Best Fitness Blog

... By Karli Taylor

Though drinking water is essential to your health, it isn't the only way to stay hydrated. According to the Institute of Medicine, 20 percent of your water intake comes from food. These water-rich foods take hydration a step further by adding important nutrients that are vital for active people like you! In addition to getting your 6-8 glasses of water a day, add these foods to your diet to improve your hydration and your overall health.

To boost your electrolytes, add cantaloupe, strawberries and peaches to your diet. These fruits are mostly water and rich in potassium, an electrolyte lost through sweat. One cup of any of these fruits contains between five and ten percent of your daily needs. If you are prone to muscle cramps, potassium might be the answer to your prayers!

Add watermelon, kiwi and citrus fruits to the mix to increase levels of vitamin C in your diet.

Vitamin C helps maintain cartilage and joint flexibility, and these fruits provide at least a third of your daily need per serving. Not enough reason to cut up that big watermelon? Vitamin C also plays a role in protecting your skin by counteracting the negative effects of UV rays, pollution, and sweat .

The last two things to throw into your fruit salad will help you recover after a tough workout- pineapple and cherries. The enzyme bromelain, found in pineapple, may reduce inflammation and speed muscle repair while cherries contain anthocyanins and melatonin, which reduce inflammation.

Hungry for some fruit salad?

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Taylor

Even the healthiest of people get sick every now and then, but with a little fine-tuning you can help strengthen your immune system to fight off conditions like the common cold and the flu.

• Eat more fruits and veggies. Following a diet rich in antioxidants is essential to supporting your immune system by combating free radicals.
• Choose healthy fats like the omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish and flaxseed to help increase your body's production of compounds involved in regulating immunity.
• Add Garlic and ginger to your meals to fight virus’, kill bacteria and reduce inflammation
• Drink plenty of water to help fend off infection by flushing out your system.
• Working out regularly can mobilize your T cells, a type of white blood cell known to guard the body against infection.
• Take days off. You can have too much of a good thing. Excessive vigorous activity like running may weaken your immune function and leave you more susceptible to viral infections.
• Learn to relax. Prolonged exposure to stress can wear down the immune system and increase your vulnerability to germs
• Wash your hands. Simply keeping your hands clean is one of the best ways to ward off illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Make sure to wash your hands for 15 to 20 seconds (using warm water and soap) before preparing food or eating and after coughing, sneezing, using the bathroom, or touching public surfaces.
• Get your ZZZs. Getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night helps to regulate immune function.