Healthy Living in Austin, Texas

Hello All! Kathy’s assistant Jessica here doing a guest blog while Kathy is out of the office this week. Since I have only lived in Austin for about a month now, I thought I would share some of the great places I continue to discover as I get to know the city, and surrounding area.

So for my first post I want to highlight one of my favorite, and judging by the number of joggers there, many people’s favorite hike and bike spots, Town Lake.

The trail at Town Lake is gorgeous! Not only are you surrounded by an abundant amount of trees and right by the water, but also you get to gaze at some of the most amazing views of the Austin skyline. The trail offers quite a few distance options to choose from as well, in addition to some awesome amenities provided free of charge!

There are so many beautiful (and free) places in Austin to find your inner workout warrior, and stay healthy and in shape. If you have a favorite spot in or around the Austin area let me know. I would love to check it out and share with the readers!

Getting into a running routine can be difficult for most anyone. It is important to know the little secrets that can turn into potential stumbling blocks in the future of your running routine. Here are a few that I found interesting (and that I regularly violate) ;)….

1. Eating too close to a run – I’ve always wondered when the optimal time to eat dinner is if you are taking an evening run. I looked it up and found that 15 minutes after eating, your insulin levels rise, making you feel sluggish. While a small healthy snack right before a run can help to keep you energized, you should save your heavy meal for one to two hours before running.
2. Making energy bars a meal – Energy bars are high in sugar and low in fiber, making them ideal for before a run, but not ideal for losing weight. Plus, they don’t keep you full very long. In my personal opinion, I think it is best to stay away from these!
3. Overdoing sports drinks – Sports drinks are high in calories and should only be used if you plan to work out intensely for 45 minutes or longer. Otherwise, skip the calories and go with water!
4. Not fueling up mid-run – If you are planning to run longer than 90 minutes, it’s important to remember to refuel. Try 30 to 60 grams of carbs (sports drink or dried fruit) for every hour you exercise to keep your energy high.
5. Overeating post-workout -After a hard run, you definitely need recovery fuel after, but we often overestimate how many calories we burn, and this can sometimes lead to overeating. For a 45 minute workout, 100 calories will be sufficient for recovery.