The best post-workout foods to help you refuel Post Workout
Thinking about rewarding yourself for a good workout with a bucket of fries and a bacon cheeseburger? Think again. What you eat after hitting the gym may just be the most important food you eat all day.
Some quick gym science: Your body stores excess energy in the form of glycogen and protein. When you work out, your body burns fuel from anything you've eaten recently, and then it breaks down stored glycogen. Your muscles start to use available protein to rebuild within a few hours of working out, but your body is especially good at absorbing carbs and protein within 45 minutes after your workout—the post-workout window you've probably heard about.
“It all comes down to the carbohydrates and protein,” says Manuel Villacorta, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “They’re the two key things your body needs—and right after you work out is when your blood circulates best.” If your main goal is to build muscle, try to eat at least 30g of protein and 30-35g of carbs within about 15 minutes of your workout. If you’re just trying to stay in shape or shed a few pounds, you can take your time and eat within 45 minutes or an hour after your workout.
Here are the best foods to fuel and reload those depleted muscles after a tough workout:
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Burn fat and build muscle with this equipment-free cardio-and-strength circuit from Ken Weichert, master fitness trainer for the U.S. Army and creator of an exclusive boot camp class for Crunch Fitness clubs nationwide. With short-but-intense cardio intervals, full-body strength moves, and an extra dose of ab work, you'll slim down your entire body and tighten your tummy. Do this 10-minute circuit three times in a row for the best 30-minute workout of your life.
Jump Rope Drill
Time: 1 minute and 30 seconds
Works:thighs, calves, shoulders, back—plus cardio
Stand with your legs slightly bent, your arms bent, and your hands out to your sides. Begin jumping, leaving only a few inches between your feet and the floor as you hop. At the same time, rotate your shoulders and arms as if you are jumping rope without the rope. Continue for 1 minute and 30 seconds, then move directly to Squats.
Squats
Time: 2 minutes
Works:butt, thighs
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides. Keeping your back straight, squat down by bending both your knees and dropping your hips as if you are sitting on a chair; keep your weight directly over your heels. Bend your legs to about 90 degrees, then slowly return to starting position. Repeat for 2 minutes; move directly to Lunges.
Lunges
Time: 1 minute
Works:butt, thighs, hips
Stand with your feet together and your hands on your hips. Step forward about 3 feet with your left foot, keeping your left knee slightly bent. Balancing on the ball of your right foot and with your shoulders lined up over your hips, bend both knees to lower your body until both your legs are at about 90-degree angles. Return to starting position. Repeat for 30 seconds with your left leg, then do 30 seconds with your right leg, then move directly to Vertical Leg Crunches.
Vertical Leg Crunches
Time: 30 seconds
Works:abs
Lie on your back on a mat with your legs and arms straight. Keep your legs together, and lift your heels toward the ceiling until your feet are directly above your hips. Raise your arms and point your fingers toward your toes. Tighten your ab muscles, and lift your upper body until your fingers come close to touching your toes; lower your upper body to complete 1 rep. Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds, then move directly to the Box-and-Reach Drill.
Box-and-Reach Drill
Time: 30 seconds
Works:obliques
Begin in Vertical Leg Crunches starting position. Tighten abs, and reach over outside of right thigh with both arms. Return to center, then reach over outside of left thigh with both arms; repeat entire move, doing as many reps as you can in 30 seconds. Go directly to Flutter Kicks.
Flutter Kicks
Time: 1 minute
Works:abs, hips
Begin in Box-and-Reach Drill starting position; lower legs until they're about 1 foot above the mat and lower arms until they're flat on the mat with palms facing down. Keep back flat on the mat and support sides of your body with arms as you move both legs simultaneously up and down in opposite directions (when one is up, the other is down); continue for 1 minute. Go directly to Modified Lower-Back Bends.
Modified Lower-Back Bends
Time: 30 seconds
Works:lower back, butt
Lie on your stomach with legs straight, feet shoulder-width apart, and the tops of your feet touching the mat. Your arms should be bent at the elbows, hands slightly higher than your shoulders, and palms on the mat. Flex your butt and lower back, and slowly raise your legs and arms about 6 inches off the mat; return to starting position and repeat. Continue doing the move for 30 seconds, then move directly to Push-Ups.
Push-Ups
Time: 30 seconds
Works:chest, arms, back, abs
Get in traditional push-up position, with your feet a few inches apart, your arms straight, and your hands near your shoulders (it's OK to start on your knees until you get stronger). Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. Keep your abs tight and drop your body straight down by bending both arms. Return to starting position and repeat as many times as you can in 30 seconds; move directly to Dive Bomber Push-Ups.
Dive-Bomber Push-Ups
Time: 30 seconds
Works:chest, arms, back, abs
Begin in Push-Ups starting position, then widen your feet about 11/2 feet and point your butt toward the ceiling. Lower your body to the floor slowly by bending your arms and slightly dragging your chest across the mat. Press your body upward until your arms are straight and your lower back is arched backward. Reverse the move to return to butt-in-the-air position. Continue the move for 30 seconds, then move directly to Classic Jumping Jacks.
Classic Jumping Jacks
Time: 2 minutes
Works:hips, thighs, butt—plus cardio
Stand with your legs together and your arms down at your sides. Keeping your arms and legs straight, separate your legs about 3 feet and raise your hands above your head in one jumping motion. Return to starting position in one motion and repeat the move for 2 minutes. Return to the beginning of Your Healthy-Weight Workout Plan, and repeat the entire circuit twice.
Original article and pictures take www.health.com site
Are you looking for some of the best stretches for runners to help you improve flexibility, reduce the risks of injury, and boost your performance?
If your answer is yes, you’re in the right place.
Why Stretching For Runners Matters
Running tightens up the muscles and might reduce flexibility from the feet to shoulders. Good news is, stretching is essential because it helps keep your muscles flexible, healthy, and strong, especially after a run.
A good post-workout stretching routine can help relieve tension in the muscles (allowing them to relax instead), readjust your muscle fibers, and restore their normal range of movement.
As a runner, you also need ample flexibility to maintain a full range of motion in your joints, which can help you improve performance and the cut risk of overuse injury.
By ignoring these negative effects, you’ll be setting yourself for chronic soreness, discomfort, even injury.
How to stretch?
Think of stretching part and parcel of your training program. It should be just as routine as warming up before a run.
Stretch in a focused and gentle manner. Slowly stretch each of your lower body muscle groups, holding the stretch for about 30 to 60 seconds.
Stretch every muscle to its greatest range of motion, but do not overextend. Stretch gently to the point of discomfort, but do not stretch beyond the pain zone. You’ll only hurt yourself by doing so.
Never bounce nor do any jerking motion while stretching that may cause muscle tension. Instead, stretch each side of your body slowly,
Don’t hold your breath. Breathe deep and use your breath to release tension or tightness in your
What to stretch? The Main Muscles Runners Must Stretch
Stretch every major group muscles—especially your running muscles—holding each stretch for 30 seconds and breathing throughout.
First, stretch your hamstrings—these are the muscles located on the back of your thighs.
Research has linked tightness in this area to lower back pain, knee issues, and overuse injury. And you don’t want that.
Next, stretch your quadriceps—the muscles at the front of your thighs. Tightness in this area can disrupt your whole kinetic chain, which can lead to overuse injury and subpar performance.
Next, stretch your hip muscles and the muscles around this joint—and that includes the gluteal group, the lateral rotator group, the adductor group, and the iliopsoas group.
Stretch your calf muscles. Tightness in this area may limit stride efficiency as well as increase the risks of muscle cramps and injury.
The lower back. This area is, often-than-not, ignored. The fact is, your lower back endures a lot of impact while running.
You should also upper body stretches, too. That includes your arms, neck, chest, and upper back muscles.
Crunched for time?
Running low on time? Then, at least, stretch your key running muscles—mainly the hamstrings, quads, and calves.
The basic stretching routine below includes 8 stretches. It should take just little over 8 to 10 minutes to complete. I have found that you’re more likely to stick to the stretching and do it regularly if you have to invest no more than 10 minutes.
Stretches for Runners – The 15-Minute Post Run Stretching Routine You Need
Without further ado, here is the runners stretching routine routine that can help you counterbalance the tightening effects that running has on the muscles.
1. The Calf Runners Stretch
2. The Standing Hamstring Stretch
3. The Standing Quad Stretch
4. The Seated Quad Stretch
5. The Seated Hamstring Stretch
6. The Lower Back Runners Stretch
7. The Hip Stretch
8. The Chest & Should Stretch
Conclusion
For most people, the above runners stretches routine is enough. But if you’re looking for more, then check out some of my previous posts.
Here are few links.
What about you? Do you any favorite stretches for runners? If you do, then feel free to share them with us in the comment section.
In the meantime, thank you for reading my post.
David D.
Original article and pictures take www.runnersblueprint.com site
