What to do after exercising...

Did you know that, to get the most out of exercising, there are some really simple things that you can do afterwards? I have four pieces of advice (or strong suggestions...) that I give at the end of each of my fitness classes - so much so that regulars say them along with me. Thought I would include them here.

1. Have something to eat
​2. Stay hydrated
3. Keep warm
4. Stay mobile

​Over the next weeks, I'll be exploring these in more detail - and today will start with the first: eating after you have exercised.

​The current guidance suggests that eating up to approximately 30 minutes after a work-out is beneficial for a variety of reasons, mainly so that you can replace the energy you have burned and help your body recover. That's why protein and carbohydrates are useful. I usually have a sliced banana with plain yogurt and ground almonds. It looks a bit sloppy but it's filling and easy to digest, so I'm not woken up by a rumbling tummy early the next morning. Have it with some water and you are doing your body a good turn. Just a small snack is enough - you don't need another meal! And bear in mind that this is after an hour of quite high-intensity cardio and conditioning work and general leaping around - so you might not need the same amount after a gentler class. Some people recommend chocolate milk as a post-class drink, and the evidence suggest that's fine too. However, I'm not a fan of processed foods and drinks, especially energy drinks, as I believe there is unnecessary sugar and salt in them. Also, they are usually highly packaged, so can be a bit wasteful.  At my monthly 'Mind, Movement. Meditation' sessions, there is always time to eat and drink after the movement bit, and it's usually something worthy and filling! Here's a link to the recipe I used last Saturday (it's in the May 2016 blog collection).

The main thing is to look after your body and treat it respectfully.

​Next week, I'll look at hydration and why it's so important. Until then, here's a picture of a beautiful peony in my garden!