Pre-Workout Snacks

When you're training intensely, fueling right becomes a top priority. Just ask Natalie Uhling, an instructor at the yoga, Pilates, and cardio hybrid SLT Yoga who also leads kickboxing classes. Teaching up to five classes a day means that the Under Armour model needs to stay energetic from morning to night. "Because my classes are super intense, I really have to be engaged," Natalie says. "I do the workout, so I'm drenched and I'm really bopping around." Even if you're not working out five times a day, you'll benefit from Natalie's tips on eating for energy. Check out a few of her favorite all-natural snacks below.

Green juice: For a pre-workout snack that keeps her energy up throughout an intense cardio class, Natalie uses her Vitamix to blend up a nutrient-packed green juice made of kale, spinach, cucumber, broccoli, half a banana, and an apple. "I feel alive when I'm teaching, not weighed down" when she drinks this juice before a workout, she says.

Natural protein bars: Look for all-natural bars, Natalie says; you'll avoid the processed ingredients found in many other protein bars. She recommends Lärabars for their simple ingredient list; make your own similar fruit and nut bars with our easy recipe here.

Perfect pairs: A piece of fruit will give you a natural energy boost, and pairing with protein will help give you the endurance for an intense workout. "For foods that are going to give you a lot of energy, any fruit like bananas [with] peanut butter or almond butter" helps you stick with your workout, Natalie recommends.

I'm always on the lookout for a pre-workout snack that keeps me fueled without slowing me down, and this simple smoothie from pro surfer and model Erica Hosseini may be my new favorite.

Photo courtesy of Oakley

I met Erica at a recent Oakley event in Napa, CA, where she shared with me her hectic schedule: when she's not chasing waves around the world, she's surfing, playing tennis, or going for a run in her hometown in Southern California. So when I asked her to share her favorite pre-workout snack to keep her energy up for the first of several workouts of the day, she offered up a simple protein smoothie that satisfies her sweet cravings and keeps her full until her post-workout breakfast. She loves this recipe so much that it's become a morning routine. "I'm a big protein shake person. That's pretty much what I have daily [before a workout]: a cup of coffee and a protein shake," she says. "Then I work out, or if there [are] waves, I surf, and then I come in and have a heartier breakfast."

Ready to start your day right? Read on for Erica's simple protein shake recipe.

The right preworkout snack, which is a combination of mostly carbs with a little bit of protein, can give you the fuel you need for the perfect workout. But if you haven't planned a preworkout snack in time, you may be left feeling sluggish and run-down during your exercise session. Instead of running on empty, try these three foods that are proven to give that extra boost you need while working out.

Raisins: Don't overdo it with the complex carbs and protein right before a workout — you may be sidelined by stomach issues. Instead, reach for a small but digestible snack of about 25 grams of simple carbs. Besides being easy to digest, raisins contain other nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are important for athletes.

Dark chocolate: Reach for a small square of dark chocolate if you want an extra energy boost before working out. Dark chocolate contains a flavonoid called epicatechin that may help you fight fatigue during your workout, according to a recent study involving rats. The amount needed is small, only about five grams, so it's fine to eat this amount right before you work out.

Coffee: Another performance-enhancing product may be a cup of coffee. Caffeine is energizing, and it's also been proven to enhance athletes' speed and endurance and may even encourage the body to burn more fat. However, don't down a cup of coffee right before your workout, especially if it already irritates your digestive tract. Finish your cup at least 30 minutes before a workout for best results (and if you haven't eaten for a while, pair it with a simple carb).

Some days you're just feeling out of sorts. And while you may not be super sick or nursing a serious injury, that feeling can be the perfect excuse when you want to skip your workout in favor of something less strenuous — like, say, a DVR session on the couch. Before you use those excuses, here are some ways to keep those minor daily annoyances from affecting your routine.

You're constantly tired: Fatigue can get the best of you, especially when it's time to exercise. It can be a lot easier to think that resting your body is a better option — and sometimes, taking a day to rest can be the best option. Most of the time, however, exercise is just what you need to feel both energized and to have a good night's sleep afterward. And if you find yourself staying up too late or battling with insomnia, here are more ways to help you destress and go to sleep.

Your back aches: It can be easy to think that you should just live with minor aches and pains, but what seem minor can be preventing you from wanting to be active. Instead of powering through those minor pains throughout the day, incorporate some preventative and relieving exercises to help your back feel its best. Yoga has been proven to relieve back pain; here are yoga poses for lower back pain, and some back and shoulder strengthening exercises that will prevent imbalances that lead to aches.

Read on for more remedies for antiworkout annoyances.

Add another benefit of chocolate to your justification list: not only does dark chocolate help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, soothe a cough, and increase blood flow, but a new study now says it also can help you perform better if you eat it right before a workout.

The study looked at rats given either water or liquid extract of epicatechin, the healthy flavonoid found in dark chocolate that gives the sweet its many benefits, and found that rats who drank the extract ran as much as 50 percent farther than rats who drank only water. Epicatechin, the study found, binds to receptors in muscles, which may help them resist fatigue.

Wait, don't start gobbling the good stuff just yet! Read on for how much chocolate you should eat before a workout.