If there is one question that I am frequently asked it is, ‘Do you work out while on Keto?’. The answer is ‘I didn’t, but I do now!’ When I first started the Keto lifestyle my focus was on the foods that I was eating, tracking my macros and how my body was feeling in general. Now that I have been doing keto for a little over a year I have made working out part of my lifestyle. This post is going to tell you all about working out on Keto and I’m going to share with you my motivational playlist of songs that keeps me pumped up and ready to rock out my workouts.
When should I start working out?
First, let me say that any exercise routine should be discussed with your personal health care practitioner. Personally, when I first started working out, it wasn’t really a ‘workout’. Inflammation, joint pain, lack of energy and motivation put me in a place where I was physically unable to do any exercise for any length of time.
Let me give you some encouragement…..it gets better……easier……as you go. The human body is a wonderfully made machine that when given the right treatment, will start to heal, repair and restore.
My best advice is start slow, ease into something that you enjoy. This is not the time to start training for a half-marathon. Working out on Keto can be as much as a 15-minute walk a day then gradually increase the time or distance; a whole body stretch in the morning and before bed, intentionally going up and down the stairs in your home multiple times during the day or just taking an evening stroll with the hubby and dog. I do believe if you start slow you will have more success as it will not be so overwhelming.
If you’re a newbie, I suggest holding off on working out on keto until you feel that you have the diet basics down. Know what your macros are, prepare your home and kitchen for the keto lifestyle, make a food plan and track every bite of food you eat.
Once you have the basics down then add in a workout. The addition of working out on keto has not only added to my weight loss, but helped with skin sagging, increased energy, more joint mobility and helped with my mental state of mind. Mental clarity, focus, better mood are just a few!
Some of my favorite workouts on keto
It took me a bit to decide what workouts I personally loved doing and what i knew I would stick with. I knew I wanted to workout 2-3 times per week and that I needed to be working out somewhere…besides home…to keep me accountable. I am a YMCA member and so I took full advantage of the classes they offered. As of now, I am doing Zumba 2 evenings per week and on Sundays I walk/jog a 5-mile flat scenic trail in my local town. Occasionally, I sub in a cycling class for the Zumba! I also enjoy kayaking and paddle boarding when I’m at the lake.
Now, while this may seem like more than just a beginner’s guide to working out on keto, I did NOT start here. Remember, when I started I could pretty much only do short distance walking. I have worked up to this and am so proud of it.
If you love to dance, I totally recommend trying Zumba. It is an interval workout that alternates low and high intensity moves for the whole body, with some really good music. If you are more of a walker, then find a place to walk, put on some headphones and just go! When I first started working out on keto, I started walking on the track at our local high school. As you get more active, take a look at adding in some intervals of walking and jogging. There are several walking/jogging apps available, I use the C25K app that takes you from Week 1 Day 1 to Week 8 and running a 5K!
Sara’s Motivational Playlist-Top 5 Songs
Whatever you decide to choose as your activity, working out on keto can be beneficial in so many ways to getting you closer to your health and wellness goals. I would love to hear your comments and plans for working out on your keto journey. Better yet, head over to my Facebook page and post some pics of you working out on keto!
Finally, as promised….my Motivational Playlist. The top 5 songs that I turn up really loud, that pump me up and help me knock out my workout! Here they are!
- Warrior by Hannah Kerr-Listen to it on YouTube here. (This is a good one! It’s so uplifting!)
- Stronger by Kanye West
- Boom Boom Pow-Black Eyed Peas
- Till I Collapse-Eminem
- Titanium-David Guetta
Stay On the Rise,
Sara
2 Comments
Meaghan
July 15, 2021 at 8:52 pmI’m always struggling to find good workout music – it has to be the right tempo with lyrics that will distract me from the fact that I’m working out. Thanks for the new ideas!
ketoonth
July 15, 2021 at 9:34 pmI hope you enjoy these! and You’re welcome!