How does nutrition impact fitness? It’s a question we hear time and time again.
In short, exercise and nutrition go hand-in-hand. You can work out as much as you like, but if your diet isn’t up to scratch, you’ll be being held back. This doesn’t mean opting for a fad-diet that will also negatively impact on your performance. This means eating a balanced diet to get the right amount of calories and nutrients into your body to better fuel your workouts.
The impact of good nutrition is massive. If you get it right, you’ll have more energy, you’ll perform better and you’ll recover quicker.
Generally speaking, there are a few golden rules for improving your nutrition.
Eat the right food at the right time – You’ve probably heard this one before but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Combine a healthy breakfast (for instance, porridge and banana) with healthy pre-workout snacks before exercise. Failing to fuel before exercising will leave you lacking in energy. Additionally, eat balanced meals at set times – breakfast, lunch and dinner, with healthy snacks in between (rather than snacking all day).
Combining healthy eating with exercise will help weight loss and fitness goals fall into place.
- Add healthy fats to your diet (such as Omega – from fish and nuts) to maintain energy
- Reduce the consumption of foods that are high in salt and sugar. This helps prevent weight gain and health conditions such as diabetes and heart issues
- Cut down on meal portion size, alcohol intake and unhealthy snacks in between main meals
- Increase your water intake – better hydration aids weight loss and boosts performance
Few people lose weight by exercise alone and getting your nutrition right is vital for strength training and recovery. If you want to improve your overall fitness, make this the year you improve your performance by improving your nutrition.
Check out our nutrition box for healthy snacks and workout fuel delivered to your door.