What To Eat Before And After Your Workout

There are many opinions as to what you should eat before, during and after your workouts. The reality is that your body is your vehicle, so you’ve got to keep your engine — your heart — running while you work out.

That means fueling up with the right foods before your workout, hydrating with the right fluids throughout your regimen, and eating the right amounts at the right times.

“You don’t have to adhere to a rigid schedule, and there are no hard-fast rules,” says Riska Platt, M.S., R.D., a nutrition consultant for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. “But there are some things you should do before, during and after you work out.”

Before your workout: eat healthy carbs, hydrate with water

Not fueling up before you work out is like “driving a car on empty,” says Platt, an American Heart Association volunteer. You also won’t have enough energy to maximize your workout and you limit your ability to burn calories.
Ideally, fuel up two hours before you exercise by:

• Hydrating with water
• Eating healthy carbohydrates such as whole-grain cereals (with low-fat or skim milk), whole-wheat toast (without the fatty cream cheese), low-fat or fat-free yogurt, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, fruits and vegetables
• Avoiding saturated fats and even a lot of healthy protein — because these types of fuels digest slower in your stomach and take away oxygen and energy-delivering blood from your muscles

If you only have 5-10 minutes before you exercise, eat a piece of fruit such as an apple or banana.

“The key is to consume easily digested carbohydrates, so you don’t feel sluggish,” Platt says.

During your workout: hydrate with water

Whether you’re a professional athlete who trains for several hours or you have a low to moderate routine, keep your body hydrated with small, frequent sips of water.

You don’t need to eat during a workout that’s an hour or less. But, for longer, high intensity, vigorous workouts, eat every half hour 50-100 calories of carbohydrates such as raisins, an energy bar or banana.

After your workout: have fluids, healthy carbs and protein

After your workout, it’s time to refuel with:

• Fluids. Drink water, of course. Blend your water with 100 percent juice such as orange juice, which provides fluids, carbohydrates and potassium.
• Carbohydrates. You burn a lot of carbohydrates — the main fuel for your muscles — when you exercise. In the 20-60 minutes after your workout, your muscles can store carbohydrates and protein as energy and help in recovery.
• Protein. Eat things with protein to help repair and grow your muscles, including a whole grain bagel, baked potato, peanut butter sandwich, etc.

It’s important to realize that these are general guidelines. We have different digestive systems and “a lot depends on what kind of workout you’re doing,” Platt says.

So, do what works best for you. Know that what you put in your body (nutrition) is as important as you what you do with your body (exercise). Both are crucial to keeping your engine performing at its best.

Whats the difference between WNY MMA and those health clubs you like

What's the difference between WNY MMA and those health clubs you like?

The difference is that we are better. Here's the thing, you look at us and see scary looking stuff to the uninitiated; Heavy bags, cages, boxing rings, sledge hammers, kettle bells, tractor tires, etc. But here's the thing, I am going to give you things to think about when you are comparing WNY MMA and Fitness to those other places. See there, they already don't matter. 

I guarantee that more work is getting done here than at a spa!!!

• When you are at a gym, you are there to work: Look, I know the draw that these places have. There's a swimming pool, a sauna, there's a corner that does facials, oh and that juice bar is amazing. But lets stop and really think about what we are trying to get out of our gym time; when you made that new years resolution, did it include sitting around for an hour or so talking to other gym members about how you argued with your husband/boyfriend about painting the main bedroom fuchsia? No it wasn't, it was to get you butt in gear.

you thought I was joking about the conversation about fuchsia?

• Are you at the gym to run countless miles, or are you there to sweat and ache: You get up, go to the gym and run. Sound familiar? it should. That's because, countless people follow that very formula in the hopes of seeing the fabled body changes of legend. Let me guess, you also leave the gym having energy and a smile. If that's what you are looking for after working out everyday then you will be in for a very rude awakening training at WNY MMA and Fitness. Here you will be leaving sore and having aches in places you forgot even existed, and that's a good thing. 

• Working out getting boring, not here: Unless you have a private instructor to help you everyday, you will not be getting your times worth at a health club. There's a lot of stuff to get lost in, especially by yourself. Because of this, you revert back to what you know. There's just something different when someone is right next to you continuously lighting a fire under butt, you work harder than you would have otherwise. That means you will pass those plateaus that everyone else are stuck at. 

• Having other people working hard acts as motivation: Humans are competitive, that's how we survived for this long on this planet. It's hardwired in our brains, and for good reason. When you are doing something alone, you just don't push yourself as hard. Take a class here and have everyone doing the same exercise as you, now you feel like you're competing against these people; you try harder, this is very important. This is where growth comes from, not from just going through the motions. 

So let me stop being wordy here and just spell it out for you. If you really want to work, then come to WNY MMA and Fitness. Its plain and simple; if you want to chit chat and have a facial, then go to a health club. 

Beat the Winter Blues with Zumba: Women's Fitness in Buffalo and Western New York

Beat the Winter Blues with Zumba: Women's Fitness in Buffalo and Western New York

It's hard to keep up the motivation to exercise during a cold winter.

With the warm blankets and so many tasty treats, sometimes you'd rather just stay in bed.

But piling on those pounds can slow you down physically and bring you down mentally. So it's crucial to take measures to stay active and happy.

WNY MMA & Fitness added zumba classes to their class repertoire at the turn of the new year. Women's Fitness in Buffalo and Western New York members now have the option to mix in zumba classes with their regular fitness memberships, or to buy a zumba only membership.

"Zumba is a great and fun way to stay in shape. It gets the blood moving and the mouths smiling! It's a great way to stay in shape mentally and physically during the winter because it's always hot in Zumba! said Becky Newcombe, Zumba Instructor.

Call today to schedule a free trial class! (716)898-8924