The human body has a lot of needs when it comes to nutrition. Working out, though great for your overall fitness, uses up a lot of your body’s resources. No matter how hard you push, you won’t get anywhere without an effective diet – so you’ll need to rejuvenate with positive nutritional habits! Here’s a short guide to fueling up before, during and after your workout:

Pre-Workout Nutrition

Not eating before workouts can lead to low blood-sugar, light-headedness, fatigue and headaches, so make sure your body has the fuel it needs! The best foods to carry you through your exercise will have plenty of carbohydrates to give your body quick energy, and some protein to sustain you through your workout. Try smoothies or combinations of bananas, apples, greek yogurt, oatmeal and whole-grain toast with peanut butter. Don’t forget to drink water before hitting the gym, and give yourself about 30 minutes after eating before you start exercising.

During Your Workout

One word: Water. It’s easy to transport, readily available at home and in the gym and your body will thank you for it. Of course, you could reach for sports drinks or coconut water, but only do so for high-intensity, prolonged workouts which might leave you in danger of dehydration. You could also get the jump on consuming a recovery drink during your workout, but that’s also best for high-intensity workouts, and as you’ll see in the next section, it might sound less than appealing.

Post-Workout Nutrition

There are hundreds of post-workout mixes, powders and shakes on the market, and the saturation can be overwhelming. In order to recover, though, your body needs just a few basic things: protein, heart-healthy fats and carbohydrates. Your muscles need protein to grow and repair, while carbs will help combat fatigue and give your body the energy it needs quickly. What has carbs, protein, is quick to drink and doesn’t cost $30?

Chocolate milk. And if you don’t do dairy, chocolate soy milk works, too. See why you might not want to start early on that recovery drink during your workout? Don’t wait too long to recover, though, you should eat or drink within two hours of your workout for best results.

This short guide will hopefully help you have a safe, successful workout and a quick recovery, but you should always consult a doctor before making major lifestyle changes. Now that you know what to eat before, during and after your workout, check out Wike-Up! aquabikes for a fun new way to exercise. Also be sure to keep up with the Wike-Up! blog for more tips on getting and staying fit.