The past few months, I’ve felt increasingly cooped up thanks to the unpredictable North Texas weather—between the blustery winds, random cold snaps and rain, it felt like I’d barely been able to ride my road bike outdoors. With all the damp weather, trail runs have been off limits, too—our local trails have been closed quite often in recent months.
Admittedly, this sounds a bit whiny. Compared to other parts of the United States where it gets truly, bitterly cold during the winter, we’ve got it easy in the South. But still, the weather’s been a deterrent this year, and as much as I enjoy virtual bike rides and competing with random people from around the world on Zwift, nothing beats the feeling of getting outdoors.
With all the indoor bike rides and monotonous road runs, my cardio routine was starting to feel a bit stale. In fact, I felt downright bored. When it comes to reaching your fitness goals, boredom can be dangerous.
As luck would have it, about two weeks ago on a Sunday, the weather gods finally gifted us a nice day in Texas: (mostly) light winds, mild temperatures and a sun obscured by a thin layer of high clouds. I had to ride outdoors.
Since I broke my leg last summer, I’d felt a lack of confidence on my road bike. The balance of my rides, even before the weird winter weather, had been indoors. Road riding isn’t the safest endeavor in Texas, as Jen Chamberlain and I discussed previously on the podcast. In particular, long solo rides felt daunting to me, even though I’d done them many times in the past.
On this Sunday, my wife stayed at home with the kids, so I was all alone. I chose a fairly safe, 33-mile route, out and back to the nearby Lake Lavon. Living in the Dallas suburbs, it’s about as close as I can get to “riding in the country” from my house, without going over the 40-mile mark.
As I rode toward the lake, and the route transitioned from the cookie-cutter subdivisions to the quieter, country lanes, it happened—I slowly began to get that feeling that only a long, quiet road ride can give me. It’s something like cycling bliss.
And with that, I’d reconnected with the joy I find in one of my favorite activities. It wasn’t about staring at an iPad and competing with people on a virtual sprint with other virtual avatars in virtual London. It wasn’t about reaching a certain number of miles on my bike. It was about having fun, enjoying the scenery and connecting with nature.
@practicallyfit1 33 miles on the road bike! 🥳 #cycling #roadcycling #roadcyclinglove #cyclingtiktok #cyclinglife #fitness #fitnessmotivation #cycletok #cycle #roadbike #roadbiketiktok #texascycling #biking ♬ original sound – Practically Fit
If you’re serious about your health and fitness, you may spend a lot of time thinking about your fitness goals. Personally, I believe it’s important to set goals and measure your progress as a motivator to stay consistent with your exercise routine.
But often, we focus too much on the goal itself. Accumulating miles on the bike or on foot. Increasing the amount of weight we can lift. Getting deeper into that yoga pose each time we’re on the mat. This can be a path to boredom, as I learned this winter.
Just as important is the way exercise feels, and making sure you’re achieving fitness through activities you love. Science has shown that finding joy in activity is intrinsically motivating, which is a key ingredient for long-term fitness success.
Since my bike ride a few weeks ago, that’s what I’ve done. I realized my boredom wasn’t just confined to indoor bike rides and road running. I’ve reassessed my strength workouts, too, which I also realized were feeling stale. I’ve decided to work in more bodyweight training, which I find challenging in a different way than traditional weights.
If you find yourself in a similar rut, take some time to reflect on your current fitness goals. Ask yourself this question: Am I enjoying the activity? If not, maybe it’s time to reassess your plan, and find a way to reconnect with your fitness joy.
This article originally appeared on Practically.fit and was syndicated by MediaFeed.
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What to eat before, during & after your work out
Food is the fuel that allows you to perform during workouts and recover from them afterwards. Get-Fit Guy, Dr. Jonathan Su, provides simple and straightforward advice based on the latest research on how to best fuel for your workouts.
Total daily nutrient intake has become more important than the timing of intake for athletes and active individuals alike. That said, there are still situations where nutrient timing may be important:
- If you work out first thing in the morning or before dinner at the end of a work day, a light pre-workout snack will give you energy without weighing you down.
- If you plan on exercising for more than 70 minutes, try to fuel with small snacks every 15 to 20 minutes.
- To enhance your recovery, eat a post-workout snack or post-workout meal containing carbohydrates and protein within two hours.
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The essential ingredients for this cake are movement, nutrition, recovery, and mindset. But as any baker knows, timing is crucial. When it comes to nutrition, questions about what to eat before, during, and after workouts frequently come up.
These are important questions because the nutrition you derive from food is the fuel that allows you to perform during workouts and recover from them afterward. If you’re fueling your body right, this back and forth between performance and recovery progressively leads to a leaner, stronger, and healthier body.
Nutrition scientists are realizing that when you eat doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference for most people when real changes such as performance gains are measured over longer periods of time.
In this episode, I’m going to provide you with simple and straightforward advice based on the latest research on how to best fuel for your workouts.
Listen to Dr. Su’s podcast here
I’m also going to share with you some of my favorite recipes for meals that are delicious and nutritious that you can quickly put together, all available from our colleagues at Cookstr.
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Before we delve into recommendations about what to eat before, during, and after your workouts, it’s important to note that scientific knowledge about exercise nutrition has deepened over the last decade. As more research has become available, total daily nutrient intake has become more important than the timing of intake for athletes and active individuals alike.
In other words, the question of whether your total energy needs are being met should be prioritized over questions of timing. Nutrition scientists are realizing that when you eat doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of difference for most people when real changes such as performance gains are measured over longer periods of time.
That’s not to say that nutrient timing is dead. Nutrient timing is helpful if you’re a weight class athlete, serious endurance athlete, professional bodybuilder, or if you train twice a day.
If you’re like me, and your goal is to get healthier and more fit, nutrient timing may not be that helpful and can add layers of unnecessary complexity. That said, there are still situations where nutrient timing may be important.
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If you workout while you’re starved, you simply won’t have the energy for your body to perform and this may hinder your fitness gains.The best time to work out is three to four hours after eating, depending on how large a meal you’ve eaten.
If you work out first thing in the morning, a pre-workout snack of fresh fruit or a glass of juice will give you energy without weighing you down. If you exercise before dinner at the end of a work day, a pre-workout snack of instant oatmeal, yogurt, and/or fruit 30 minutes before your workout are great options.
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If you exercise for a long time without eating, you’ll feel fatigue and limit your ability to maintain your workout intensity. If you plan on exercising for less than 70 minutes, you don’t need to eat; just make sure you hydrate with small, frequent sips of water during your workout.
But if you’re doing something like a long run or bike ride, or maybe a couple of back-to-back fitness classes, try to fuel with small snacks every 15 to 20 minutes, preferably from a quick carbohydrate source that is easy to carry, like a ziplock bag of raisins, bananas, or white bread with honey.
For years, it was believed that we should consume fast-digesting protein and carbohydrates within 30-45 minutes after exercise. New research shows that this window is actually a lot bigger than previously believed.
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If you don’t feed your muscles and replenish your energy stores after exercise, you won’t have the necessary building blocks for recovery. For years, it was believed that we should consume fast-digesting protein and carbohydrates within 30-45 minutes after exercise.
This was known as the post-workout “anabolic window of opportunity” where our bodies could best use the nutrients for optimal recovery. New research shows that this window is actually a lot bigger than previously believed.
After you exercise, your muscles will be hungry for protein and carbohydrates. To enhance your recovery, eat a post-workout snack or post-workout meal containing carbohydrates and protein within two hours.
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I’d like to share with you a few quick and easy recipes for your post-workout meal that’ll provide the nutrients your body needs for optimal recovery. All three of these recipes are available from our colleagues at Cookstr. Cookstr is the world’s best collection of cookbook recipes available online, featuring thousands of recipes from hundreds of the world’s top chefs and cookbook authors. These recipes are trusted and tested for home cooks, and you can find a recipe for just about any craving or need.
Chicken Broccoli Pasta
Tofu and Sweet Potato Curry (vegan, gluten-free)
White Bean “Chicken” Chili (vegan, gluten-free)
I picked these recipes because they provide protein, carbs, and veggies. They’re also easy to prepare and taste delicious.
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Now it’s time to put this knowledge into motion with our 5-day nutrition challenge. Over the next five days, your challenge is to apply what you just learned and notice how you feel before, during, and after your workouts. Give it a try and let me know how you feel by emailing me at getfitguy@quickanddirtytips.com or leaving me a voicemail at 510-353-3104. Definitely get in touch if you tried one of the recipes!
All content here is for informational purposes only. This content does not replace the professional judgment of your own health provider. Please consult a licensed health professional for all individual questions and issues.
This article originally appeared on QuickAndDirtyTips.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Featured Image Credit: FatCamera.
