Campus Commons PT - September 2019

FINDING THE RIGHTWORKOUT FOR YOUR DIET HOW TO MATCH YOUR ROUTINE TO YOUR PLATE What you eat and how your body performs are two intimately linked aspects of your overall fitness. That’s why distance runners carb-load on spaghetti before marathons and yogis skip breakfast before a 105-degree Bikram class. However, this nuance is easy to neglect in a world of fad diets and food trends that move at whiplash speed. KETO VEGAN

This high-fat, low-carb diet is currently booming among athletes who relish the opportunity to chow down on pork rinds and cheese (a perk that comes at the expense of giving up chips, bread, and most fruits). Shape magazine recommends moderate-intensity workouts for people eating keto because they won’t have the ample supply of glucose the body relies on for high-intensity exercises like sprints and HIIT. On the plus side, if you go keto, you’ll burn more fat during cardio because you won’t have a store of glycogen to compete with it as an energy source.

Plant-based diets are generally associated with slow-moving exercises like yoga, but VegNews reports that short, high-intensity workouts are actually the best option for people who don’t eat meat or dairy. Choosing quick workouts means your body won’t use up as much protein (which vegans generally consume less of), and the ample glucose in a vegan diet is ideal for powering intense workouts like sprints, stairs, body-weight lifts, and CrossFit drills. The paleo diet is unique in that it actually comes with its own exercise plan, though many paleo eaters probably don’t know it. According to Paleo Leap, “The paleo lifestyle emphasizes natural movement (preferably outside) over machine- based exercises and brief but intense strength training workouts over extended sessions of steady-state cardio.” Above all, paleo advocates advise listening to your body and choosing a workout plan that leaves you feeling good. PALEO

If you’ve jumped on the keto, vegan, or paleo bandwagons but are still slogging through the same workout routine, it’s time to take a closer look at your body’s needs and tailor your gym time accordingly. Here are a few tips for matching your diet to the optimal workout.

PREVENT INJURIES THIS FALL HELP YOUR STUDENT ATHLETES

AT HOME

This September, your kids won’t just be starting up classes again at school. Millions of students nationwide participate in some sort of fall sports: football, cross-country, volleyball, or others. And while fall sports are a great way for kids to build friendships and fitness, they still risk injury if they don’t take the proper precautions.

Even when kids aren’t at practice, you can still help

prevent injuries at home. The formula is simple and time-honored: proper hydration,

ON THE COURT OR FIELD

Your child should do three things when they’re at practice to prevent injuries. First, warming up is essential to a good workout for any sport. Typically, a mix of both static and dynamic stretches decrease the likelihood of injuring those muscles and joints later. Second, kids should have the proper equipment. If they’re playing football, helmets, pads, and cleats are essential. If they’re a cross-country runner, they’ll need well-fitting shoes to cushion the impact of their steps. Lastly, encourage your kids to play a variety of sports. This will ensure they aren’t overworking the same joints, which is common in student athletes who play the same sport year-round.

proper nutrition, and proper rest. Make sure they drink plenty of water, have nutritious meals, and aren’t staying up too late. Proper hydration reduces the risk of heat stroke, and, in sports like wrestling where an athlete’s weight determines opponent size, a proper diet can be a huge part of preventing injuries on the mat. Rest is the body’s way of letting itself heal. Without enough rest, athletes risk overuse injuries. Kids and teens may heal quicker from injuries, but that doesn’t mean constant overwork or a lack of rest and nutrition can’t cause long term problems. Make sure your student athletes have fun this fall, but ensure they can do it all again in the years to come.

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