5 Must-Try Workout Routines

The South Beach Diet is a great way to limit your net carbs while reaping the benefits of a low-carb lifestyle. A low-carb diet requires changes such as limiting carbs and increasing healthy fats, and it also sometimes requires a change in your fitness routine. If you’ve been following the South Beach Diet, you might want to adjust your usual workout routines to enhance the weight loss benefits of your new diet.

While on a low-carb diet, fitness experts recommend low-intensity workouts due to the new way your body uses and stores energy. Since your body won’t have the available carbs needed for intense, fast bursts of energy, it is often suggested to adjust your workouts to accommodate your new low-carb lifestyle.

You should temporarily avoid high-impact or intense workouts that rely on carbs for fast fuel until your body adjusts to your new meal plan:

• High-intensity interval training
• Body conditioning

Things to remember while on a low-carb meal plan:

• Make sure to eat the recommended healthy fats and lean proteins each day.
• Pay attention to how your body feels.
• It is okay to take a rest day.

Check out which workout routines will be most beneficial to your low-carb meal plan:

1. Strength training

Not used to adding in some weight to your usual workout routines? Eating a limited amount of net carbs means you might want to stay away from high-intensity workouts that rely on fast energy from carbohydrate stores in your body. Strength training or resistance training activities such as weight lifting, push-ups, squats and crunches are low-intensity workouts that will use your energy at the right pace. You also want to build and maintain lean muscle to help your body burn calories fast and stay fit. Even without a low-carb diet, strength training provides the best calorie burn payoff post-workout, so you continue to burn fat and increase your metabolism even after exercise ends. When you combine a low-carb diet with strength training, the results are even more exciting. According to a study, published in The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, participants experienced an increase in fat loss and lean muscle mass after practicing resistance training on a keto-friendly diet. If you want to burn fat, stick to building power and strength through steady resistance training workouts.

2. Running

Low-carb diets pair perfectly with any type of low-impact, aerobic workout routines because it increases your fat-burning capabilities during endurance exercise. Research published in Nutrients explains that a high-fat, low-carb diet can benefit endurance athletes by increasing fat metabolism during a run and reducing muscle damage afterward. The combination of low-carb and cardio workouts can also improve your overall body composition by decreasing body mass via fat. While you’re following the South Beach Diet meal plan, go for regular runs, jogs or hikes to burn fat faster and maintain your healthy lifestyle and keep moving.

3. Swimming

Swimming is another aerobic activity that will tone your legs and arms while revving up your heart rate. While you’re doing laps in the pool or the ocean, your body will use your available fat for energy because of the mildly intense and relaxing nature of swimming. In the Journal of Human Kinetics, research shows that low-carb and high-fat diets can boost performance during endurance sports such as swimming to benefit your body’s ability to build lean muscle and control fat. Simultaneously work up a sweat and cool down with a swim to enjoy improved endurance exercise while enjoying your low-carb meal plan.

4. Biking

A full-body workout, biking is one of our favorite workout routines for those on the low-carb meal plan because it’s a fun form of low-impact resistance training. You can continue to bike outdoors or hit a low-impact cycling class while following the South Beach Diet meal plan. With a high intake of healthy fats on a low-carb diet, you can easily tackle an endurance bike ride to benefit your calorie burn. In an interview for Bicycling Magazine, USA cycling expert and coach, Menacham Brodie, explains how beneficial biking can be while following a keto diet as long as you go for a steady, consistent ride rather than a race. Some bikers find it beneficial to eat more healthy fats as opposed to traditional carb-loading because it provides them with a constant source of energy to use. Since cycling classes and racing require fast bursts of energy from carb sources, a slow, consistent bike ride is the ticket for a low-carb lifestyle. Go at your own pace and get back on your bike for a workout that will increase your fat-burning abilities.

5. Yoga

Yoga is a low-impact activity known for relieving stress, anxiety and improving weight loss. For days when your body is feeling a little groggy due to the transition to your new diet plan, you want a calming workout that will benefit your body and mind. Yoga emphasizes stretching and movements to benefit your body’s balance, flexibility and range of motion. According to mindbodygreen.com, with yoga, you’ll build muscle and burn calories with a focus on small, slow movements that don’t require carbs for fast fuel. Some yoga stretches can get intense, but while you hold those long, difficult poses, remember you’ll be burning the available fat in your body thanks to your low-carb diet. Use yoga to stay in shape and burn calories when you need a low-intensity activity that won’t burn out your body.