Fueled up, Ready to go!

Just a few thoughts pre-workout: Have you ever wondered why sometimes you feel great when you exercise and sometimes you feel horrible, even though it's the same workout you did last week? Why do you sometimes know in advance that it's going to be a "bad workout day"? Aside from mental sluggishness, why do you just sometimes not feel like exercising? These things can be so frustrating when we are trying our hardest to maintain a quality exercise routine!

Although there can be a variety of answers to these questions, two very common ones are lack of quality sleep at night and not eating the right things to fuel you up for your workout. To tackle the first observation, I know this can be tricky with those of us who really tend to be night owls, but a consistent bedtime is a good thing. Actually, it's a great thing! Sleep helps your body detox and rest up for the next day's activities. If you can get between 7-8 hours a night, it helps your metabolism and energy levels tremendously. You might also check out your pillow and mattress to see if they are the culprits behind any neck and back pain, or excessive tightness in the shoulders. If so, you may need an upgrade. No one really wants to cheap out on a quality pillow and mattress if we think about it; I mean, we spend one-third of our life sleeping!!

Food can be another trigger for lackluster exercise sessions. One of the most common things I saw as a trainer was not eating enough of the right things leading up to the exercise session to support the level of activity that was going to ensue. A good pre-workout snack would be a handful of fruit (like grapes) or maybe half an apple 20-30 minutes before exercise to provide a little burst of energy from the natural sugar in it. An excellent post-workout snack would juicing your greens; one of my faves is juicing cucumber, kale, lime, cilantro, and half an orange. Helps refuel your energy, plus fills you full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Of course, starting with a good breakfast is the first step to having a great workout later in the day. It's always good to have a little protein and good fat in your breakfast to help you feel full and energetic. My new favorite in the morning is to cook half a bell pepper, 2 slices of turkey (organic, nitrite free), half an avocado, 1 clove garlic, a little bit of salsa, and voila! Deliciousness that is so satisfying!! A good rule of thumb is if you feel low on energy, take a look at what you've been eating recently; if you see alot of refined carbohydrates, too little clean protein, and too few veggies, well...that just might be the issue! Try making a few positive changes here and there and see if you don't start to feel fueled up and ready to go for your workouts!