April 2023
Spring is here! Of course we could still end up getting more cold weather/snow, but I’m hoping for less of that and more of the warm weather. I love this time of year when everything starts turning brilliantly green! And while pink is not my favorite color, I do love seeing the red buds burst forth.
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One of my clients approached me a few weeks ago, and said that she saw a lot of people taking pre-workout supplements before exercising, and she wondered if she should also be utilizing this aid. My immediate response was “Do you have trouble making it through a workout? Do you get too weak or hungry before you finish?” She said no, so my response to her was something along the lines of “if it’s not broke don’t fix it.” There are occasions when a pre-workout shake/drink/bar may be necessary, but ideally you should be eating enough at each meal that you don’t need to supplement with expensive bars and caffeinated drink mixes. In the event that you are exercising several hours after a meal and feel that you do need some extra calories before working out, my suggestion is to eat a real-food snack. Several dieticians I follow swear by graham crackers as the perfect pre-exercise snack. I personally swear by peanut butter filled pretzels.
Now, if you happen to always take a pre-workout, and you love it, and it works for you, I’m not telling you that you need to stop. Do what works for you! But if you have just been wondering about whether or not you need one, my first thought is that if you are doing fine without it, why would you need it? And secondly, if you do feel like you need some extra energy, my advice is always to fuel with real food first. Real food will always be the best thing you can fuel your body with, and it will be a lot cheaper than buying supplements!
Do you have more questions on this topic? Send me an email! coach@run4thehills.com
Meal Prep
Rice - Venison - Broccoli
This week, the randomizer chose rice, venison, and broccoli.. One of our favorite meals in this house is venison fried rice, so that is definitely what I would make with this combination!
Would you like to use the randomizer to help give you meal prep ideas? Click the link below and then click the “make a copy” button. Instructions for how to use the randomizer are at the top of the spreadsheet.
Workout
A 40 minute full body cardio dance workout for those of you who love to dance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyP-gIrXVrM
Yoga
A 40 minute beginner yoga video with Adriene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ6NfFIr2jw
Cardio : It’s hill time!
Find a short & steep hill, or a flight of stairs. Run up as hard as you can ten times, and walk or jog back down. This workout is guaranteed to get your heart pumping!
Currently Recommending
Holley Fueled Nutrition Podcast : “Supplement Myth Busting Series - Greens & Reds Powders”
Motivation
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
- Theodore Roosevelt
In Case You Missed It
I bought a Cricut machine to cut vinyl! I can now make my own logo decals, and make t-shirts/apparel with my logo. Let me know if you are interested in some Run 4 the Hills merchandise.
Freebie
Need a little help building healthy habits into your day? Try this organizer for a week and see how it goes! Click the link below and then click the “make a copy” button.
Healthy Habits Daily Checklist
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