Before you exercise it is important to fuel your body properly so you can accomplish the tasks to the best of your abilities and see improvement in your practice. Yoga involves a lot of upside down and twisting movements, therefore you don’t want to over indulge before any class. If your class is super early in the morning you still want to make sure you eat something light, I recommend an apple, possibly some nuts, or another light fruit, just to help you wake up and not feel shaky throughout class especially if it is a hot class. Otherwise I recommend trying to not eat at least 1-2 hours before class. Personally, when I have a yoga class either in the morning or later in the day, I’m inspired to make healthier choices, I know I don’t want to go into that room regretting something I ate earlier in the day or something that made me feel sluggish and tired. You also need to make sure to be properly hydrated before going into class because you will be sweating, but this does not mean chugging your water bottle before you walk in. Make sure to drink plenty of water the night before class, or throughout the day for later classes. Water, whole foods, fruits, and vegetables are the best choices on any day, but especially if you’re about to control and contour your body in a warm room full of people.
After class, you will likely be hungry and a little dehydrated since you’re body just lost ounces of water through sweat. Always bring plenty of water with you that way you can replenish what you’ve just lost. Water brings a plethora of benefits; decreasing soreness, increasing energy, assisting with weight loss, healthy skin, and so much more. Therefore, it’s so important to rehydrate after you’ve finished sweating. After class, you want to eat something with lots of nutrients and lean protein to help restore some of those things that you just lost through sweating and help repair and build muscle. If it’s still morning try eggs with spinach or
other veggies. For a later class think about a soup and salad with grilled chicken or fish for lunch! You don’t want to overwhelm your stomach after class, but make sure you find the right balance of replenishing so you feel your best during and after every class!
