a workout with 500 kcal of sweets, because you think that you have also burned 500 calories, but make sure you keep your balance within your diet.

See the workout and your feeding schedule separately. This means that you stick to your daily calorie intake as stated in your diet and everything is extra that you burn in weight workout or another way of workout. The big advantage is that you don’t have to worry if you miss a workout.

Set goals

How do you approach this? Set a specific goal that you know you can sustain and plan rewards if you have achieved it. By concrete we do not mean: “I go to fitness more often”, but “I am going to do 45 minutes of strength workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.” This also applies to food, so not: ‘I am going to eat healthily’, but ‘with every hot meal I take at least 200 grams of vegetables’.

Then you link a reward here. Have you been to the gym three times a week for a month? Time for a reward! Have you eaten 200 grams of vegetables with every meal for two weeks? Reward yourself! If necessary, write it down so that you have made the appointment with yourself and note when you have achieved your goals.

Health rewards that are worth it

The most important thing is that your goals are not at the expense of your reward. So do not take a piece of cake if you are trying to lose weight. Below we list healthy rewards that are worthwhile:

The moment of pampering

A moment for yourself is the ideal way to reward yourself. Go to the sauna, have a massage or light a few scented candles. A massage, in particular, is nice after a workout.

Sport motivation

The most effective rewards are the rewards that immediately make it easier to reach your next goal. Is running well? Give yourself a pair of new running shoes. Do you like music during a workout? Then treat yourself to new earphones or headphones.

Choose the outside air

The outside air is one of the best ways to really relax. You can make this as crazy as you want. A short walk in the woods, a long bike ride or an afternoon at the beach. Ideal for smaller goals!

Plan an outing

You can also give yourself experience as a reward, such as a day at the museum, a concert or an evening at the cinema. In this way, you keep discovering new, interesting things.

You can also combine this with friends. Perhaps there are friends that you have seen less recently. Reward yourself by freeing up a place in your agenda and planning an appointment with friends.

Inspiration in the kitchen

Do you mainly want to keep eating healthier? Then new things in the kitchen can be a nice addition. Think of a good plan set or a new cookbook. You can also experiment with other products such as real olive oil or organic pasta to try out new flavours.

Shopping to reward yourself

Shopping as a reward is sometimes possible. What is that one product that you have wanted for a while? You probably have that in mind now. Why not as a reward for your hard work?

Keep this in proportion, of course, so do not immediately buy new clothes if you have exercised well for two or three days. Determine in advance when you can reward yourself with a result achieved.

Laughter is healthy

Few things are as good as an evening of laughter. Whether this is a comedian, with friends or an afternoon of funniest home videos. Laughter is always good and also a healthy reward.

Conclusion

Having goals set in place for your workout routine will help you along your journey. Rewarding yourself after accomplishing your goals is a even bigger win. If your looking for professional advice or a trainer to help you on your journey reach out to us today.