January is a great time to renew your focus on fitness! Whether you’re a seasoned pro looking to switch things up or just starting up an exercise routine, getting in shape is as easy as going to the gym, right? Wrong. Unless you’re putting just as much work into nutrition, you’ll never see the full effect of all that hard work. Here are a few nutrition tips aimed at helping you achieve optimum health, no matter what your goals are:
Is it your New Year’s resolution to start getting in shape? Don’t begin by cutting calories. It’s really just a myth that you can’t lose weight without serious calorie-cutting. If your daily calorie intake goes too low, it could lead to low energy levels that make it even harder to keep up your new commitment to exercise! Eating the right amount of calories to match your activity levels and energy needs is key to keeping extra pounds off and helping your fitness level long-term. Remember that you never want to drop below 1500 – 2000 calories, depending on your overall activity level and how serious your exercise is. Serious athletes, like long-distance runners or weight-lifters, often eat more than 3000 calories a day!
You’ve been making great progress and going to the gym regularly, but it seems like you can’t stop snacking. There’s nothing wrong with regular snacks! In fact, once your energy levels and activity are upped after getting a serious exercise routine going, you may find that you need to eat more times per day than ever before. The secret here is to keep your snacks healthy and small, so they don’t end up replacing your meals with empty calories. If you’re the type to snack, try to eat about six small meals per day, focusing on eating primarily fruits and vegetables and keeping animal products like meat or dairy to a minimum.
You’ve kept up your fitness routine for a long time, but lately your energy has been flagging big time. Our question — how much water are you drinking? All those coffee shops and smoothie bars that situate themselves either right inside the gym or very nearby can make it difficult to stay hydrated. Don’t follow-up a good workout with a high-calorie, processed-sugar-laden smoothie. Instead, before you take so much as a sip or a bite of anything else, drink at least 16 ounces of water. Our brains often mix up hunger and thirst signals.
You’re not looking to “get in shape” — you’re already there. Your problem is that you’re not building the kind of muscle you’re looking for. Take a look at your multivitamin. We’ve often found that even multivitamins designed for athletes are missing key nutrients needed for optimum muscle growth. Check for calcium, magnesium, and potassium. If your current multivitamin doesn’t supply your daily needs of all three, you’ll want to look into taking a supplement to ensure your muscles have everything they need to grow.
Don’t let your fitness resolutions get derailed by issues with nutrition. Our tips will help everyone from those newbies taking their first steps into their local fitness center to seasoned pros just looking for advice on how to get an extra fitness boost.
Balance Fitness, prides ourselves on being experts at getting you the healthy lifestyle you need. Whether you’re looking to build a large fitness center or just need advice on designing your own home gym, we’ve got you covered. Give us a call at (650) 348-1259 for our San Mateo location, (408) 244-3010 for our Santa Clara location, or just contact us online today with any questions or to schedule a consultation.
