You’re in the game, superstar…

Written by: Lindsay Little, Holistic Health Coach

What comes to mind when you think of an “athlete”?

Olympic runners speed racing around tracks at a hundred miles an hour?

Professional football players tackling each other every Sunday afternoon?

Bodybuilders lifting heavy weights at the gym, drenched in sweat?

A mom of young kiddos sneaking in a run during her lunch break?

A grandma playing pickleball with her friends at the neighborhood park?

An empty nester shaking her booty in an aerobics class?

All of those people are athletes.

If you intentionally exercise, you, my friend, are an athlete, too!

Welcome to the club!

It’s a great club to be in because it means you are choosing to move your body. And that is one of the most healthy things you can do! If I could reach through this screen and give you a gold star, I would in a heartbeat!

The reason why you move doesn’t really matter.

Maybe you want to lose weight or build muscle.

Maybe you need to reduce your stress or lower your blood pressure.

Maybe you are seeking some “me” time and want to be part of a community of other strong, beautiful women. 

The reason doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you’re here, in the club. 

It’s important to think of yourself as an athlete because it often shifts your mindset from “I have to exercise” to “I get to exercise”. And that’s powerful.

There are probably a lot of questions you have about exercise, what’s “best”, and if you’re doing it right. 

Here’s the thing, you can’t really do it wrong.

There are certainly things that can either improve or slow your process, of course. But moving your body? There’s no wrong way to do it as long as you’re doing it safely.

Now that you’re an athlete, you have new “athlete problems”! Congrats! (don’t worry, we’re going to solve them right now!)

Let’s tackle some of the most common questions about exercise (this is not medical advice, please see a healthcare professional before making dietary or lifestyle changes).

What’s the best exercise?

That depends. What are you trying to accomplish? In the most simple terms, cardiovascular exercise or “cardio” is best for heart health. Strength training or lifting weights is best for weight loss and preventing bone and muscle loss. Stretching is best for flexibility - both on the outside and the inside.

Doing a combination of all three is often recommended so you cover all your bases and feel your best.

Think of it like a triangle. If you’re missing one side, you’re going to have a weak, sagging shape (ha ha…pun intended!)

Another simple add-on to that is to do what you love.

If you hate running, don’t force yourself to run. It won’t end well (ask me how I know this!).

If you love yoga, do more yoga. If you love rock climbing, do more rock climbing. And then fill in the gaps based on your goals. 

If all you do is restorative yoga, you probably won’t lose weight. But if you do yoga three days a week, lift weights two days a week, and walk your dog every day, you have a very basic weight-loss plan.

I am a huge fan of balancing intense exercise with more gentle types. Personally, I love lifting weights but if I only lifted weights, I would be missing out. So I balance heavy lifting by doing restorative yoga three times a week, and being active with my family and rescued farm animals. Chasing alpacas around a field is also a great form of exercise… if you’re looking for something different and slightly crazy…

How much should I exercise?

It all depends on where you’re starting from and where you want to go. 

Someone who is a hundred pounds overweight and is very sedentary will have a very different exercise routine than someone who wants to build lean muscle and increase endurance for an Iron Man competition (have you ever seen those?! Holy kale!)

The best thing you can do to get started is simply this: do more than you’re doing today. 

If you don’t have an exercise routine, no worries, just start with a short walk around the block after dinner a few nights a week.

If you’re routine looks more like a slice of Swiss cheese with lots of gaps and weird, random pieces, commit to being more consistent. 

If you’re already busting your hump at the gym for hours 7 days a week but not getting the results you want, add in 1-2 rest days. Doing less might be what you need. 

Remember, exercise is the intentional movement of your body. So even if you have a very active job, such as landscaping or a preschool teacher, you still need to exercise on top of that. Doing the same thing every single day will not get you different results.

Should I eat before or after I exercise?

Can I say “it depends” again? Lol.

No, I won’t say that because it really doesn’t depend. You need to eat both before and after exercising. There are different opinions about this, but as a health coach, this is mine. 

Eating before a workout fuels your body for that workout. For women, eating about 15 grams of protein will do the job. I love to drink a quick smoothie made with a high-quality protein powder.

There are a few people who can get away with working out in a fasted state but most people cannot. That can cause dehydration and depletion of your nutrient stores. I don’t recommend it.

If you exercise for more than 30 minutes, you need to eat within 30 minutes of completing your workout. This signals the body to switch gears. When you’re exercising, you are basically breaking down your muscles and bones. Don’t worry. That’s a good thing!

Your body will continue to break down until you tell it to stop. 

How do you tell it to stop? Eat food.

Some protein along with some complex carbohydrates will be gold! 

Hopefully, this answers some of your most pressing exercise questions. At the end of the day, if you are exercising on purpose, you are an athlete. Changing your mindset around that idea can help to empower you to reach your health goals!

What’s your goal? How are you going to do a little bit more tomorrow than you are doing today? My challenge for you is to pick your goal, write it down, and commit to it for 21 days. NO MATTER WHAT! 

Like Nike would say, “Just do it!” 

So, let’s do it!

Hey there! I’m Lindsay! I’m a Holistic Health Coach with a Master's Degree in Holistic Nutrition and a specialization in gut health. I help busy women eat the foods they love without feeling terrible. I would love to help you, too! Connect with me on social media at @fullbloomacres or on my website. Get started resolving your digestive issues by downloading my FREE cheat sheet featuring my 10 favorite superfoods for good gut health right here!