Healthy way to REFUEL after exercise
January can be a tough month — add a pandemic into the mix and it’s hardly surprising many of us are struggling. But this is where exercise comes in. Because exercise isn’t just about looking good; it’s about feeling good, mentally strong, energised, optimistic, confident and in control. It can play a huge part in managing anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and stress.
There are three main types of exercise so let’s break them down.
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) consists of short bursts of maximal effort, followed by a rest period and repeated multiple times. It’s about pushing yourself to elevate your heart rate and typically lasts 15-30 minutes.
resistance workouts involve increasing your strength and lean muscle by loading muscles with weight. That could be your own body doing a pushup, or by using weights which you increase over time.
LISS (low-intensity steady state) cardio is less intense, with longer periods of continuous exercise, such as walking, jogging, cycling or swimming for 30 minutes or more.
I’ve always been a huge fan of HIIT as it’s an effective way of getting maximum results in the shortest possible session — perfect for people short on time.
BuT the most important thing is that you enjoy exercise and the feelings you get afterwards. and it doesn’t need to be extreme to be effective. remember, all movement requires energy, so all forms of exercise are beneficial.
My advice would be to aim for 4-5 exercise sessions per week, but if you can’t always manage that, it’s not a problem: do what you can. I believe 15 minutes is better than nothing
Plan your sessions into your week and block out a time that suits you. Lots of my clients like to do their workouts first thing in the morning — it can be truly transformative, it wakes you up, gets you energised. Once you’ve worked out your exercise plan for the week, you need to think about what you’re eating.
On an exercise day aim to eat two reduced-carb meals, one post-workout carb refuel meal and two snacks. On a rest day aim to eat three reduced-carb meals and two snacks. It’s that simple.
Don’t let lockdown be an excuse not to exercise. If HIIT’s your thing, do one of my workouts in your sitting room. If you prefer a lower intensity form of exercise, go for a walk or jog around your neighbourhood or park.
The bottom line is to commit to doing something each day and see how you feel afterwards. Most people take the view that motivation leads to action. But I believe it’s the opposite. action leads to motivation, and that leads to more motivation!