Proper nutrition is crucial to achieving a fit and healthy body. A balanced diet with regular exercise allows you to achieve excellent results. But, you can’t stuff your stomach with unhealthy foods, especially before working out. Instead, consider these five food options to eat before your exercise routines.
Oatmeal is an ideal breakfast option for several fitness-forward individuals. But, oats can do more than satiate your taste buds.
Aim to consume organic oats before you exercise. Oatmeal is gluten-free, especially in its raw, natural form. You may still eat instant or processed oats, but the benefits you’ll get might be fewer than consuming natural oatmeal.
If you consume oats before a workout, you’ll gain numerous health advantages, including:
Oats are rich in carbohydrates and fiber. They also contain a relatively significant amount of protein. Vegetarians and vegans may also look into consuming oatmeal as part of their diet to make this food option one of their primary sources of protein.
The carbohydrates in raw oatmeal are beneficial for helping your muscles prepare for the upcoming exercise. Additional carbs help supply the body with the necessary energy requirements to assist you in having more stamina during your workout routines.
Moreover, oats can deliver a sufficient amount of iron to the bloodstream. The addition of this mineral will help the blood carry oxygen to the different parts of the body, thereby improving your system’s ability to burn more fat and lose more weight.
Eating oatmeal before a workout can also help the body regulate its digestive system. The fiber content in oats can help make the gut feel full for extended periods. Thus, this food option enables you to resist the temptation of going to the nearby food joints, which would otherwise cause you to pack on the extra pounds.
Eating oatmeal before a workout will help deliver many benefits to your body. But, it should still be in your best interest not to eat a lot of this healthy food option before exercising. Otherwise, you might end up contracting undesirable health conditions because of your full stomach.
Pre-workout supplements are ideal options for fitness enthusiasts who are always on-the-go. For example, you may not have time to prepare a healthy snack before you travel to the gym. But, you still want to maximize the effects of the exercise.
So, you can consume a ready-made pre-workout supplement while you’re on your way to the fitness center. You should start feeling the effects of the supplement upon reaching the gym.
Remember, not all workout supplements are equal. Some supplements work better when consumed after your exercise session. But, you’re here to learn about the supplements that can help you before and during your workout routine.
With that in mind, aim to consume health and fitness products that can help boost your energy levels. Search for supplements that can offer nutritional content like healthy carbs, antioxidants, and B vitamins.
Carbohydrates can help deliver additional fuel to your body to allow you to power through intense workout sessions. Consequently, antioxidants help remove toxins from the body, which can prevent your system from absorbing essential nutrients from specific sources. Also, vitamin B-complex is a crucial nutrient to enhance the body's energy production and overall athletic performance.
Make sure to buy your pre-workout supplements from credible sources. Otherwise, you might be putting yourself at risk of contracting unwanted adverse effects. Furthermore, consult your doctor before consuming any artificial or organic pre-workout supplement to avoid potential consequences.
You might see a fellow gym-goer carrying a bunch of bananas in their bag. Take note that the banana is an ideal pre-workout snack, and you can eat one or two an hour before your exercise session to reap its benefits.
Like many fruits, bananas are rich in vitamins and minerals to help enhance the positive results you get from your workout routines. Some of the benefits you’ll get from eating a banana before exercising include:
Many fitness enthusiasts don’t like the idea of working out on an empty stomach. Thankfully, eating a banana will help you feel full for that particular exercise session.
This fruit is rich in fiber to help you feel full for extended periods. Moreover, a single banana is low in calories, so you shouldn’t worry too much about going over your daily calorie intake from eating this fruit.
Muscles develop during rest. But, you can help your body increase its efficiency in building and repairing muscles by consuming bananas before working out.
Bananas are rich in healthy carbohydrates, and these substances help restore glycogen in the body. Glycogen is the substance that allows rebuilding of damaged muscles that get ripped and torn during intense exercises.
So, by reducing the time it takes to build and repair muscles, you can exercise more without worrying too much about Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
Do you feel tuckered out after 30 minutes of doing a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout? You might feel like you can call it a day after that intense exercise session. Otherwise, you may choose to continue working out with the help of a banana.
Eat a piece of banana with your favorite protein drink to help give your body an instant energy boost. So, you can continue doing other exercises after that HIIT session to improve your results from your day at the gym.
You may also choose to add a piece of banana to every meal in your healthy diet. Bananas help improve the body’s metabolic functions. A high metabolic rate can give you additional energy to accomplish daily tasks. Furthermore, your body can burn more fat to help you achieve that summer body.
Trail mix suppliers put different food options in their packages. But, these packs tend to consist of food options like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. A classic trail mix may have raisins, cashews, and sunflower seeds.
But, trail mixes generally have healthy foods to help you with your workout routines. Eat a healthy portion of trail mix before a workout to give you a nutritious dose of:
But, be wary as there are some trail mix products on the market that contain sugary sweets. You may find foods like chocolate chips, yogurt-covered pretzels, graham cracker pieces, and peanut butter cups in these packs.
Although these sugary treats make the snack more tempting, don’t fall into the temptation of eating these sweets. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself gaining more weight when you should be losing the extra pounds.
Greek yogurt isn't just a delicious snack, as eating this healthy food offers benefits for your next workout session. Perhaps one of the most redeeming characteristics of this food option is you can add extra healthy elements to it.
For example, top Greek yogurt with small fruits to improve its overall nutritional factor when consumed. But, you can still eat plain Greek yogurt to deliver essential health benefits for your exercise sessions. These advantages may include:
Protein is an essential building block for improving muscle structure and strength. This nutrient is also vital for cell growth and tissue repair.
Thus, eating Greek yogurt can help improve the results of your weightlifting efforts. You’ll also reduce muscle recovery time so you can return to the gym without feeling a lot of pain from DOMS.
Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria that help provide health benefits once consumed. You can also find these organisms in your intestines.
Consuming a healthy amount of probiotics can help improve your immune system. Thus, you may have heightened resistance against specific illnesses before, during, and after your workout routines.
Many health and fitness enthusiasts focus more on the body than the mind during exercises. But, a healthy mind can also lead to a healthy body.
Thankfully, Greek yogurt has sufficient amounts of vitamin B12. This particular vitamin can help improve cognitive function, mainly focus. Proper concentration is critical for specific exercises like deadlifts and chest presses.
Without proper focus, you might put yourself at risk of doing exercises with improper form. Remember, the right form is critical to gain positive results from workout sessions. Otherwise, you enhance the risk of injury if you're not focusing on the correct exercise form.
The muffin top is a roll of fat that is visible when wearing low-waisted pants, shorts, or other lower-body pieces of clothing. You can reduce the fat in your waist by consuming Greek yogurt before workout routines.
This healthy snack has Iodine, which is a compound that ensures proper thyroid function. Take note that the thyroid is essential for a healthy metabolic rate. So, consuming Greek yogurt can maintain a healthy metabolism, which, in turn, reduces the overall fat percentage of your body to aid in losing fat around your midsection.
You can eat trail mix, bananas, oatmeal, or Greek yogurt as your pre-workout snack. But also pay attention to the timing of the consumption. Eat the snack two or three hours before your exercise if you plan on eating a lot. Otherwise, you can eat a handful of these food options about 30 minutes before your next workout.
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