What to eat before and after doing Pilates

Remember when you were told to exercise on an empty stomach? Along with no pain, no gain, that philosophy has changed. Nowadays, we’re more aware of the role nutrition plays in helping to provide the energy needed for a workout as well as fuel for recovery afterward. While there is not a specific diet for Pilates, a few rules of thumb do apply. For example, when and how much you eat are important.

Pilates focuses quite heavily on using core muscles which does not go so well with a full or gassy stomach. Eating a light meal an hour or more before class is recommended. The food you eat before doing Pilates should also be light and easily digested. Try a few tablespoons of peanut butter on whole grain toast or a sliced apple. After doing Pilates, focus on muscle recovery and growth. You may want to drink a whey protein shake because whey is an excellent source of lean protein that contains the amino acids essential to muscle health.

Achieving your goals

Most people are interested in exercise for both the toning component as well as weight loss. If you’re concerned about burning calories with Pilates, you should know that how many varies depending on the intensity and length of your workout. However, since Pilates is generally not an endurance activity, you don’t need to eat too much in order to have the energy needed to complete a class.

Because you can begin to feel depleted if you don’t eat at all before class, a light snack that combines lean proteins with complex carbs works the best.

Talk to your instructor

Ever wonder what those Hollywood actors are doing to get such lean, toned bodies? When asked, they’ll usually talk about hitting the gym or taking fitness classes, but that’s not the real secret. The reality is that, when working to achieve weight loss or improve your lean body mass, what you’re putting in your mouth matters more than your workouts. That’s why you see people of all shapes and sizes running marathons. Regardless of how much time you put in on the treadmill or running track, if you’re following it up with large portions of the wrong foods, you’re not going to see the results you want.

At Propel Pilates, we offer a program by which we can customize your diet to help meet your fitness and weight loss goals. We’ll advise you regarding when, how much, and what types of food will work best to achieve the results you want.

Call today and speak with one of our knowledgeable instructors about how you can make the most of your Pilates exercises.