Maximize Your Workout by Proper Nutrition

Eating properly, the right amounts at the right time will optimize your workouts by giving you the energy and nutrients your body craves.

Here are some tips on eating and exercise to assist you in maximizing your workout:

1. Eat Breakfast - If you exercise in the morning, get up early enough to eat breakfast, waiting 2-3 hours for a large meal or 1-2 for smaller meals. Most of the energy you got from dinner the previous night is used up by morning, and your blood sugar may be low. Eating a large amount before you exercise can leave you feeling sluggish, or worse, with a case of diarrhea or stomach cramps. Eating too little may not give you the energy to keep you feeling strong throughout your workout

Here are some sample meals that provide protein to help build muscle:

• Steal cut oatmeal with a few berries

• 4 egg whites or 1 whole egg with some chopped veggies.

• 1 whole wheat waffle with 1 tablespoon of natural almond or peanut butter

• Protein, high fiber shake with berries or banana – 8oz

2. Snack healthy – Most people can eat small snacks right before exercise but if eaten to soon before won’t give you added energy but it will help keep up your blood sugar.

Good snack options:

• Apple with peanut butter or almond butter

• Low glycemic protein bar

• Protein and fiber shake

• Handful of almonds

3. Eat after you exercise - To help your muscles recover and to replace their glycogen stores, eat a meal that contains both protein and carbohydrates within two hours of your exercise session if possible. If you aren't hungry after your workout, drink juice or a fruit smoothie to provide replenishing carbohydrates.

Good post-workout food choices include: Almonds or walnuts, plain Greek yogurt with fruit, apple with peanut butter or string cheese, or regular meal consisting of lean meat, tofu and vegetables.

• Drink plenty of water – Replenishing your fluids is necessary for optimizing your workout. You need water before, during and after exercise. To stay well hydrated the America College of Sports Medicine recommends: Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups of water during the two to three hours before your workout, ½ cup to 1 cup of water every 15-20 minutes during and 2-3 cups after your workout for every pound of weight you lose during the workout.

Here is a quote from Coach Shannon Wallace: “Train like an athlete no matter who you are. Some people think that athletes are someone that jumps high, runs fast, and can catch a ball. That is a reality-disconnect. We all have the same bio-mechanics—we all sit, walk and stand. We can all train like an athlete. So what are you waiting for?

Workplace Exercise –Burning Calories at Work

Even if you work at a desk all day, you don’t need to take it constantly sitting down. Make fitness a part of your work day. Here are some ways to incorporate exercise into your office routine:

1. Make the most of your commute - Walk or bike to work. If you drive park a few blocks away and walk the rest of the way or park at the far end of the parking lot. Also, take the stairs rather than the elevator, walk briskly or even run a few extra times up and down.

2. Look for opportunities to stand - You'll burn more calories standing than sitting. Stand while on the phone. Better yet, try a standing desk. Eat lunch standing up. Trade instant messaging and phone calls for walks to other desks or offices

3. Take Fitness Breaks – Take some time to go to a gym that’s nearby if you can on your lunch break or go for a fast walk around the building. Eat a small protein snack such as almonds or almond butter on an apple before you work out, and then eat a veggie wrap or lean meat wrap with veggies after.

4. Try a fitness ball instead of an office chair - Consider trading your desk chair for a firmly inflated fitness or stability ball, as long as you're able to safely balance on the ball. You'll improve your balance and tone your core muscles while sitting at your desk. You can even use the fitness ball for wall squats, abdominal crunches or other workplace exercises during the day.

5. Keep fitness equipment in your office – Store resistance bands, weights, or if there is room in your office, an elliptical or treadmill. Use arm weights between meetings, while on the phone or any time you can sneak them in.

6. Organize a group to walk with – This will help keep you motivated and accountable.

7. Conduct meetings on the go - When it's practical, schedule walking meetings or walking brainstorming sessions. Do laps inside your building or, if the weather cooperates, take your walking meetings outdoors.

8. Try a treadmill desk - If you're ready to take workplace exercise to the next level, consider a treadmill with a computer screen on a stand, a keyboard on a table or a specialized treadmill-ready vertical desk. In fact, Mayo Clinic researchers estimate that overweight office workers who replace sitting computer time with walking computer time by two to three hours a day could lose 44 to 66 pounds in a year. The pace doesn't need to be brisk, nor do you need to break a sweat. The faster you walk, however, the more calories you'll burn.

Now that you have some ideas on working in some exercise, make it happen! Commit to do some form of exercise each day and you will not only get in shape, and have more energy; you will find you are more productive. What are you waiting for? Get moving!