Fitness & Wellness

Can Certain Foods Help Me Sleep Better?

Can Certain Foods Help Me Sleep Better?

The food you eat and when you eat it can make a difference in the quality of your sleep and how quickly you fall asleep. There’s a lot of controversy about whether you should eat before bedtime or stop eating hours before you lay down. There are different points of view on this topic. Some people can’t sleep without eating something, while others get digestive issues and interrupted sleep if it’s too close to bedtime.

Who should have a late-night snack, and who shouldn’t?

If you suffer from acid reflux, avoid eating within three hours of bedtime. When you lay down, it encourages reflux action. Eating a heavy meal right before bed is discouraged no matter what the situation. It interferes with your circadian rhythm. If the meal is too much or too fatty, it can leave you feeling full and miserable and make it hard to get or stay asleep, which interrupts or prevents sleep. Some people need a small snack before bedtime to get to sleep. It’s instinctive from a time when early man would starve if he didn’t keep hunting for food.

The Thanksgiving turkey is known to put people to sleep.

Turkey contains tryptophan. It’s an amino acid that promotes sleepiness. It’s in more than turkey. Seafood, beef, other poultry, and pork contain it too. Tryptophan converts to serotonin and melatonin. Melatonin helps you sleep by triggering your internal signals that tell your body that you’re tired. Serotonin can help with insomnia. Almonds and walnuts are high in melatonin. They’re also high in magnesium. Magnesium improves sleep quality.

Fatty fish is a good source of omega-3.

Fatty fish like salmon or tuna are also sources of vitamin D. Both vitamin D and omega-3 are important for fighting inflammation and increasing the body’s production of serotonin. Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine before bedtime since they’re all stimulants. Eating a hard-boiled egg or a handful of nuts can help you fall asleep more quickly.

  • There are hundreds of things that can keep you up at night and almost as many ways to conquer it. Poor sleep hygiene is one of the causes. You can counteract it by creating a sleep schedule and sticking with it.
  • Drinking a cup of chamomile tea can help you relax if you’re having problems sleeping. A cup of warm milk can also help. The calcium and tryptophan in milk can help lower your stress levels. A cup of cherry juice can also help.
  • Increasing your potassium level can help you sleep sounder. Eating a banana will do that. Eating a kiwi an hour before bedtime can also help you get better sleep. It contains serotonin.
  • Try turning off all electrical appliances with a screen or that give off light. The room should be dark when you sleep. While you might fall asleep watching Netflix, you won’t get quality sleep. Keep the room cooler for the best sleep.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio


Why Nutrition Is So Important For Athletes

Why Nutrition Is So Important For Athletes

No two people are exactly alike, especially when it comes to nutrition. Athletes’ requirements differ from those of people who live a more sedentary lifestyle. Because of the energy expended, their body may need more calories. They may require more protein, healthy fat, and carbs to recover from demanding training. There is no one-size-fits-all dietary plan for any group of people, especially athletes. Their sport, body, and goals are a few factors that make a difference.

Sports nutrition plays a vital role in athletic success.

Athletes need more than just physical training to do their best. They need extra energy for training and competition. Training pushes the body and makes micro tears in the muscle. Recovery heals those tears to make muscles stronger and larger. Inadequate recovery time can diminish strength and muscle development. The right nutrition can speed recovery to enhance performance, reduce the potential of injury, and improve stamina and endurance.

The right balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates plays a big role.

The average person requires approximately 45 to 65% of their calories from carbohydrates, 10 to 35% from protein, and 20 to 35% from healthy fats. The specific balance for each person considers many factors. Age, activity level, gender, and weight are a few. With athletes, even more factors are part of the equation. For instance, endurance athletes need more calories from carbohydrates than other athletes. The athlete must adjust the macronutrient balance based on the ultimate goal.

It takes more than just protein to achieve peak performance.

Most athletes believe that simply boosting their protein intake is the only thing necessary to build more muscle or improve their performance. While it may be true for athletes involved in sports requiring strength, it doesn’t determine the exact amount or identify the micronutrients necessary for improved performance. It doesn’t account for the carb or fat requirements either. Healthy fat is essential for many bodily functions. The amount varies based on the type of training and weight loss goals.

  • Adequate hydration plays an essential role in an athlete’s performance. When athletes sweat, they lose both fluid and electrolytes. Hydration requires fluids that meet their electrolyte and hydration needs.
  • Achieving the correct blend of nutrition can help the athlete attain peak performance and allow them to push their bodies to the limit for longer periods.
  • Some athletes need to boost performance, build muscle, and lose weight. Achieving the perfect body composition to compete in their sport requires a careful balance.
  • Timing meals and snacks is vital for the best performance. Eating a meal or snack too early can diminish the benefit. Eating it too late can cause digestive issues.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio


Staying Positive Matters

Staying Positive Matters

You see it frequently: people who sabotage their success with negative thoughts. If you want to achieve anything, staying positive is necessary for success. As a child, you may have heard the story of the little engine that could. It kept repeating, “I think I can.” when it attempted the goal of pulling the stranded train over the mountain after larger engines refused. It’s usually the first book on positive thinking that people read. If you’re facing a challenging goal, believing in yourself enough to start is the first step.

Often procrastinators don’t have that belief, so they put off starting.

When you believe you can achieve something, you don’t put off doing it. It’s the tough things people say they’ll do tomorrow. You can change your attitude and push yourself to start. If it’s hard to do, you’ve taken the first step. Schedule an appointment with the gym and treat it like any other appointment. Use a personal trainer or an exercise buddy to increase the potential you’ll be there. When you know you’re meeting someone, you’re more apt to go.

Some people never even consider trying because of negative vibes.

Everyone knows somebody who feels sorry for themselves but won’t do anything to change their situation. Maybe that someone is you. If you don’t think you can accomplish something because you’ve failed previously, use that failure to your advantage. Identify why it didn’t work and find a way to avoid that problem. You’re only a failure if you don’t try.

Listen to your self-talk.

When you listen to that voice in your head, ask yourself, “Would I want to be friends with another person if they said those things to me?” Most of the time, the answer is no. If you’re constantly telling yourself you’re a failure, you’re not providing friendly support. Every time you hear yourself mentally say something negative, replace that thought with three positive things. Be like the Engine that Could and keep repeating those positive phrases until they become internalized.

  • As noted before, having a workout buddy can bring benefits, but be careful who you choose. Don’t work out with anyone negative or not supportive. Identify people or things that make you feel discouraged and avoid them.
  • If you have a setback, like eating four desserts, don’t get mad or give up. Know you can do better and get back to work on your goals.
  • There’s a mind-body connection. Your thoughts can affect your health. Your health affects your attitude. Positivity helps break down any roadblocks that stand between you and your goals.
  • Focus on your “why.” Write down the reason you want to achieve your goal. Elaborate on it and put emotion into it. Reread your reasons several times a day. When you firmly state your desires, it improves motivation.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio


How To Set Reasonable Weekly Fitness Goals

How To Set Reasonable Weekly Fitness Goals

The start of a new year is always when people in San Antonio, TX, work on resolutions. They can be anything. Often, they are about improving fitness. Some are impressively challenging. Others seem easy to obtain. It doesn’t matter the goal or its immensity it is. It’s all about achieving it. One way to make it easier, regardless of difficulty, is to break the goal into smaller weekly goals. Weekly goals allow you to experience success quickly. That builds motivation and ensures future wins.

Big goals are inspiring, at least for a while.

If you have a big goal, it’s exciting, but those goals take a long time to come to fruition. It doesn’t mean you don’t set them. Do it in smaller bites. If you want to lose 30 pounds, decide how much you can lose each week. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a pound. Reducing your calorie intake and increasing your calorie output could create a deficit of 500 calories daily. That would cause you to lose a pound a week. A weekly goal of losing a pound weekly for 30 weeks would be an achievable plan.

Don’t overdo it, or you could fail.

Trying to reach your goal too quickly can put the goal and your health in jeopardy. If you’ve never exercised in your life or at least for several years, don’t overdo it. You need to learn proper exercise form and start slowly. If lifting the remote is the hardest task you’ve done recently, don’t try to lift barbells that weigh as much as you do. The chances of getting injured are great. That can set you back for months.

Weekly goals give you a deadline.

If you’re only focused on big goals and have a deadline but don’t have any monitoring in between, you may not start in time to achieve your goal healthily. Everyone’s had something to do that they knew about for months but failed to start until the last minute. Sometimes, it works out, but most of the time, it doesn’t, especially for fitness. Weekly goals keep you constantly focused. They motivate you to take action.

  • If you’re creating weekly goals, you need a method to measure your achievement. Your measurement tool should match your reason for the goal, like a scale and blood pressure readings when your goal is weight loss to lower your blood pressure.
  • Tracking your goals is also important. If you want to get fit to look better, take a selfie of yourself in something that clings to your body. Take them once a month. It’s easier to see the changes when you look at your starting photo.
  • If you have a workout buddy whose fitness level differs from yours, don’t compare yourself to your friend. Everyone needs to exercise at their own pace. Just focus on yourself and achieving your goals.
  • Before you start any exercise program or diet, check with your healthcare professional. Don’t give up if you have a setback. Fitness doesn’t improve in a straight line upward. Our trainers can help you get back on track.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio


How To Start Working Out For Beginners

How To Start Working Out For Beginners

People have varied reasons to start working out. Some want to look more attractive. Others want to have the energy to keep up with their children. A health scare is another reason beginners often start. Novices frequently make crucial mistakes when they first begin. Those errors can set them back for months or even cause them to quit. Here are a few of those and ways to avoid them.

Don’t pull a Rambo when you start.

It happens all too often. Someone who never did anything more athletic than run to the kitchen for more snacks suddenly thinks they can compete with seasoned athletes. Put away your ego and take it easy. You may be able to push harder the first day, but you’ll pay for it for the week afterward. Start slowly. Don’t overdo it initially, or you’ll be too sore to do anything for a week. There will be plenty of time to push yourself later as you get fitter.

Focus on your form.

Sure, you want to do 100 squats or lift that extra ten pounds, but your form may suffer. The correct form is vital no matter how fit you are. Doing an exercise wrong diminishes the benefits and may cause injury. It’s even more important when you’re doing weight training. If you push too hard and try to lift too heavy, it magnifies the problems with your form and causes muscle strain and tears. Use a trainer, friend, or exercise in front of a mirror to ensure your form is correct.

Don’t forget to warm up and cool down.

A few minutes of warm-up exercises prepare both the muscles used and your cardiovascular system to exercise. Warm-up exercises should be dynamic stretches that mimic many of the movements you’ll do during your session. If you’re running, do calf stretches, pace, or jog. Lower body warm-ups can include jumping jacks and leg swings. Cool-down exercises help boost recovery and prevent blood from pooling in the extremities. One example is slowing your pace when running and walking for a few minutes.

  • When doing strength training, rest the muscles for 48-72 hours between sessions. That doesn’t mean you stay at home on the couch. You can work other muscles or do recovery workouts.
  • Make sure your workout program includes all types of fitness. It should have cardio, strength, flexibility, and balance exercises. To be truly fit, you need all four.
  • Track your workouts. Winners keep score. You can identify where you’re progressing and whether the exercises you’re using are helping. Track the progress toward your goal. If it’s to lose weight, track your weight.
  • Always check with your healthcare professional first before starting any exercise program. If they give you the okay, create attainable goals and an outline of how you’ll achieve them.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio


Is Cooking With An Air Fryer Healthy?

Is Cooking With An Air Fryer Healthy?

If you’re like many people in San Antonio, TX, you probably have an air fryer in your kitchen, either as a stand-alone or part of a combination oven. There’s a reason for the popularity of air fryers. It offers that crisp fried exterior and a similar fried food taste without the excess oil. That occurs due to a reaction within the food when it’s heated. You don’t use bottles of vegetable oil or have a massive clean-up afterward. It only takes a tablespoon of oil. Does it make food more healthy? Or are we fooling ourselves?

How does frying affect the food?

Fried food uses a lot of oil, but there’s always a lot left in the deep-fryer. Most people save that oil to reuse it the next time. It requires straining the oil to remove particles and ensure quality and safety. You don’t have that problem with the air fryer. You only use a small amount, leaving nothing to process after cooking. Air frying also reduces the potential of absorbing the oil. Some manufacturers claim air-fryers reduce the oil absorbed by 75% compared to deep-fried food. It didn’t affect the color or moisture content of the food either.

Less oil means fewer calories.

The more calories you eat, the more potential you have to gain weight. If you’re reducing the oil by eating air-fried food rather than deep-fried, you could cut your calories by as much as 80%. You also reduce the potential of a compound forming called acrylamide. The EPA—Environmental Protection Agency—says it’s a carcinogen. Air-frying food instead of deep-frying can lower the content of acrylamide by up to 90%.

Don’t be fooled.

Using an air fryer is not the total answer to a healthy diet. Just because it’s not as bad as deep-fried food, it doesn’t mean you should eat it daily. Your body needs vegetables and other healthy options. Give yourself a treat occasionally with air-fried food. Add plenty of salads and vegetable sides to your meal. Use the air-fryer to make rotisserie chicken rather than focus on breaded frozen mozzarella sticks or tater tots. It’s one more way to improve your diet, but not the whole answer.

  • You’ll save time in the kitchen when you use the air-fryer. You don’t have to preheat the oven to air-fry a small amount. There’s no messy clean-up, either. You save calories, time, and energy.
  • Air frying uses lower temperatures and shorter cooking time. Deep frying food increases the potential for the oil to undergo oxidation. That creates free radicals, which damage cells and cause health problems.
  • You can’t cook all types of food in air-fryers, nor would you want to do it. You can get creative and use the air-fryer to make healthier versions of food, like sweet potato fries or Mediterranean vegetables.
  • You can save money by using air-fryers to make grocery store rotisserie chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with Lawry’s seasoning salt or make a copycat version for more savings. It’s quick and delicious.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio


Best Workouts To Do In The Least Amount Of Time

Best Workouts To Do In The Least Amount Of Time

Life is busy. Often, it isn’t easy to fit everything into a day. Something has to give. Work or family isn’t an option. You can save time exercising by switching to smarter workouts. You get as much benefit in less time or find ways to manage your workout time. For instance, you may have short sections of time throughout the day. Those ten to fifteen-minute periods can be devoted to exercising. You don’t have to workout 30-45 minutes straight. You can break it up into three or four shorter sessions.

Save time with HIIT—high intensity interval training—workouts.

You don’t have to spend as much time when the exercise is more intense. Nobody can go at peak intensity for long. That’s where a HIIT workout enters the picture. HIIT is a way of exercising, not a particular exercise. You push your body at peak intensity for a specific time, such as a minute or two, then back down to a recovery pace or rest period if you’re doing strength training, for the same time or longer. Alternate the intensity between the two. One British study found more benefits from doing between 6 to 10 rounds of 60 seconds with intense exercise and 50 seconds of rest or recovery between.

Use kettlebells or circuit training.

Circuit training can save time when you don’t rest as long between sets. You can modify it to get a full-body workout and break it into several sessions throughout the day. Save time with kettlebell training. It can be a full-body workout that works every muscle in your body in less time than traditional exercise. You can incorporate strength, flexibility, balance, and cardio training into one shorter session.

Do compound bodyweight exercises or exercise in your cubicle.

Compound exercises exercise several muscle groups at once. Just like full-body workouts, it’s more efficient. Do bodyweight exercises and modify them to fit your location. Chair bodyweight exercises can be done at work when you have a break. Seated lean backs, seated cross-punches and kicks, and seated single-leg or traditional squats are good starts. Create a list of exercises you can do at your desk and sprinkle them throughout the day until you complete the entire list.

  • Double the benefits. Spend time with the kids in active play. You can exercise with them, play basketball, ride bikes, or hike. It’s all about moving your body. You’ll create family memories and help the kids live an active lifestyle.
  • Make time with friends more active. Instead of stopping for a drink, go to the gym and workout together. Spend an evening out dancing or a Saturday hiking. Walk to lunch instead of driving.
  • Find ways to increase your activity. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If your destination is several flights, take the elevator part of the way and the stairs the rest. Park further from the store and walk.
  • The intensity used for exercise determines the time you need to spend. The more intense your workout, the less time necessary. Stay active when you’re not exercising. When you walk, focus on good posture and make your pace brisk.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio


Benefits Of Yoga For Mind And Body

Benefits Of Yoga For Mind And Body

At Iron Fit in San Antonio, TX, we emphasize the benefits of all types of exercise, particularly strength-building. We also create a program designed to address more than strength. It includes flexibility, balance, and endurance. Many of the exercises our trainers use are also yoga poses. Some yoga poses help build muscle strength and endurance. Others boost balance and flexibility. If you want variety, doing yoga on your days away from the gym can improve your mind and body.

Yoga can help reduce stress.

Stress causes illness and can aggravate existing maladies. When you’re under stress, it increases hormone production that prepares you to run or fight. It is beneficial if you’re in danger and must fight for your life or flee. Most stress today is not. Stress hormones increase inflammation, blood glucose, heart rate, and blood pressure. The hormones control your mood and physical and, with time, can create health issues. Yoga poses can help release body tension, increase lymphatic flow, and improve the immune system. The breathing techniques can relax the body and eliminate stress hormones to reverse the changes.

Yoga helps you sleep better and benefits heart health.

Reducing stress and inflammation can improve heart health. It helps lower high blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight, and return your body to normal functioning. It can help you relax and make falling asleep and quality sleep easier. When you sleep, your body heals, your mind reorganizes, and your heart rate slows. Your brain cleans itself and reorganizes when you sleep. That boosts your mental health.

You’ll improve flexibility to prevent muscle injury and reduce chronic pain.

Yoga poses improve your range of motion. As you stretch, you’re improving flexibility to reduce the potential of muscle injury when you do common daily movements. If you have sore muscles or joints, yoga can help relieve the pain. It helps relax muscles to relieve back and limb pain. It increases the flow of synovial fluid that lubricates joints to reduce the pain of arthritis and other ailments causing joint pain.

  • No matter what your fitness level is, you can do yoga. There’s a type of yoga or modification perfect for each person. Always check the recommended fitness level, especially if changes are necessary.
  • Yoga can help you lose weight. It doesn’t burn as many calories as other forms of exercise, but it makes you more mindful of your body’s needs. People often eat less after practicing yoga for a while.
  • Yoga is good exercise for people with joint issues. It’s low impact and can strengthen the muscles and tendons around the joints, relieving pressure. It can help relieve chronic headaches by reducing the number and the intensity.
  • Yoga is a good supplement to any fitness plan. You can also add yoga poses, like the bridge, which are part of traditional exercise programs. Always check with your healthcare professional before beginning an exercise program.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio


Unlock The Power Of Stretching

Unlock The Power Of Stretching

Stretching relieves stress. It increases blood flow. It increases circulation and a sense of calm. Stretching sends oxygen throughout the body and can increase your oxygen intake. The increased blood flow to the brain makes you more alert. That type of stretching is often involuntary. When stretching is deliberate and part of your fitness program, it brings a host of other benefits.

There are many types of stretching.

The two most often used are static and dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching is the type used for warming up before exercising. Static stretching is best performed after working out because the muscles are warm. Dynamic stretching prepares the muscles for the activities you’re about to do. It warms them and slowly increases your heart rate before you do more rigorous workouts. Static stretching helps prevent blood from pooling and is often used to improve the range of motion since muscles are more pliable and easier to stretch.

Stretching helps prevent injuries.

People frequently injure their muscles when they exercise because they have a limited range of motion. Stretching helps prevent that. It improves flexibility to make everyday tasks easier. Stretching is necessary for seniors. It prevents reduced mobility and muscle tightness that often occurs with age. An increased range of motion helps you perform physical tasks easier and prevents muscle injury. Stretching also helps improve balance. Improved balance can prevent injury from falls and diminishes functional fitness. Stretching allows people to perform physical tasks with ease and prevents muscle injury.

You’ll improve your posture and reduce pain by stretching.

Stretching helps you become or stay limber. If you’re constantly looking and looking at a computer screen, often your body bends forward. If you don’t stretch periodically, it becomes too painful to stand straight. Good posture is necessary for good digestion, breathing, and pain reduction. Stretching exercises help reduce chronic muscle cramps. It relieves back, neck, or shoulder pain.

  • Stretching can build core muscle strength. Strong core muscles create a flat belly, good posture, exceptional balance, and more energy. Stretching aligns your body so you use less energy.
  • Stretching helps you breathe deeper. That helps you relax. Raising your arms and reaching toward the ceiling, chest opener-thoracic extension stretch, and other chest stretches can open your chest to make breathing easier.
  • Regularly stretching can bring relief from headaches. If you have a sedentary job, get up, stretch your muscles, and walk around a few minutes every 50 minutes. Stretching is also beneficial for active recovery the day after an intense workout.
  • Our personal trainers can create a well-rounded program to help you reach your goals. It will include warm-up and cool-down stretches and stretches to improve flexibility.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio


Workouts To Burn Fat

Workouts To Burn Fat

Most people want to get fit and healthy. They want workouts that are the most effective for building muscle, burning fat, and improving energy levels. Dieting can help, but you have to be careful. If you don’t do the right exercises, you’ll lose weight. Unfortunately, you’ll also lose muscle tissue. You end up being a thin person with excess body fat. The best fat-loss exercises include more than cardio. Cardio burns a lot of calories, but they come from both muscle and fatty tissue. You end up with less muscle tissue. That makes it harder to lose weight. Muscle tissue requires more calories than fat tissue does, so the more you have, the higher your metabolism is.

Strength training sets calories on fire.

When you include strength training in your routine, you’ll build muscle as you burn calories. That doesn’t mean you give up cardio, balance, or flexibility exercises. Your body requires all types of fitness. Strength training can include bodyweight exercises or lifting weights. Combining the two, as in weighted squats, is ideal. You’ll burn fat and build muscle by doing burpees, push-ups, and plank jacks.

Turn your workout into a HIIT—high intensity interval training session.

HIIT isn’t a specific exercise but a way of doing any exercise. You push your body to peak performance doing HIIT workouts, then alternate the intensity between peak and recovery. That allows you to exercise at the maximum pace for longer. HIIT workouts provide calorie and fat-burning advantages while you’re doing it, but it goes a step further than other types of exercise. It continues to burn calories long after the workout ends due to EPOC—Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption.

No matter how hard you workout, if you don’t eat healthy, you won’t get results.

Great bodies start in the kitchen. No matter how hard you exercise, you won’t get the success you want if you aren’t eating healthily. Fast food is notoriously higher in calories and lower in nutrition, both of which are not good for building muscle and losing fat. Eating healthily and ensuring adequate dietary protein is vital to building muscle. Your body also requires carbs and healthy fat. Healthy fats, like the fat in avocados, contain the nutrients for building hormones that help fat loss.

  • HIIT workouts improve blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose levels. They can reduce insulin resistance, which contributes to obesity and body fat. You’ll also improve endurance quickly using HIIT.
  • Doing circuit training with no rest between exercises and little rest between circuits also burns fat. A circuit combining bodyweight exercises like jumping jacks, squats, and push-ups can change body composition by building muscle and burning fat.
  • One exercise that’s a combination of several others is burpees. It’s hard to do many, but they are great for building muscle and burning fat. You can create your workout or use the expertise of our trainers to help you reach your goals faster.
  • Adequate sleep is also necessary to build muscle and burn fat. When you sleep, your body heals. That allows it to build muscle tissue. Lack of sleep can cause an excess of the hunger hormone and diminish the satiety hormone.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio