Employee Well-being: Staying Healthy and Fueling Your Body
Employee Well-Being
The Importance of Exercise Nutrition We know that what you eat is important. But so is when you eat, especially if you’re active. That’s why we would like to share what to eat before, during, and after exercise. Before (2-3 Hours) What and when you eat before exercise can make a big difference to your performance and recovery. In the three hours before your workout, you’ll want to eat something that helps you sustain energy, boost performance, hydrate, preserve muscle mass, and speed-up recovery. Your actual needs will vary depending on your size, goals, genetics, and the duration and intensity of your activity. During What you eat or drink during exercise is only important under specific circumstances. If you are going to eat during exercise, your goals will be similar to those for pre-workout nutrition. The most important part of any workout is keeping hydrated. For most activities, water will be all you need. For training that’s less than two hours long, the focus should be hydration. This is especially true if you’re using good pre- and post-training nutrition. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water. But what about sports drinks? They don’t offer much benefit for events less than two hours long. Especially if you ate a good pre-exercise meal. However, if it is excessively hot, or you are exercising in the heat or sweating a lot, sports drinks may be useful since they have electrolytes that speed-up hydration and recovery. After (0-2 hours) While you don’t have to rush in the door and straight to the fridge the minute you finish at the gym, you shouldn’t delay eating. Failing to eat within a two-hour window following training can slow recovery. But this is context dependent; what you ate before your workout influences things, as does your size, goals, genetics, and intensity of workout. Your post workout meal may look very similar to your pre workout meal. Balance is key! Source: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/workout-nutrition-explained Ontario Parks 30×30 Challenge Want to participate in MACtive while enjoying the great outdoors? If you are looking for a reason to get outside, you can take up the annual Ontario Parks 30×30 challenge. Participants are encouraged to spend 30 minutes in nature, each day, for 30 days. Spending time in nature can have a profound impact on our health and well-being, improve our overall mood, boost our immune system, and reduce stress. To learn how to participate, while honoring public health and distancing requirements, visit the Ontario 30×30 website. Additional Resources Jumpstart your Wellness Ready to take your health and well-being to the next level? Homewood Health’s Jumpstart your Wellness program may be what you are looking for. With the support of a certified life coach, the program uses a comprehensive online, self-directed approach to support behaviour change. You will have access to an online wellness handbook, healthy living tools and resources, and objective goal setting exercises. Free Online Exercise Classes Athletics & Recreation is offering a variety of free weekly exercise classes you can pariticpate in from the comfort of your own home. More details and a class schedule can be found here.
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