When it comes to fitness, there are certain rules which seem to be carved in stone, like commandments, so to speak. It's best to know these commandments to help make sure you won't have trouble reaching your fitness goals.

1. Thou shall eat right before and after

      The right diet is as important as the fitness routine itself, maybe even more. Whether you want to lose weight, maintain it or bulk up, you have to eat right. If you're going to eat a heavy meal, do it two hours before an activity. The blood flow is concentrated in the digestive tract after eating, so your body will be busy with other things if you immediately work out after eating. You also run the risk of getting an upset stomach. If you don't have time, a light snack of fruits, nuts and oatmeal or veggies and oatmeal 30 minutes before an activity will do.

     Choose carbohydrate-rich foods as a pre-activity meal. Complex carbohydrates to be exact. Carbs fuel your body, but the complex ones stay in your system longer, providing a steady supply of energy. The extra fiber and nutrients from complex carbs is also an added bonus.
     It's important to eat within 40 minutes post-activity. Why? Because your body, particularly your muscles, will be starving for fuel. So you have to feed it right. High-protein foods are the best choice since muscles need them for repair. Fish, lean meats like chicken and turkey, as well as beans work best. If you like a quick meal, try a shake with a 4:1 carb and protein ratio. The added carbs are for giving you an energy boost.
    Whatever you do, don't binge. While it's true that your body continuously burns calories after an activity because of the increased metabolism, it can't burn a truckload of calories.

2. Thou shall drink water regularly

     Water, for all its simplicity and blandness, offers so much benefits. It refreshes your body and flushes the impurities. So remember to always hydrate. Don't get to the point when you are so thirsty since this means you're already dehydrated.
     Here's another reason you should drink more water. Recent research showed that drinking seven glasses of water a day can decrease your daily calorie intake. In the study, participants drank an average of 4.2 glasses of water a day. When their water intake was increased by between one to three glasses, their calorie intake was cut by a maximum of 205 calories. It also had a bonus. Their salt, saturated fat and sugar consumption considerably went down.

3. Thou shall warm up and cool down

        Cold muscles are not very flexible, increasing the risk of injury when you work out or play a sport. That's why you need to warm up. Do a warm up for 10 minutes, or even more, if your workout is going to be intense. On the other hand, you'll need to cool down post-activity. This will help you gradually lower your heart rate and let your muscles transition to a resting state.

4. Thou shall wear the right stuff

       Gone are the days when you just wear anything you want when you work out or play sports. Now, if you really want to be comfortable and perform better, you really have to wear the right stuff. First on the list is technical clothing. The specialized clothes, like Diadora apparel, which also includes compression garments, besides being surprisingly durable despite being lightweight, has features like sweat-wicking and anti-microbial properties. Also, wear shoes which are workout related, like Diadora shoes, and sport-specific. Choose shoes which are also particular to your gait.

5. Thou shall observe the right form

      Incorrect form can lessen the effectiveness of an exercise. Worse, it puts undue pressure on certain muscles or body parts increasing the possibility of injury. Learn the right form when doing each exercise. Even when playing sports, do the correct way or technique on how to perform certain movements.

6. Thou shall keep the rest days holy

      No matter how hard you train, you will still need sufficient rest to see gains. Your body isn't a machine. It needs to rebuild itself to make it stronger. And it can't do that if you constantly put your body under pressure without letting it heal properly. Get at least two to three days of rest, more if you undergo intense training.
Now that you know all the commands, go forth and get fit!