When it comes to fitness, there is so much conflicting information it can be hard to know if you should follow this piece of advice or that. So health and fitness expert Beth Oliver joined us to share answers to her most commonly-asked questions.
As a health and fitness expert, I get asked a lot of questions. And it’s not because there isn’t information easily available for people. Just the opposite in fact. There is so much information available, that it is often harder to decide if you should follow this piece or that piece of advice. Here are six of the most common questions I get asked, with relatively simple answers.
Q: Should I do cardio or strength first? A: It truly doesn’t matter. Whatever you prefer will work!
Q: Should I drink water or sports drinks? A: If your exercise bout is 90 minutes or less, water will be your best bet. If you have longer workout sessions, sweat a lot and/or are out in the heat, you may want to supplement with sports drinks. Even diluted to cut down on sugar and calories, will help replace electrolytes.
Q: Should I use fitness machines or do bodyweight exercises? A: It depends somewhat on what you are trying to accomplish. For many people, I suggest bodyweight exercises. You can do them anywhere and they train both your body and brain in a more integrated and functional way. That being said, if you are trying to increase literal strength and /or you don’t have good kinesthetic awareness yet, machines can give you great muscle specific gains.
Q: Should I stretch before or after my workout? A: Dynamic movement that focuses on joint mobilty before your workout. Save the more static stretching for after.
Q: Should I eat before or after my workout? A: Again, for most of us who tend to keep workouts under 90 minutes, your regular meal timing should work fine. If you feel a little sluggish, have a small snack that includes carbs and proteins ( 1/2 banana and some nuts for example) a half hour or so before you get started. For elite athletes, who train several hours a day and are focused on creating specific adaptations, meal planning and supplementation would be a little more complex.
Q: Should I workout every day or rest in-between? A: We all should strive for activity every day, but variability is key. For most of us a focused fitness workout 3 or 4 times a week is more than enough, especially with variety. For example, if you like to run as your main form of cardio exercise, you could follow up the next day with some core strength and mobilty work. And maybe the next day you focus on doing your yard work and walking the dog.
For more fitness inspiration from Beth visit her website.