Gradually Work Into Your Fitness Routine

Gradually Work Into Your Fitness Routine

“The body needs to be gradually worked into fitness, and starting with too much work can lead to injury.”

This is particularly true for overweight couch potatoes. If you fall into this category, especially if you have a history of heart problems, see a doctor for a checkup before embarking on a new fitness regimen. Then start slowly — making sure to warm up with some light exercise first — and build up your exercise routine gradually over time.

Experienced exercisers should pace themselves. “People can exercise daily but not with high volume and intensity.”

“Alternate hard and easy days and take one day off a week if involved in high-level training.”

Working too hard day in and day out without proper rest — which can happen, for example, when people decide to train for a marathon and go too far too fast — can lead to the most common form of sports and fitness injuries known as “overuse” injuries. These include such problems as tendonitis, stress fractures, bursitis and nerve entrapment.

Pre-Workout
If your last meal was more than five hours ago, have a 100- to 200-calorie snack 30 minutes before your workout. Liquids digest faster, so try milk, juice, Gatorade, or half a smoothie (keep it low-cal by choosing plain, low-fat yogurt and fruit and skipping syrups, powders, and other additions).

Mid-Workout
You need a snack during your workout only when you're hustling for more than 90 minutes. Your best bet? A 100-calorie carb boost, or a sports gel such as Gu.

Post-Workout
Ideally, reach for a snack that combines carbs and protein to aid recovery. Second best: carbs with fiber (like fruit). If your next meal is less than three hours away, be sure your snack is under 200 calories; try an energy bar with at least 3 grams of filling fiber, half a bagel with peanut butter.

Below are a few more ideas.

A protein shake made from whey protein, water, and half a banana is a great choice, since your body quickly turns it into energy. Use 2 scoops of whey protein powder combined with water and 1/2 banana, 250 calories

Hummus and whole wheat pita. Hummus, a dip made from pureed chickpeas, gives you both carbs and protein. Coupled with the slow-release energy from the whole wheat pita, it makes for a snack that'll keep you fueled for hours.
Use 1/4 cup hummus with 1 whole wheat pita, 275 calories

Yogurt and Fresh Berries
Protein makes sense after a workout, since it contains amino acids that help build muscle. "Your muscles are depleted of amino acids after a workout, so you need an adequate supply of protein to help build them up,"
1 8-ounce container of plain, low-fat yogurt with 1/2 cup berries, 180 calories

Tuna on Whole Wheat
"Research shows that carbs and protein together have a better response to post-workout recovery," Tuna drizzled with a little lemon juice and olive oil spread over a slice of whole wheat bread is an ideal protein/carb mini-meal.

4 ounces water-packed tuna and 1 slice whole wheat bread, 220 calories

Turkey and Cheese with Apple Slices
If you're not in the mood for a sandwich, skip the bread and eat the fillings on their own! Spread a soft-cheese wedge over two or three slices of lean deli turkey, then roll up for a quick, high-protein, eat-on-the-go snack. Add a sliced apple for some energy-boosting (and glycogen-replenishing) carbs.

4 ounces deli turkey, 1 soft cheese wedge, and 1 apple, 240 calories