Diet and exercise are two essential elements of a healthy lifestyle. We know that we need to eat right to stay energized, but many people don’t realize how important it is to eat before, during, and after a workout. This is especially true if you want to get the most out of your workout routine:
Choose slow-burning carbs.
It’s crucially important to choose the right type of carbs you eat when training. Slow-burning carbs are the best, as they release energy slowly over time and stabilize blood sugar levels. Examples include oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and sweet potatoes. Fast-burning carbs like white bread or sugary treats cause rapid spikes in your blood sugar levels, leaving you tired and irritable and increasing fat storage if eaten too often or in large portions.
Eat before you exercise.
When eating before a workout, remember that the body must work hard to digest food. The more complex the exercise you’re doing and the more intense it is, the longer it will take your body to digest food. You can also take the time to plan your post-workout meal with the help of a cooker (using appliances at cooksboutique.com), so you have a healthy meal after your workout.
During a workout, your muscles are already working hard—adding food into that mix can cause them to fatigue more quickly because they have an extra load. Overeating before working out can also make you feel bloated or nauseous while exercising.
Pack a mid-workout snack.
If you are going to be working out for longer than an hour, you must eat something. The only exception is if your workout involves lifting weights and running on a treadmill.
Your body needs fuel to sustain a high activity level for more than an hour. If you’re not eating enough calories throughout the day because of unhealthy food choices or too little food overall, your body will have difficulty keeping up with your workout routine.
We can learn from endurance athletes like runners and triathletes who know how important nutrition is when it comes to exercise performance. They know that fueling up before a race or long-distance training session can make all the difference between finishing strong or collapsing at mile six of your run.
Look at what you’re drinking.
One of the most important things you can do for your workout routine is to ensure you’re adequately hydrated. When you’re exercising, your body loses fluids and electrolytes—things like sodium and potassium that are essential for muscle function and recovery. To keep up with this loss, drinking water before, during, and after working out is necessary.
One of the best ways to get rehydrated is by drinking coconut water: it has a high concentration of electrolytes that are easy for your body to absorb. Another good option is green tea; while it doesn’t contain as many electrolytes as coconut water, it does provide antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body and protect against disease. Finally, black coffee contains antioxidants and caffeine—which some studies have shown can improve endurance in athletes.
Conclusion
For many people, working out is a way to escape the rigors of their everyday lives. We all have reasons for wanting to get fit, but the bottom line is that we want to feel good about ourselves and enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle.
With today’s busy lifestyles, it can be challenging to find time in your day to eat well and exercise regularly. But it becomes much more manageable by thinking about what you’re putting into your body and how much exercise you’re getting each day! Eating healthy foods will help enhance your workouts while keeping them interesting so that they don’t become boring routines that no longer offer any excitement.
