Fitness in 2020
I was asked recently to recommend one trend in fitness that we should lose for 2020, and to recommend one trend we should adopt. From what I see in my practice currently and over the years as well as what I read in studies, I believe that more focus should be placed generally on RECOVERY. So many come to my office complaining about lack of gains despite “doing all the right things” but getting fewer than 7 – 9 hours of quality sleep each night. We have learned more and more about sport specific training, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), core maintenance, and proper nutrition, but not enough emphasis has been placed on how to adequately fill the prescription for fitness/recovery after the workout. SLEEP and ample rest as part of proper RECOVERY should be the new trend in 2020. It’s truly a game changer and in 2020, my hope is that more will catch on.
Pre-Workout Drinks
In conjunction with that in 2020, I hope there will be a decrease in the use of “Pre-Workout” drinks loaded with “legal speed” and sugar which more often than not robs Peter to pay Paul, and drives peripheral fat stores into central fat stores, stresses the adrenals, and prevents people from getting adequate sleep – ironically driving them to use more of the speedy sugary drinks hampering maximal recovery if not creating a downward spiral of fitness. I recommend saving a “Pre-Workout” drink for infrequent/special occasions, while avoiding the accommodation to the various forms of sympathetic nervous stimulation additives (aka stimulants) that often occurs. Even then, consider an espresso for the extra stimulation on those days and get the nitric oxide precursors that provide the pump and increased venous return to the heart to be taken separately for all the other days.