Have you found it difficult to balance a healthy diet with increased exercise or training?
Midtown Chicago’s Registered Dietitian, Jenny Maloney, is back to tell you how.
Spring is training season for many members. If you have a marathon, triathlon, 5K, or other athletic competition on the calendar, you’re likely exercising more and getting hungrier as well.
There is a fine line between fueling for your exercise or sport and overeating, which can result in weight gain despite an increased caloric burn.
The tendency after a hard workout is to eat twice as much as you normally would, and this can get you into trouble, so ensure that you are eating an overall healthy and balanced diet. Are you consuming enough fruits and vegetables? Are you choosing whole grain versions of foods and lean protein?
Once you are eating a variety of healthy foods, then you can start to think about fueling for exercise. Instead of eating two desserts after a hard workout, add an extra serving of fruit, vegetables, or protein, or add an extra healthy snack. For example, if your dinner is a chicken stir fry, add another ½ cup of brown rice and an extra ounce of chicken. If you are still hungry after dinner, you can always have a snack.
Make sure to eat before and after exercise so you are not starving when you are done. During the off-season or taper periods, cut down your portions but continue to eat healthfully. When you are in training or exercising more, you can eat more but make sure the food is still healthy.
What race(s) are you training for this spring?
Aloha!
Have you wondered why there were leis on some of our cardio equipment over the past few weeks?
The leis represent “Aloha,” which in Hawaiian means both “hello” and “goodbye.”
“Hello” to our new cardio equipment and “goodbye” to the old equipment!
Midtown has recently changed out 34 pieces of cardio equipment, including:
“At many clubs, you may notice frequent “Out of Order” signs on the cardiovascular equipment, but not at Midtown,” says Chuck Barnard, General Manager. “We have made it standard to replace our most frequently used cardiovascular pieces on an annual basis to minimize the frequency of equipment breakdown.”
What are the benefits of using this equipment?
You can use treadmills for running and walking with up to a 15% incline (good for simulating hill walking and running) and speeds ranging from a half mile per hour to a 3:45 mile, which is great for the advanced runner and interval training. The lower speeds simulate tennis footwork.
This piece of equipment is the personal favorite of Neil Wywialowski, our Fitness Director!
With the AMT, various stride lengths simulate walking, stair-climbing, and running. To Neil, it feels like doing the activities in a swimming pool without the swimsuit, and you can also work your arms while doing these activities!
Using this equipment (with and without arm movement) is similar to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and is a total body workout, especially when using your arms.
Which one is best for you?
According to Neil, the “The best exercise for you is one you enjoy doing.”
Which new piece of equipment have you tried?
