Monthly Archives

July 2015

Fitness Food Tips

What the Hell Are Electrolytes?

July 30, 2015

Show of hands for who knows what electrolytes actually are.

*crickets*

Electrolytes seem to be everywhere now. They’re in your pre-gym bar and all expensive bottled water. Surely electrolytes must be some sort of magical health-ensuring fitness-boosting particle… Right?

Electrolytes are are basically just fancifully named minerals that are negatively or positively charged and help cells do their cell-y things. They pair up to get shit done. For example, calcium and magnesium help keep nerves and muscles happy (one activates them, one relaxes them). One of your kidney’s main functions is keeping electrolytes in check.

water

The reason why all these sports drinks shout to the heavens about their electrolyte content is because sweat is a majorrrrr deplenisher of electrolytes (does anyone else have an image in their mind of a little electrolyte slipping out of some sweat saying “adios!”… no?).

So now that we’ve covered what the hell are electrolytes and how they leave your body, let’s talk about how to keep your body’s electrolyte balance happy. If you’re eating right, this shouldn’t be too hard. Just make sure to adequately power up before and after intense workouts.

The most important electrolytes are calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphate and you’re going to need water to work as a conductor. So as long as you stay hydrated and eat (for example) a banana post or pre sweat-sesh, you should be perfect electrolit ( <- ha, get it?).

Have you ever noticed an electrolyte difference? What other fitness stuff are you wondering about?

* image from here

Fitness Running Sports

Mile High Run Club Review

Are you over the whole spin class fad? I’ve never been much of a “spinner” (that’s a word right?) but I loveeee running. SO when I heard a new place opened up in NYC just for runners, I had to try. In short, my…

July 26, 2015
Fitness Tips Travel

The Great Puzzle: Working out While Traveling

I could sit here chirping away about finding hotel-room-friendly workouts and running around foreign cities… but I won’t. Although, I’d love to go for a run around the countryside in a place like Thailand. I’d make sure I’ve had my jabs for Thailand beforehand…

July 22, 2015
Fitness Tips

What’s the Real Deal with Sunscreen

Sorry for the weekend silence, I was off on a beach break in the Hamptons on Long Island. And might have gotten a little burned. While canoeing. #oopsie But seriously, how many of us have gotten through a whole summer without getting burned?! Even…

July 20, 2015
Running Soccer Sports

Would You Rather: Soccer vs. Running

The US Women’s soccer team has been blowwwwwin’ up the internet (and NYC with the first ticker tape parade for a women’s sports team and several guest appearances) after getting the US their first FIFA World Cup. They got me thinking: which is better…

July 14, 2015
Train Travel

Choo Choo! An Intro to Traveling By Train

Now a’days, if you want to travel somewhere, chances are you have quite a few options of how to get there: plane, car, bike (major respect), boat or train. While I most often find myself on planes when it comes to traveling, I do…

July 13, 2015
Fitness Tips

The Great Balancing Act: Life vs. Fitness

Let’s all be real for a second: we could alllll use a 25th hour of the day sometimes. Between jobs, school, projects, friends and fitness, we all tend to become master jugglers. Whether you’re a student, office worker or jetsetter (#lifegoals), I’ll be the…

July 10, 2015