Nourishment for your workout

Although we all love eating, there is another side of being healthy besides making good food choices: exercise. \nI wish we all had the metabolism of those girls walking around in their leggings while chugging whipped-up Starbucks Frappuccinos (which are not good for you, by the way – steer clear), but most of us are not so lucky. \nMy tip? Find a way to work out around your schedule. Make it a point to fit exercise into your daily life just as you would classes or meals. Find classes or routines at the Student Recreational Sports Center or the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building that are fun for you. You’ll never stick to something if you don’t find even a little bit of enjoyment in it, so have a good time (or as good as you can muster) while you work out.\nThe SRSC has an amazing lineup of workout classes scheduled every day. While studying abroad last semester in Australia, the rec center required that I pay for all of the workout classes I wanted to take. What a rip off! Good news: Most of the classes offered to you at both the SRSC and the HPER are free for all IU students. There’s no better deal. You or your parents are already paying for access to the gym, so you might as well use it. \nCheck out the IU Campus Recreational Sports Web site, www.iurecsports.org, and make a schedule of workout classes you can go to, planning around your academic ones. There are classes for everyone with every style of intensity, those that use equipment and those that don’t and even aquatic aerobics. When you walk out of that building, all sweaty and smelly, you will feel pretty great about yourself and what you’re doing for your body and health. \nAlthough working out is the best way to burn the fat and calories you’ve been eating and get your body back in shape, it is also important to eat before and after you hit the gym. One to two hours before your work out, grab something that is low in fat and high in fiber, like a fruit salad with yogurt, a granola bar or a bowl of cereal. The carbohydrates will help propel you into your workout, but they won’t weigh you down like fatty foods.\nDone working out? Now it’s time for a combination of protein, lean fats and carbohydrates. This combo will help to rebuild muscle and restore energy. Grab a chicken and vegetable stir fry with some rice (Wright Quad’s food court has a big stir fry area), almost anything with tuna in it (a wonderful item for everyday consumption), a sushi roll or a small amount of peanut butter. \nBy taking care of your body with regular trips to the gym and paying attention to the foods you eat pre- and post-workout, you will have the best exercise session you can. Most importantly, you won’t feel as guilty about that big Chipotle burrito you had yesterday. Man, those are good. \nAs always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions about health or food, hit me with ‘em at allhendr@indiana.edu. Good luck on your next workout!