FitSugar

4 Post-Workout Must Dos (and 1 Don't!)

Leta Shy — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:17:26 PDT

Congrats, you've completed a workout for the day! Sometimes, nothing feels as good as knowing you've sweat it out and burned calories. But before you think you're done, make sure you do these four things after your workout (and avoid doing the last one!).

What's Your Favorite Recovery Drink?

FitSugar — Sat, 21 May 2011 03:05:50 PDT

After a particularly vigorous workout, run, or bike ride, you need to replenish important nutrients in your system. A recovery drink helps you quickly get what you need - electrolytes to rehydrate as well as carbs and protein to rebuild your muscle. There are many ways to drink those essential nutrients after a workout, from ready-made sports drinks like Gatorade to chocolate milk or coconut water (or even just making your own with maple syrup).

If you are a recovery drink fan, what's your drink of choice?

Real Food vs. Energy Bars and Sports Drinks

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:00:00 PDT

Here's a little food for thought: the biggest difference between eating engineered energy sports foods and real foods after your workout is convenience.

There are many "recovery products" on the market right now; scientifically researched products designed to deliver carbs and protein to muscles depleted after long training sessions. While it is true that muscles do need carbs and protein after exercise to repair themselves, many researchers believe the window of time to feed the muscles these macro nutrients is any where from two to four hours. This is ample time to find yourself a kitchen and make yourself some good old fashioned food.

To see how much protein and carbs you should eat during your recovery time,

read more. The amounts of both nutrients are rather small. Muscle repair only requires about 10 to 15 grams of protein, the equivalent of two eggs. In terms of carbs, the body needs about one gram of carbs per kilogram of body weight (for us metrically challenged Americans 2.2 pounds roughly equals 1 kilogram) – I need about 60 grams of carbs. I can easily find that amount of carbs in an apple (31 grams of carbs), two slices of whole wheat toast (24 grams of carbs), and 6 ounces of vanilla flavored Greek yogurt (14 grams). Scramble up two eggs to go with my carbs and basically, I have a healthy breakfast, which is perfect after a long run. Sometimes after a workout though, you just don't have the time or resources to make real food. In those cases, a Power Bar can come in handy. My point being, don't fall for the gimmicks and think you have to drink an Accelerade. Choose real food when you can. It is cheaper and less processed and tastes way better. Source

From the Community: Beat Boredom With This 40-Minute Treadmill Workout

Fit Community — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:57:25 PST

Caught in a rut on the treadmill? FitSugar reader FitFabCities has created a 40-minute treadmill workout that is certain to get you excited about the gym again!

I'm not afraid to say it: I love the treadmill. I know, I know, my fellow runners out there probably gasp in horror at the thought of spending even 30 minutes "running but going nowhere," but I love it. I love staying dry, I love watching TV, and I really love being warm.

That said, I am willing to admit it can get a wee bit boring if every time you hop on the old treadmill, you hit your regular three to five miles. Well that's why I love this workout; you'll be changing speeds, inclines, even directions every minute, so there is no chance you'll get bored. After all, keeping your mind and body guessing is the best way to keep seeing results!

See this interval workout (and get a printable copy) after the break!

Keep Your Post-Gym Trek Sweat-Free

Leta Shy — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:21:24 PST

There's nothing worse than heating up at the gym only to be met by frosty cold temps outside when you're done. If you're not making a pit stop in the locker room to get street-ready, you're met with a problem: you're too hot and sweaty to brave the cold outdoor air without feeling uncomfortable. If you're skipping the shower at the gym, here are two simple reminders to make sure your next trek outdoors post-workout isn't uncomfortable and cold.

Wait it out: Don't just hop off the treadmill and grab your stuff. When you're exercising regularly, it can take several minutes for your heart rate to go back down from peak to resting rate (the normal heart rate recovery rate is a decrease of 15-20 beats per minute) so if you go outside too soon, you'll still be pumped up from your workout. Use the time to cool down properly with post-workout stretches and foam rolling instead.

Always choose moisture-wicking: I've worked out in any old T-shirt and I've worked out in gear designed for working out, and there's definitely a difference. To keep yourself from being uncomfortably soggy under those Winter clothes, use performance wear designed to wick away sweat and keep you dry. And always bring a similarly sweat-wicking cover-up to layer under your coat before you head outside for even more protection. Here are some lightweight cover-ups that would work well under your puffy outerwear.

How do you brave Winter weather after sweating it out at the gym?

7 Reasons to Try Interval Training

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:11:00 PDT

Interval training is the ultimate fitness mashup, blending the speeds of both the tortoise and the hare. The benefits of this workout - pushing your pace, then slowing down to recover just so you can push your pace again - will certainly motivate you to play with your speed. If you haven't already added them to your cardio workouts, here are seven benefits of interval training.

Whittle your middle
While cardio exercise is necessary to lose fat all over your body, according to research published in the International Journal of Obesity interval training targets your waistline. Adding bursts of speed can help you lose stubborn abdominal fat, which is a boon for bikini season and your overall health. Having a waist size over 35 inches if you're a woman puts you at a higher risk for heart disease and some cancers. Curious how your middle measures up? Check your waist-to-hip ratio here.

Got a need for speed?
The most obvious benefit, but still worth noting, is interval training will make you faster. Picking up your pace when training with intervals helps to increase your speed whether you run, bike, or swim. If you're working towards a personal record for an upcoming race, don't skip your speed work. Here are interval workouts for biking, swimming, and running. Triathlon anyone?

Keep reading to learn five more reasons to kick it up a notch.

Ask the Diet Doctor: The Best Post-Workout Snack

Shape — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 04:11:23 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help!

Q: I'm starving after my workout! What can I do to stop that or to avoid canceling out the calories I just burned?

-Regina, Facebook

A: It may seem a little counterintuitive, but immediately after your workout is the best time of day to eat, so even if you're not starving, you should still eat something.

The good news is that you can't cancel out the calories you just burned during your workout. Weight loss and the human body don't work like that. When you're working out, your body burns fat to be used as energy. If you eat right after your workout, those calories won't be used to replace the burned body fat. Your body only stores food as body fat when it doesn’t have anything else to do with the extra calories you eat. After your workout, your body needs to start restoring and repairing itself from your training session. In other words, it needs calories.

The calories you eat after your workout will be used to replace energy stores in your muscles that got used up during your training session. Your body also uses any protein you eat to build and repair your muscles that were broken down as a result of you pushing them to their limits.

Eating immediately after you finish a workout is beneficial for many reasons. Your body will automatically use the calories you eat for good (repair and recovery) and not bad (fat storage). In fact, research shows that your body's ability to refill muscle energy stores decreases by 50 percent if you wait to eat just two hours after your workout compared to eating right away. Eating after your workout may also increase your body’s insulin sensitivity or its ability to use carbohydrates - an important factor for weight loss and health for the following 24 hours.

Find out which foods you should eat post-workout after the break!

10 Workout Secrets (From Experts Who Learned the Hard Way!)

Self — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 05:12:19 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Nobody is perfect. And neither are our workouts. From the fitness hangover solution to what not to wear at the gym and how to avoid being "that" girl at the gym, 10 fitness pros (and me) give us their "I wish I'd known sooner" secrets for having a better, more effective and enjoyable workout. So you don't have to learn the hard way!

Brynn Jinnett, Founder of the Refine Method
I was working out in a hotel gym and a man was trying to perform some strange acrobatics that involved a kettle bell and a wobble board. A guy walked by and said "KISS, man!" Keep it simple, Stupid. Eat clean, work out hard. Rinse, repeat.

Kristin McGee, Yoga and Fitness Expert
I usually never wear makeup if I work out at the gym, especially first thing in the morning, but I had my makeup on for a meeting at one of the gyms I teach at and stayed to do the moving stairs after for a quick session. I jumped off and ran to teach my next private yoga client and realized she kept staring at me funny the whole way through. After our private, I used her restroom and noticed I had total raccoon eyes! My mascara had run all down below my eyelids and I looked horrible! I told my makeup artist friend about this and here's the tip he gave me, "To avoid make up meltdown mascara under the eye, rub a little Vaseline under your eyes when you go for a run or do a heavy workout then use a q-tip to gently glide it off and reapply some concealer and you're good to go." It totally works and I realize many women have to sneak in their workouts midday or after work and this does the trick.

The Best Way to Satisfy Post-Workout Hunger

Shape — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:35:24 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turned to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help!

Q: I'm starving after my workout! What can I do to stop that or to avoid canceling out the calories I just burned? -Regina Castillo, Facebook

A: It may seem a little counterintuitive, but immediately after your workout is the best time of day to eat, so even if you're not starving, you should still eat something.

Find out which foods make the best post-workout meals after the break!

Healthy Dose Link Time: Why the Trail Makes a Great Gym

FitSugar — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:11:10 PDT

Reasons to lace up those running shoes and make the trail your outdoor gym - Fitness
Why you should add ch-ch-ch-chia seeds to your diet - Daily Spark
See Gisele Bundchen's post-workout recovery drink - Fit Celeb
10 protein bars worth packing in your gym bag - Fit Bottomed Girls
Get in a quick workout with this 15-minute treadmill plan - Peanut Butter Fingers
Why blueberries are a must-have buy for your next farmers market visit - Health