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Exercise & Nutrition: Get Ready for Winter With The Feed

by Becca Schepps / @thefeedme / October 16, 2013

Winter is coming! It’s already mid-October and most North American ski resorts will be spinning the lifts soon. It can be hard to get out of the summer mindset, but it’s time to get ready with exercise & nutrition via The Feed. Eight weeks from now it’ll be mid-December and you’ll be kicking yourself if you’re not ready.

TIP 1: CROSS TRAIN. Whatever you spent your summer doing, switch it up. Do something different. This will keep you from burning out when the days get colder and shorter. Trying something new in the fall keeps you motivated to have your heart pumping and gives your body a chance to adapt to a new sport.

TIP 2: TAKE IT SLOW. To see big gains, build slow. We know the feeling all too well. If you’ve been doing nothing but riding bikes all summer, don’t go run a marathon tomorrow. Run 15 minutes. Any more and you won’t walk for a week. Your fitness is there, but if you hit the gym hard for the first time in months, you might have problems walking down the stairs the next day. Remember that you’re trying to make small gains early on so that you can make big gains once your body has adapted properly to your fall cross training or gym workout.

TIP 3: USE YOUR BODY. Make the gym “3D”. When you’re training in the fall make your gym workouts 3-dimensional. Focus on using your bodyweight over using barbells. Try to avoid machines and do exercises focusing on stability. Learn your bodies strengths and weaknesses. Re-learn how it moves. Doing your exercises on Physio balls or balance boards will take away the stability of standing on the ground and add a 3D aspect to your workout. This will train your small muscles early on so that you eventually make bigger gains in strength with big muscles.

TIP 4: DON’T FORGET TO EAT. You may call fall your personal “off-season.” But that doesn’t mean nutrition can totally be thrown out the window. Gives yourself a little slack, but still focus on nutrition. Throughout the fall take advantage of the seasons best produce in your meal planning. Make sure, just like you did throughout the summer, that you’re hydrating, fueling and recovering from workouts. As the holidays approach, don’t deprive yourself, but focus on getting quality nutrition over packing on the holiday pounds. Whenever you can remind yourself the best skiing in North America is in February and when snow gets really good, you won’t won’t regret skipping that extra helping.

Our Nutrition Picks for Fall:

Hydration: Skratch Apples & Cinnamon. If you’re like us, and during the fall you’re itching to consume as much apple cider as possible, Skratch Labs has made that possible. Fill your bottles with this utterly delicious mix and every fall day will not only feel like fall, but taste like it as well.

Bar: Clif Spiced Pumpkin Pie. If you don’t want to cheat on your eating, but still want to indulge in the fall’s best flavors, this bar is how to do it. It’s a pie packed with the nutrition Clif always delivers, and it’s only available in the fall, so grab it while you can.

Chew: Honey Stinger Cola Chews. There is something about soda that’s utterly refreshing. Maybe it just reminds us of childhood, but you can never go wrong with this flavor. These bite sized bits pack a punch of energy.

Gel: Power Gel Pomegranate and Blueberry Acai. This gel feels and tastes like fall. The crisp, sweet and tart flavor matches the fall air, and luckily this gel is available year round.

Recovery: SiS Rego Recovery. This is a recovery drink that works overtime. When you’re switching up your training we like a recovery drink that can really adapt. Plus, when you’re watching your waistline, it’s good to have an excuse to taste of chocolate.

Wildcard: Epic Bar Turkey Walnut & Cranberry. It goes without saying that this bar embodies fall flavor. It’s literally thanksgiving perfected in wrapper. Grab this when you’re too busy to cook, or need a filling snack to carry you late into the day. It’s low in carbs, paleo friendly and ridiculously delicious.