Yes, you can make an awesome playlist for your MP3 player, and get dressed in the best outfit you have for the gym. Here are 5 things you shouldn’t do before the gym:

1. Drink a gallon of water. If it’s an hour before you’re heading into the gym, don’t start drinking your eight ounces that you have needed for the day right before you hit the gym. Our kidneys can’t process more than a liter of water an hour, so if a person drinks too much in that hour, you can be at risk for a serious condition called hyponatremia. The condition of hyponatremia is when the blood becomes diluted and your sodium drops below the recommended level.
2. Reach toward your toes. Have you ever done this, but after you feel completely light-headed? If a person does too much static stretching before a workout, they could put their muscles at risk. During a workout, muscles need to contract intensely in order for them to get the most out of the gym. When your muscles are stretched too much beforehand, you will limit the ability to have them do their job efficiently.
3. Drink alcohol. If you’re planning to work out, no amount of alcohol should be consumed before doing so. Depending on the person, experiences of being drowsy, have an impaired motor function, and the list goes on as far as consuming before working out. When a person consumes just one glass of alcohol, this can lower their blood-sugar levels, causing a person to be shaky or possibly faint.
4. Eat at a buffet. If you’re planning on hitting up the gym, make sure a buffet is the last place you go. When the stomach is full, the risk for acidic contents coming into the esophagus, creating a heartburn sensation is very high. If you are planning to work out at a high intensity, avoid meat, eggs, corn, and anything else that is hard for your stomach to digest. Eat digestible foods like complex carbs and fruit a couple of hours before you workout to avoid cramping.
5. Have Sex. While this may be a fun workout, this isn’t a good idea to do before a workout at the gym. Having sex with your partner exudes a ton of energy, and releases oxytocin which mellows a person out, causing them to be extremely chill.