5 Ways to Exercise on a Low Carb Diet for Better Performance

The low carb diet is a great way to lose weight, boost energy, and more. However, those first few weeks can be quite the drag as your body gets used to the new diet and food intake. When it comes to exercising on the low carb diet, many people choose to avoid it during those initial weeks of the diet, but that is the prime time to exercise to boost weight loss and muscle gain. Luckily, there are several exercises you can do that will boost your performance and help you get over that new keto diet drag that often leaves you feeling less than energized. In this article, we will look at five exercise options that boost your energy levels and more. Here are 5 ways to exercise on a low carb diet for better performance.

Understanding Exercise Types

There are several different types of exercise that can be done on a regular basis. Aerobic, anaerobic, stability, and flexibility are all exercise types that rely on various parts of the body to function properly. Some of these exercises like aerobic and anaerobic might require more energy and thus more fuel to help you reach your maximum calorie burn and heart rate elevation. Before you can do specific workouts, which we will discuss later, you need to understand the four categories of workouts.

An aerobic exercise is one that is better known as cardio. This exercise type lasts more than three minutes, raises your heart rate, and is ideal for burning fat. Since this is also lower in intensity, it is great for those just jumping on the ketogenic diet train.

Anaerobic exercise is more high-intensity, and it is noted by the short bursts of energy required to perform the exercise. Since carbs are typically the type of fuel used for these workouts, the higher-intensity anaerobic exercises are not ideal for keto dieters.

Flexibility exercises are great for giving you a good stretch after a long day. These are also ideal for supporting the joints and improving the overall range of motion for the muscles. Flexibility increases can help prevent injury, and they are low intensity, making them ideal for keto dieters.

Stability exercises provide core training and balance training to improve your muscle strength, movement control, and alignment. Stability is lower in intensity, though it requires the focus of the mind to complete. Those on a low carb diet can perform this exercise type as well.

Exercising while in Ketosis

Now that you understand the four exercise types, you can further your study by looking at the various tips for exercising in ketosis. Ketosis is a state of the body that burns off fat, which is the biggest quality of this ketogenic diet. It puts your body into a metabolic state. Not only is your diet important for ketosis, but exercise is important as well. Plus, exercise is great for a myriad of health benefits.

The first tip is to consider your workout intensity. This is important since each workout has a different intensity level, and each person has a different intensity with which they love to exercise. Low-intensity workouts require fat at the primary fuel source, but high-intensity workouts require carbohydrates for their primary fuel source.

With the fuel sources in mind, that leads up to the next tip. Adjust your diet to fit your workouts. If you prefer to do high-intensity workouts two or three days away, simply adjust your carb intake to help with the energy needed to complete these workouts. It doesn’t have to be much, but it can make all the difference for your workouts and energy levels during the high-intensity workouts.

Tip number three consists of supplementing. Sometimes, you just need a workout supplement to help you boost muscle tone and get enough energy to last through the day, especially during those first few weeks of the diet. There are several different low-carb supplements that give you just that. Things like Creatine, caffeine, and taurine are great options for gym goers that need a boost in their system to hit the weights or the high-intensity workouts.

The final tip for those wanting to start exercising on the keto diet is to take your time simply. There is no need to start with an anaerobic exercise on day one. If you want to pace yourself by going slow, which I fully suggest, then it is perfectly normal to do so. Simply find a short cardio option, or start doing some yoga to help you adjust to a new lifestyle that is the keto diet with exercising. Remember, exercising while on the keto diet is beneficial, but no one said you had to start off full speed ahead right at the beginning. Take your time and pace yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your workout routine.

Get Your Cardio

One of the first exercises you should be looking into as you start your keto diet is cardio. There are many different types of cardio, and you can go at your own pace. With cardio, you should be trying to constantly move for a certain amount of time. Most people do their cardio anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes long. Several workouts you can try are things like jumping rope, using an elliptical, running at a moderate pace, or even swimming. Cardio is great for weight loss, and since it is low-intensity in most cases, you can do it on a ketogenic diet.

High-Intensity Interval Training

Better known as HIIT, this high-intensity interval training is a great way to get in a quick workout that boosts your fat burn and puts your heart rate into the fat burning zone. There are many different kinds of HIIT workouts that you can do. However, you need to remember that high-intensity workouts like HIIT are anaerobic exercises. These exercises use carbohydrates as their main source of fuel, which can put a damper on your workout. On the days you want to do a little HIIT, you need to eat some carbs to help sustain you to power through.

Working on Your Balance

As a low-intensity workout, balance exercises have many benefits for the body. They can also be done on a ketogenic diet since they are lower in intensity. Better balance can improve posture, and it can also improve your overall performance. The best part is that you can combine this workout option with some cardio for a great workout that burns the fat. There are also several types of balance exercises that you can do to lose weight and boost muscle production while also increasing your balance and improving posture.

Lifting the Weights

Your body is full of surprises, and there is nothing like being surprised as you go to lift weights. Sometimes, you might look at a dumbbell and think there is no way you can pick it up. You might even surprise yourself with what you can do. Lifting weights is also a very effective way to lose weight and boost muscle production at the same. However, you should remember that lifting weights falls into the anaerobic exercise category, which requires carbohydrates for fuel. To effectively lift weights without tiring out too quickly or losing your energy, you will need to adjust your diet to accommodate for lifting weights. You can lift weights every day, but many suggest having specific days to target certain muscle groups. If muscle gain isn’t your goal, then I would avoid this exercise and go for something else like HIIT.

Start a Yoga Journey

A flexibility exercise, yoga has been known to help many people lose weight, increase their focus, improve balance, and more. Luckily, yoga can be done on a ketogenic diet since it is low in intensity. Yoga is a great exercise to improve much about the body, and many people suggest this exercise type for many reasons. Yoga tends to have a stigma about it, but it is beneficial in helping you open your mind while working your body. There are many things to know about yoga, but one thing that beginners should take from beginning their yoga journey is to slow down and relax. It is a great time to stretch, work your muscles, and exercise without it even feeling like exercise.

Conclusion

Low carb dieting is a popular way to lose weight, cut back on carbs, and improve functions in the body. Exercising while on the ketogenic diet is not always easy. In fact, many people avoid it because of energy falls and that sluggish feeling that comes as your body tries to adjust to the new diet. Perhaps the best way to slowly start your keto diet workouts is to take it slow, find a great low-intensity workout, and pace yourself. You have plenty of time to work out and exercise, and you should be taking the time to find the exercise that works best for your body and your time. There are many different exercises to choose from, and once you understand the four exercise types, you can find the best options for you to help improve your health from head to toe.