Don’t you just love essential oils and the great benefits they have for your health? When it comes to weight loss and fitness, essential oils can play a huge part in helping you achieve your goals. But you need to use them along with other healthy practices to get the best results. Essential oils can help curb your appetite, detox your body, energize your mind, speed up your metabolism, and so much more. Just imagine combining all the great uses of essential oils with a balanced diet and regular exercise!
The U.S. Department of Health recommends that adults exercise around 150 minutes a week. This can include different activities such as walking, running, yoga, and sports. It may seem difficult to combine essential oils with exercise, but here are a few tips to make it happen:
- Wearing a pendant can be a great way to continue inhaling your favorite essential oils while exercising. You won’t have to worry about skin photosensitivity to oils when you’re outside or about sweating off your oils in an intense workout.
- Adding a few drops of essential oils to a water bottle is a great way to refresh yourself and get needed support into your system. Great oils in drinking water are spearmint, peppermint, grapefruit, lemon, and orange.
- Diffusing energizing oils before starting your workout will get you in the mood and ready to go! Either of these diffuser blends should do the trick:
While using oils before and during workouts is super supportive, don’t stop there. Applying essential oils after your workout will help you recover faster and prepare for the next round:
- Apply soothing oils such as peppermint, marjoram, or balsam fir directly to exercised areas of your body to help them loosen and relax.
- Apply muscle salve to help relieve muscle soreness and strain. The salve will also strengthen your muscles and help them repair quickly.
- Add a 2 drops each of peppermint and eucalyptus oils to a bowl of cold water. Dip some clean
cloths in the water, ring them out, and place them in the freezer for a couple of hours. After—or even during—your workout, pull out the frozen cloths and apply them to your face, the back of your neck, or elsewhere to help you cool down. - Add a few drops of lemon or grapefruit oil to a post-workout protein shake to continue detoxifying your body and boost your metabolism. This is also works before you exercise.
- Take epsom salt baths after workouts to do your body wonders! Combine 1/2 cup (110 g) baking soda, 1 cup (240 g) epsom salt, and 2–3 drops of your favorite essential oil in a bowl. Add the mixture to your bath, and then soak for 20–30 minutes.
If you enjoy yoga and meditation, check out our Essential Oils for Meditation post for more ideas on using essential oils to enhance your practice.
These are just a few tips to add essential oils to your fitness routine. The possibilities are limitless! We’d love to hear what you have found helpful for your workout.