I’ve noticed (both in others and myself), that preparing for a post workout recovery snack is often something that gets ignored. We also often wait until too close to a workout to eat, then at the last minute, stuff something down so we aren’t working out on an empty stomach. Both of these habits can be detrimental to the goals of a workout. Pre-workout, you should try to get your meal in somewhere between 1-2 hours beforehand (Some people eat closer to the event – as well as during – for marathons and other long endurance events, though that’s a whole different topic). There all all kinds of drinks that are available that your body does well at digesting before and during a workout, but eating heavy meals beforehand can drag your system down and make your workout less effective, so the 1-2 hour rule I’ve found to be helpful. Post workout, your body is depleted of glycogen, and is calling out for food. Your body is also breaking down muscle tissue during any sort of strength training, and when you don’t give it the tools to rebuild, you aren’t letting your body get the benefits of your workout. Eating both carbohydrates and proteins is important (there is debate about the ratio here, but I tend to try for a 3:1 ratio carb to protein), and 15-30 minutes post workout seems to be the sweet spot for your body’s ability to recover efficiently. Eating post workout also helps to keep your body’s metabolism geared up for longer and can prevent overeating later in the day. People dieting sometimes think that eating less should extend to pre and post-workout meals, but actually, the opposite is often true. Taking the time to plan for your nutritional needs around a workout can make a huge difference is how effective your workouts are.

There was a study out recently in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (a randomized controlled trial of hamstring stretching. Jo M Fasen, et al.) comparing different kinds of flexibility training. This is something that seems to get very little attention given how important of a part of many forms of conditioning this is. Passive stretching was found to be the most effective method, with better result than various active forms of stretching, including PNF, which has king of been the ‘it’ form of stretching lately. This is basically just yin yoga for those familiar with that practice. Long, passive poses tend to get more at the fascia and connective tissue, which can account for a lot of the resistance to a stretch when compared with just the muscle. While most yoga practices have a lot more than just flexibility as a goal, if you have a specific area that is tight (or are just not a yoga practitioner and interested in flexibility), you might try holding a stretch for 3-5 minutes each day for a while to really open it up. The best stretch to use for these longer held poses might be different from the one you would use for a more active stretch, but it’s best to find a pose that you can just release into, letting gravity take over. This can also be incredibly relaxing and restorative as well.

I subbed a class today for people over 50 years old and I have to say, I love teaching that population of people. I don’t know if it’s just that they have had to accept certain limitations or if it’s just the wisdom of age (maybe those are the same thing?), but they seem to have much less attachment to being able to do poses “correctly” and simply enjoy doing what they can and are very open to modifications. They also seem to be more interested and open to learning about the whole practice than a lot of other classes I’ve taught. A bunch of people in the class today came up to ask me questions and discuss things we were doing in class, which was great. It’s interesting that a population that is relatively new to yoga seems to intuitively get yoga so quickly despite their physical limitations, and I’m wondering if there isn’t a connection. A sense of letting go of how the physical practice is supposed to be done seems to lead to a better grasp of yoga as a practice for your overall holistic health. Perhaps we can all learn from their example. They are most of our elders after all.