There’s a lot of information (and misinformation) about exercising on a blended juice cleanse. We’re tackling the topic head-on, so you can make an informed decision on whether to hit the gym or the couch while cleansing. Let’s dive in.
How Our Bodies Burn Fuel for Exercise
Before we can discuss when, how, and how much you should exercise on a blended juice cleanse, it’s best to quickly refresh ourselves on how our body burns fuel in the first place.
On a normal day our bodies prioritize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for fuel. If you have not ingested enough of these three macros to fuel your activity level, your body will begin burning fat reserves and, eventually, muscle mass to make up the deficit.
If your end goal for your cleanse is to lose weight (vs say, detox), this knowledge may tempt you to decrease your macros and increase your activity level/exercise output. However, this is not generally recommended.
Excessive exercise without proper fuel can lead to exhaustion, dizziness, and nausea. Eventually, you may even lose muscle mass and decrease your metabolic rate—the opposite of your end goal.
Exercising on a Regular Juice Cleanse vs a Blended Juice Cleanse
On any ol’ juice cleanse, your body will only be fueled by pressed or squeezed juices. These types of juices are essentially water, sugar, and micronutrients (for example, vitamin A, vitamin B-12, etc). In these circumstances, most people do not have the macronutrients to properly fuel for exercise such as running, swimming, or lifting weights.
In contrast, a blended juice cleanse does not filter out the fiber and carbohydrates found in fruit and vegetables. In other words, a blended juice cleanse provides more fuel for your body than a regular juice cleanse. And by extension, some physical activity may be fine for certain demographics.
What Exercise Can I Do?
Unfortunately, there’s no hard guidelines on what exercises are appropriate for who on a blended juice cleanse. The best advice we can offer is to listen to your body and do what feels natural to you.
Try doing what you normally do, but at a slightly reduced output. For example, if you usually jog 5mi every other day, reduce your distance to 3mi and run at a slightly slower pace.
Remember, your body is not getting the fuel (macros) it is used to. Do not overdo yourself.
A few other light exercises we enjoy while cleansing include:
Stretching: Not only is stretching important as an exercise on its own, it is also essential to injury prevention. Not to mention, stretching burns fewer calories than most forms of exercise, making it the perfect activity while cleansing.
Yoga: Wake up your chakras, calm your mind, and focus on a light yoga practice while cleansing.
Pilates: Similar to yoga and stretching but with an added elements of strength building. This low-impact exercise is ideal for cleansing.
Walk: Easily the most underrated form of exercise at any time, but especially while cleansing. Walking keeps your blood pumping, your body moving, and your calories burning, all while remaining low-impact and accessible to everyone.
Exercise Tips
Here are a few extra tips to remember when exercising on a blended juice cleanse:
Listen to Your Body: If you don’t feel great – stop whatever activity you are doing. Cleansing is not the appropriate time to push your limits at the gym or in the swimming pool.
Stay Hydrated: Staying hydrated while exercising is always important, but quadruple-so while cleansing.
Time Your Exercises: Last but not least – try to time your exercises for when you’ll have the most energy. Namely, after enjoying your juice products. Our own Chef V juices are designed to give you a jolt of awareness and energy, so make the most out of it.