Remember that what goes in is what comes out.  

Are you wondering what to eat around fitness time?

Fuel your exercise and fitness routine with nourishing pre-workout meals and you’ll start to see a shift in how you feel, perform and recover. The right nutrition and timing will help prevent muscle mass loss, shorten your recovery time and give you extra energy.

Here are some tips to transform your workout routine and fuel your fitness:

• Timing Matters: Most people are familiar with the difference between a terrific workout and a terrible one. The prevalent factors typically come down to energy levels and meal timing. To get the most out of your workout, try to eat a meal with all macros (simple carbs, protein and fat) 2 to 4 hours before you exercise. We recommend morning exercisers keep it simple with a piece of fruit, nuts or hard-boiled egg. Afternoon or evening exercisers may not need a pre-workout snack if they recently ate a full meal. If you do start getting hunger pains close to your work out opt for fast digesting simple carbs such as a banana, apple or sweet potato.

• Intensity: Low-intensity exercises such as Yoga or Pilates doesn’t require as much fuel as Cross Fit, HIIT or strength training. Ask yourself what kind of workout you plan on doing at the start of your day. Then, make sure to eat enough for the intensity of your workout.  Good options for a light pre-workout snack include whole-wheat toast with peanut butter or non-fat Greek yogurt with fruit, and almonds.

• Hydrate: Getting enough fluids helps balance your muscle’s ability to contract and relax. It can also help you maintain mental clarity and keep you from overeating. Drink water every 15 to 20 minutes throughout your training session. If you do intense workout sessions that last more than 60 minutes, consider an isotonic drink such as coconut water.  Isotonic drinks are full of electrolytes and help prevent you from becoming dehydrated. 

• Eat Healthy Fats: Healthy fats are an important part of a balanced diet and help your body absorb nutrients. A few of our favorites are avocado, nuts, fish, seeds and olive oil. Incorporate these into your diet throughout the day as they lubricate and protect your joints and organs. Be careful not to consume too much fat prior to a workout since fat takes the longest amount of time to digest.

• Plan a Post-Workout Snack: Eating after working out is just as important as eating Like pre-workout meals a combination of simple carbohydrates and protein is effective. We recommend cooked quinoa, hummus and pita bread, fresh fruit and cooked vegetables. These will squash hunger after your workout, restore glycogen (your muscle’s main source of energy) and repair muscle damage.

Fuel your fitness with these pre- and post-workout tips to boost energy and results. The most important part of a good workout is your fueling strategy. What you eat determines how hard you can push yourself and how well your muscles recover afterward.  

At Long Beach Spine and Rehabilitation Chiropractic Health Center, we inform our clients about the proper diets and nutritional protocols to specifically support optimum function in their bodies. This may ultimately result in clients who thrive in life as a healthy person. If you’d like more information on our Nutrition Program call us today at 562-938-8770 to schedule a FREE Consultation.