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

After a long cold winter full of daydreaming of sunshine and warmth, we often run outside in our shorts the second the temperature breaks 60 degrees. However, as temperatures increase and humidity begins to become unbearable, staying active becomes tough. If not handled with care, exercising in the extreme heat can pose a serious threat, but by taking proper precautions, maintaining a regular exercise routine in the heat isn’t that difficult.

If you choose to exercise outdoors as the temperature rises, her are a few tips to keep you both fit and healthy:

• Increase your fluid intake. By consuming more liquids throughout the day, you will prevent dehydration and regulate your body temperature. Dehydration is your worst enemy. If the weather is hotter or more humid than you’re acclimated to, drink more fluids, even if you aren't thirsty. Bring water along with you if you are outside for more than 20 minutes. Drinking before and after isn’t good enough when the mercury rises.
• Adjust the schedule of your exercise regimen. The prime schedule for exercise is before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m., especially if the temperature is rising and humidity is high. No matter what time you are out there, remember to use sunscreen even if your workout only lasts 30 minutes.
• Wear appropriate clothing during your workout routine. What you wear makes a difference while exercising in the heat. Light-colored, loose-fitting materials that reflect the sun are recommended.
• Acclimate yourself. The body needs time to adjust to the change in environment. Allow yourself a good week to become acclimated to a new environment by gradually increasing the amount of time you spend in the heat and gradually increasing the intensity of your exercise. You may find that your intensity feels much higher than you think it should- your body is working harder to cool itself down, so don’t push to run at a speed or walk a distance that you could when it was cooler!
• FEED your muscles with nutritious foods. Heat often decreases the appetite, but it's important to make sure that you are taking in an appropriate amount of calories for the work you are doing.
• Know when to quit. Pay attention to the warning signs of your body. If you begin to feel light headed or dizzy, immediately stop exercising and find somewhere to cool down.