Balancing Nutrition and Exercise

If the words "I workout so I can eat" or some variation haven't slipped out of your mouth, you probably know someone who's uttered this statement. Exercise is a great way to help regulate weight without feeling like you have to restrict your diet. However, many people find it difficult to balance exercise and eating habits. Whether your appetite grows when you're on an exercise program, you make excuses to eat poorly because of exercise, or you can't seem to keep on a healthy eating plan while active, balancing nutrition with a workout plan is key to maintaining a healthy weight. Following are some tips for common problems dealing with eating and exercise.

Problem: Once I start an exercise program, I feel ravenous.

Solution: An exercise program will kick start your metabolism, so it is common to feel hungrier than usual. Increasing your caloric intake is important so you don't feel deprived, but make sure you're not eating more calories than you burn from your workouts.

Increasing your protein intake will help keep you full longer as you continue an exercise program. Also, if you continue to feel hungry, filling up with fibrous foods, such as fruits and vegetables, will help you feel fuller without the added calories.

Make sure you drink water. Often, dehydration manifests as hunger. So before you pick up that bagel, drink a glass of water and see if that helps satiate your hunger.

Problem: I exercise so I don't have to pay attention to what I eat.

Solution: Exercise does burn calories, but if you use it as an excuse to eat whatever you want, you can easily consume more calories than you burn. Even though your caloric needs are higher, so are your nutrient needs during an exercise program. This means that you can eat more, but you need to eat foods high in nutrients and vitamins too.

Problem: I treat myself without guilt because I exercise.

Solution: Rewarding yourself after you work hard is a great way to give positive reinforcement to an activity like exercise. But if you're constantly rewarding yourself with food, your exercise isn't going to give you the results you are looking for.

While food is a nice reward every so often, find other ways to reward yourself that don't involve food. Treating yourself to a bath, time to read a good book, or whatever else you enjoy will help you balance exercising and eating.

Problem: When I start exercising to aid in weight loss, I end up bingeing on food because I get so hungry.

Solution: Often when starting a diet and exercise program, we try to eat less and exercise more. This can lead to overeating and bingeing on junk food-the last thing we want when trying to become healthier! Bingeing often occurs because of caloric deprivation. When you eat too little throughout the day then exercise, the body feels deprived and needs calories. When the body is to this point, you crave sweets and fats instead of eating healthier options, and tend to eat more because of hunger.

Eating more often throughout the day can help curb the tendency to binge later on. Make sure to include proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in each meal, which will help you feel full and satisfied. Ignoring one of these macronutrients-main nutrients the body needs-can lead to hunger and cravings.

You also want to have something before and after your workout. Eating light before your workout gives you energy, and eating after replenishes your energy stores and helps rebuild and repair the body. Eating something small after your workout will also help stave of extreme hunger a few hours later.


When building an exercise and nutrition program, it is important to remember that mindfulness is key to maintaining a healthy weight and managing diet and exercise. Paying attention to how your body feels and what you are eating can help you understand your habits and make positive changes.

Take it to the Trail

There's an area called "The Hill of Life" on the trail I run at least once a week. This rocky, sandy, area gains 300 feet of elevation in .3 mile. I get there at the halfway point of a run of 5 and some change. With the sun beating down, I begin my ascent. Concrete slabs alternate with huge rocks, making the hill of life more like the stair workout from hell. Loose rocks slide under my feet, slowing me down as I continue upwards. Then, the trail bends and up I go for more. I know I'm towards the top as my sweat drips down my spine and my heart rate continues to race. Stopping at the top, I know I still am only halfway done with my run, with the perilous descent coming next.

For those of us that run on the roads, trails can seem like torture. The pace slows, roots, rocks, and bends in the trail keep you from a steady pace and force you to pay attention to everything around you so you don't fall. Did I mention you might fall? Make sure to pick up your feet. But trail running can help significantly improve your road running, and help you connect more with solitude, nature, and yourself as you put one foot in front of the other.

You Work Different Muscles

Trail running forces you to dodge roots and rocks, so you're using many different muscles while you're running. When you're moving to the side or bringing your foot higher to get over a tree stump or rock, you're recruiting stabilization muscles you don't use in road running. These muscles need to be strengthened to reduce risk of overuse injuries, which increase in likelihood when you're doing the same motion over and over as in road running. The trails force you to recruit different muscles during your run, helping you become stronger and reducing risk of injury.

You're Distracted During Your Run

The same 3 mile loop in your neighborhood gets old. Running in the same areas can become boring, and if you've started your run wondering when you'll be finished, it may be time for a new route. However, on the trail, there are other things you can pay attention to during your run. First of all, you need to look ahead at the trail constantly so you know what sort of terrain is ahead. Trails often are single-track, or narrow enough that you can't see very far ahead of you like you can during road running, and tend to wind around, so you don't know exactly what lies ahead. These distractions force you to concentrate on what is going on around you, not what you'll eat for dinner, or how tired you feel, or how your day went. Focusing on the present helps you appreciate your run rather than dread it.

Hills, Hills, Hills

Did I mention hills? Most trails, unless you're on a rails-to-trails path, have a few hills. Hill running strengthens the legs, giving you more power to push forward during your road runs and races. The downhill portion builds strength when your legs are in the extension portion of their movement. Downhill running during training helps reduce the pain, contractions, cramps, and soreness that happen in a race situation.

Trails Lessen the Impact on Your Body

Trails offer a softer surface to run on, which is a respite from the hard impact of the road surface. Whether you're tired, sore, or feel an injury coming on, running on softer trail surfaces helps reduce impact related soreness or injury.

You don't have to love nature to enjoy running on the trails. So get out there, find some dirt, and try out some trail running.

Mastering the 5K

It started out easy. Well, not easy, but easy enough. I was feeling great, and running with the head of the pack. Even though I started out fast, I was feeling pretty good.

Then the one mile marker hit. I was breathing heavier, and my legs were beginning to feel like lead. "Uh oh," I thought, "started out too fast again." Willing myself to make it through, I passed the 2nd mile marker, quite a bit slower than the first.

The third mile was brutal. Wheezing, forcing myself to take another step and ignoring the feeling of puke rising from my stomach, I somehow pushed forward. It was the slowest mile of all.

If your 5K race sounds similar to my above recollection of many of my shorter races, you are not alone. Most of us train for longer races, from the half marathon to full marathon as our main goals. However, we naively think that we can sign up for a 5K on a whim and it will be a piece of cake. By mile three, we realize how wrong we were, wishing never to run another short race again.

But you CAN master the 5K! Just because you are training for a longer distance doesn't mean you have to succumb to slow and painful 5K times. Here are some tips for getting ready for that shorter distance:

1. Play with Speed: With distance running comes long, steady miles. Before you know it, you're running the same pace for every run, from long run to tempo to races. You then get used to that steady pace, and your body is not used to running faster. So you have to practice speed! Begin by adding some faster surges into a shorter run during the week. If you want to get more serious, get on a track and do 800 or 1600 meter repeats at 5K pace. These faster workouts will be challenging, but will get your neuromuscular system used to running a faster pace, helping you in the 5K

2. Sign up for more than one 5K: The first 5K you do will be hard. Your body just won't be used to racing that distance. So plan out a few 5Ks that are 3-4 weeks apart. By the 3rd or 4th race, you will feel much better than the first few.

3. Warm Up: Warming up is one of the most important things you need to do before you run a faster race. Shocking your body by starting a 5K with no warm up will spike your heart rate, forcing you to use your anaerobic energy system more and will cause you to run out of energy before the end of the race. A 2 mile warm up will loosen your muscles and ready your body for the hard work ahead.

4. Start out slow: Don't rocket out of the gate like a jet-propelled engine, or you're only going to last the first 1/2 mile before you begin slowing down. Starting out too fast also spikes the heart rate, and will use up short-term energy stores, wearing you out before the end of the race. Start out slower and try to build speed as you go. Again, you may have to run a few 5Ks before you figure out your best starting speed.

5. Allow for Post-Race Recovery: Even though you're only racing 3.1 miles, your body needs ample recovery after your race. Faster paced races put strain on the muscles as well as the joints and ligaments. When you're running faster you are also running in a different position, leaning foward and running on the mid-foot to forefoot. This can cause muscle soreness in different areas than you're used to. Take it easy for the next day or so after your race, allowing for recovery time.

Whatever your preferred race distance, a 5k is a fast and fun event that can be enjoyed. So don't shy away just because you're used to running longer-you just might find a new favorite race distance!

LISTENING TO YOUR BODY: ON REST AND RECOVERY

We began yoga class, as we often do, with a moment of inward reflection, setting an intention for our practice and for the day. I sat, my mind reeling, mostly thinking about the slight twinge in my shin and my run later in the day. I'd been battling with this little "twinge" for a couple of weeks, since the Disney 1/2 at the beginning of January, and been trying to continue running while also trying not to become seriously injured. As I sat, trying to decide whether or not it was a good idea to go running later, the yogic concept of Ahimsa came to mind.

Ahimsa is a concept that means to do no harm and means kindness to all living things. Ahimsa respects all beings and believes all beings are connected (thanks Wikipedia!).

Ahimsa relates to the self as well. I believe that most of the people I come into contact with wish no overt harm on others. Then why do we often abuse ourselves? Whether we imbibe in alcohol or drugs, smoke, or eat poorly, we are not practicing Ahimsa when we are acting in violence towards our bodies.

As a runner, I find myself doing this often. "Just push a little harder," I tell myself. "Get those extra miles in this week," or "That ache in my [knee, hip, ankle, shin] is okay as long as I can finish my run."

When we don't listen to our bodies, we become disconnected with our inner selves, and are less likely to notice other times when our bodies are telling us something is not right. While exercise can help improve health and self-confidence, rest and recovery help our exercise. In order to run your best, you have to find that delicate balance for your body between push and pull, pushing yourself hard and resting and rebuilding.

I decided to take a few days off from running, and listen to my body and practice Ahimsa. I went for a swim instead, let my body play a little and enjoyed some recovery.