The Best Exercises To Do on a Full-Body Cleanse
One of the most difficult things about cleansing your body (aside from being a bore at a potluck) is maintaining healthy energy levels. Most people are used to unhealthy, sugary, and caffeinated sources as pick-me-ups, or they rely on meat and salty snacks to power them through the day. All of those things create toxic build-up. Now that those things are out of your diet, though, you may find it difficult to bring yourself to exercise.
Before we continue, congratulations on your decision to participate in a Full-Body Cleanse. You are well on your way to a healthier, toxin-free lifestyle. When it comes to exercising, it is an additional way to detoxify the body. Exercising boosts the body’s systems by allowing blood to properly circulate and bring nutrients to all the organs and muscles. That said, you don’t want to overdo it on the cleanse. At the end of the day, your body is detoxing and you can use light exercises to help with that process.
Jogging/Cycling:
When it comes to doing aerobic exercises such as jogging or cycling (riding an exercise bike is a great exercise), it’s important to eat solid raw foods. Making fruit or vegetable smoothies, especially green smoothies, are great sources of potassium, but you need raw solids to make up for the burned calories. Raw almonds, avocados, almond milk, whole fruits like bananas, vegetables, or nut butters (excluding peanut butter as it is hard on the digestive system) should be consumed prior to and after workouts.
Swimming:
If jogging or cycling isn’t your cup of tea, swimming laps will dramatically increase your heart rate. To avoid feeling winded after a lap, it’s best to consume a smoothie with superfoods like kale and raw almonds, spirulina, and goji berries before plunging into the water. Make sure you don’t burn yourself out while swimming. Take it slow because you are using your whole and engaging a lot of muscle groups.
Yoga:
Yoga is an ideal exercise to do during your cleanse. This calming exercise can increase your metabolism and stretch your muscles, all the while contributing to your general well-being. Because there are many different types and levels of yoga, it’s beneficial to take an introductory class to get help from an instructor. You can also look online for different yoga routines. The Sun Salutation, Bow Pose, Child’s Pose, Bridge Pose, Seated Sage Twist, Head to Knee Forward Bend, or the Plow Pose are great poses that can help detox different parts of the body.
Walking:
A simple walk can be beneficial in promoting proper circulation. Believe it or not, a simple 30-40 minute walk can burn calories, which means you need energy. Making a juice with dark leafy greens, organic unsweetened coconut water, jalapenos, or system purifiers like cilantro and chlorophyll can provide you the energy you need.
Breathing Exercises:
Tai Chi is one of the best breathing exercises that involves slow, fine, and short breaths. A huge part of Tai Chi is having a firm grip on your mind and body. There are many beginner classes and exercises that you can do to get going. You can also practice yoga breathing, which takes a controlled approach to breathing just like Tai Chi. Yoga breathing involves longer breaths, pausing between each inhale and exhale. Sit up straight and have your back against the wall when doing this exercise.
When you are exercising on the cleanse, it is extra important that you consume the right amount of water every day because it helps remove toxins. Eight 8oz cups of distilled water per day is a good rule of thumb, or you can drink half your body weight in ounces of water. If you weigh 150lbs, then you should drink 75oz. of water per day. If you want something to give you a boost before you cardio workouts, you can try an all-natural pre-workout energizer with distilled water, apple cider vinegar, raw honey, and beet powder.
Exercising truly helps detoxify the body, in addition to your cleanse regimen. Just remember to eat solid raw foods to give yourself the proper nutrients and energy you need to fuel your workouts. You don’t have to do extreme exercises, but every little bit helps.
