After a run in the sun or a day spent on the windy ski slopes, I usually come home to discover that my hair is a sweaty, tangled mess. Trying to pull a comb through it only seems to make it worse, forcing me into yet another wash, which I’m pretty sure we’re not supposed to do daily, right? And considering how much of a beating our hair takes when exercising, it’s important to take good care of your hair during and after a workout.

The good news is that protecting your hair doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your fitness goals. With the right routine for your hair type and a few mess-free styling tips, you can ensure your hair and scalp stay as healthy and strong as you.

A Build-Up of Sweat Creates the Perfect Environment for Bacteria to Grow

According to a Colorado-based dermatologist, and avid hiker and climber, when we work out, sweat sits on the scalp and increases moisture and oil, which can lead to excess fungal growth.

She explains that this kind of fungi, also called , is a type of yeast that naturally exists on our skin. But, if it overgrows, it can lead to inflammation, itching, scaling, excessive oiliness or dryness, and flaking on the scalp.

Sunlight and Elements Dry Out—and Break—Your Strands

“Sun exposure can damage the actual hair shaft, and it can lead to excessive dryness, which can lead to breakage,” says Shao, who adds that sun exposure over time on the scalp itself can also increase your risk for skin cancer.

If you are doing an activity like skiing or biking, wind may also cause damage. “When your hair is getting whipped around, it gets super knotty, and you have to get all that out; that is definitely going to cause hair breakage and damage,” says Shao.

She adds that it’s important to avoid doing outdoor activities while your hair is wet. “Wet hair is really weak, making excessive heat and cold when your hair is wet a potential problem.”

Too-Tight Buns and Ponytails May Cause Hair Loss

Keeping your hair pulled taut and away from the face with a scrunchie can lead to , a type of hair loss caused by prolonged or repeated tension on the hair strands. “This pulling can lead to hair loss and scalp damage,” says Shao.

Swim Caps Are, Ironically, Not Great Either

Wearing tight swim caps may also cause the hairline to recede.

“Swim caps are great in one sense because they have the benefit of protecting our hair from chlorine,” says Shao, who explains that the chemicals can damage the protective hair cuticle, drying out your strands and scalp. “But swim caps—especially if they are too tight, or worn for extended periods of time, or not put on properly—they can cause a lot of excessive pulling force.”

Silicone caps are better than other materials, like latex, because they tend to fit better and don’t pull on the hair. Regardless of your chosen material, Shao suggests applying a leave-in conditioner to your hair before putting on a cap, which can allow it to slip on more easily. Put both hands inside the cap facing each other and stretch the cap as wide as you can, pulling it over your forehead.

How to Manage Your Hair While Working Out

Your active hair care routine should be tailored to your specific hair profile.ÌęHair knowledge and routine adjustments will go a long way in protecting and nourishing your hair.

Consider Your Hair Type

Hair types divide your hair’s growth pattern and texture into numbered, lettered categories. The accompanying letters, A, B, and C, align with section width, aka the tightness of your curl. Coily hair, for example, may be categorized as type 4b or 4c.

In terms of texture, there are :

• Straight (Type 1): lays flat and can be harder to curl
• Wavy (Type 2): has more volume than straight hair; the tightest waves can be mistaken for curls
• Curly (Type 3): can be loose or tighter, springy curls; because oil has a harder time traveling down the winding strands, curly hair can get dry and frizzy
• Coily (Type 4): tight curls and strands have a zigzag pattern

Additionally, your hair may be naturally thick or thin, oily or dry. And while anybody can experience scalp conditions like psoriasis or alopecia, different hair types are often associated with different conditions. “In general, coarse, coily hair is going to be more prone to dryness and breakage, while more fine hair can be more susceptible to oiliness and scalp irritation,” says Shao.

Choose Accessories Best Suited to Your Hair Needs

While getting to know your locks is a must, proper styling is another can’t-miss step. , co-founder of , an organization dedicated to elevating Black women distance runners, suggests wearing hats with satin linings to prevent snagging.

That said, Shao notes that cotton hats can trap sweat and moisture against the scalp—so if you are going to wear a hat, make it a moisture-wicking one. “Make sure that you are washing those caps frequently and allowing them toÌę fully dry before using them again, as caps, as well as headbands, can hold on to bacteria, and that can lead to acne, folliculitis, and breakouts,” she says

In terms of all styles, loose is better. Shao recommends a low bun, loose braid, or hair twists rather than tight braids for those with type 4b or 4c hair. Silk or snag-free hair ties can help ensure that there’s no unnecessary tearing.

“Everyone’s hair is unique to them and how they care for it is also something that is deeply personal to them, so finding what works best for you is important,” says Robinson. “If one thing doesn’t work, just try something else.”

5 Easy Workout Hairstyles

Not sure which updo is right for you? These simple styles are worthy contenders.

1. French Braids

“My go-to is two French braids that lead into a ponytail,” says running influencerÌę. “It keeps hair out of my face and is super cute, too.”

SAVE FOR LATER! Instructions below! What you’ll need: two clear elastics, regular hair tie, brush Step 1: Part your hair down the middle Step 2: Start a French braid on the left side. When you reach the back of your head, don’t gather more hair and instead pivot to a regular braid! Tie off at the end. Step 3: Repeat on the right side Step 4: Gather all hair in a ponytail and that’s it! Optional Steps: Use a wax stick to keep any flyaways down. You can also untie the smaller elastics once the ponytail is secure and undo the braids in just the pony so they still stay up top but the ponytail is brainless. If you try this out, defo let me know!

2. Loose Bun or Puff

A not-too-tight bun or puff is a good choice to keep your hair off your neck on hot days. Spiral hair ties Ìęare a good option if you want to toss your hair up; they can stretch to accommodate thick hair, are durable, and are gentle on your strands.

A hair tutorial for hair or any babes.

3. Bubble Ponytail

Justine also often wears a bubble pony (where you use elastic bands to create puffy sections in a ponytail). This is a great style for an intense workout because gathering the hair down the ponytail can prevent nasty tangles which then cause breakage when you try to comb them out.

Now accepting ideas for my next running hairstyle! I need fun inspo and I love trying new things!

4. Rip Tied

Shao suggests a , a brand of hair tie that keeps your hair contained. “Those are really nice, especially if you are a skier and you want to wear your hair in a braid, or if you’re a surfer, because the wind factor is a problem, so having your hair a little more tied up is nice.” As a bonus, Rip Tie offers ties in an array of vibrant colors to suit whatever vibe you’re going for.

This @RipTieHair are such a game changer for my tangled hair girlies

5. Softly Secured

Robinson likes to wear wide elastic headbands if she is wearing her hair straight and loosely clipped back to avoid the dreaded ponytail dent. “If I’m wearing a protective style, same thing: I just loosely tie my hair up so it doesn’t give my edges too much tension,” she says.

Need more headbands

How to Care for Your Hair After a Workout

Ultimately, intentional hair care is just one part of a healthier whole. After working out, the correct cleansing schedule and between-wash products can make all the difference.

Cleanse with Care

“In general, it’s important to maintain a regular hair wash routine, but that is going to be a little different for everybody,” says Shao. “It really does depend on the type of scalp and hair that you have, and also your activity level.” If you are exercising daily and have an oily scalp, for example, you may need to wash your hair daily or every other day. For frequent cleansing, Shao suggests using a mild, sulfate-free shampoo and applying it directly to your scalp before lathering. “You don’t necessarily need to put shampoo on your hair shaft, and definitely not your hair ends unless you rolled around in the dirt or something,” she says.

People with coily, type 4b or 4c, hair may not need to wash every day. Shao notes that these hair types tend toward dryness and brittleness, making the natural oils that come with skipping a wash essential. For people with extensions, weaves, or braids, Shao recommends diluting your shampoo into a spray bottle—just spray your scalp and rinse.

Refresh Between Showers

There are ways to refresh your hair after a workout without fully washing it. If you have coily hair, Shao recommends doing a water rinse of your scalp after workouts to get some of the salt and sweat buildup out. Robinson says she only washes her hair about once a week but uses the to revamp her hair between washes.

If you are washing infrequently and still struggling with dry hair or dandruff, Shao suggests using an anti-dandruff serum ( from Jupiter, a scalp repair and haircare brand), which she says can help control yeast growth.

“Don’t be discouraged by your hair getting messed up because the bigger picture is making sure you are well,” says Robinson. “You can always style your hair in a different way, try something else, wash it, and start over, but you only get one you, one life, to be healthy. That’s the priority.”

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For most of the 20 years that I’ve been a competitive runner, I’ve intentionally disregarded yoga. I assumed that it wouldn’t offer anything meaningful to my workout routine. But as I’ve become older—and, it seems, wiser—I’ve found the exact opposite to be true. Especially when it comes to the benefits I experience from core-strengthening exercises in yoga and what they contribute to my training.

After racing competitively in college, I shifted my focus to intense training for half-marathons, marathons, and other road races. It wasn’t until after I began incorporating core-strengthening exercises from yoga into my gym workouts that I began to feel stronger than ever.

Yoga poses engage the less-obvious core muscles often ignored by runners, hikers, cyclists, mountain bikers, and other outdoor athletes. Those include the transversus abdominis and other , the side abdominal muscles, the spinal stabilizers, and the overlooked pelvic floor muscles.

Although the benefits of incorporating yoga into your training aren’t limited to making the shapes. It’s also how you hold yourself in the shapes. I’ve found that the long holds and slow breathwork emphasized by yoga have enhanced my endurance, my balance, and my ability to be more aware of my body.

When I coach others, I encourage them to take a “training wheels” approach by incorporating a few simple yoga poses into their usual ab or core workout. This ensures that you’re not neglecting whatever static or dynamic core strength training already works for you. Yoga will never supplant your gym workout. But it can supplement it to bring you surprising and tangible results.

7 Best Core-Strengthening Exercises for Athlete Needs

Rely on the following sequence of core-strengthening exercises as a complete core workout or incorporate three or four of them into your existing core exercise routine. Maybe you swap out your usual Forearm Plank for Chaturanga or replace V-ups or toe-touch sit-ups with Boat Pose.

1. Cat-Cow

– is a dynamic exercise that mobilizes the entire spine, which is often overlooked during core-strengthening exercises. It’s basically a slow transition between two poses, and as you sync your movement with your breath, you bring awareness to your ability to isolate your vertebrae. You also train yourself to engage your deep transversus abdominis muscles each time you draw in your belly, which helps stabilize your core.

2. Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)

This core exercise is similar to the familiar Plank and Forearm Plank drills. But demands that you draw your pubic bone toward your belly button to maintain your balance on your forearms and your toes, which engages your pelvic floor muscles. This is important as the pelvic muscles are crucial for improving your breathing mechanics and your stability as you run, squat, bike, or practice whatever outdoor adventure you most love.

Also, be sure to squeeze your glutes to relieve strain on your low back and find safe and optimal alignment.

3. Virabhadrasana 3 (Warrior 3)

All Warrior poses in yoga engage your core, but is the best for strengthening your core muscles. The full-body balancing pose requires engaging all of your core muscles in a 360-degree manner to find and maintain your stability. You experience a similar demand on the core in running, hiking, and weightlifting exercises, although it’s easier to cheat on your form since you’re upright rather than steadying yourself on one foot.

4. Paripurna Navasana (Boat Pose)

is a static, isometric hold that requires tons of core control. This yoga core exercise strengthens not just your abs but supporting muscle groups, including your quads, hip flexors, and spinal stabilizers.

It’s important to keep your back and shoulders straight, rather than rounded, because this helps build your core strength and balance while also supporting proper posture. It also practices engaging the lower abs and lower back, which synergistically support your form. To maximize the benefit of this pose, bend your knees if you must rather than allow yourself to slouch.

5. Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose)

One of the best yoga core-strengthening poses for your tricky-to-isolate obliques (side abdominal muscles) is . It also shifts the load to your shoulders and demands support from your front and back core muscles, which must engage in varying degrees to support your balance.

6. Eka Pada Utkatasana (One-Legged Chair Pose)

This variation of is basically like holding a single-leg squat but by lifting one foot any amountÌę It’s a strong pose for runners, cyclists, and outdoor athletes because it requires engaging your core to keep your trunk upright and body balanced while simultaneously strengthening your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and back. It not only strengthens your muscles but your sense of proprioception, which is an awareness of where your body is in space.

7. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

is one of the best yoga poses for any athlete as it stretches the entire posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back, calves, and Achilles tendons), which is not only essential but feels incredible after biking, running, hiking, rowing, using the elliptical machine, and almost any workout. It also strengthens the shoulders and core, which are often overlooked by those who engage in these endurance sports.

Focus on drawing your belly button toward your spine and squeezing your inner thighs and pelvic floor muscles. This approach engages your core in a complete and balanced manner. Engaging your quads and glutes will increase the intensity of the pose.

Additional Core-Strengthening Exercises for Athletes

If you’re looking to switch up your routine and work in different core-strengthening exercises, consider including , , or cable machine,, and either hanging leg raises or .

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Consider this age-old dilemma: you’re at the bottom of a hill, and you want to get to the top. Should you head straight up the steepest slope or switchback back and forth at a gentler incline? The answer depends on the context. If you’re on a marked trail, for example, you should definitely stick to the prescribed switchbacks. But a more general answer involves digging into the physics.

That’s the goal of , from a research team led by David Looney and Adam Potter of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. Previous researchers have found that “steeper is cheaper” for runners, meaning that it takes less energy to ascend directly up steeper slopes. But it wasn’t clear whether the same is true for walkers and backpackers, or whether the answers change depending on how hot or cold it is.

The Best Slope for Trail Runners

For starters, it’s worth looking back at the trail-running data. In 2016, researchers at the University of Colorado decided to the increasingly popular world of . The total elevation gain in these races is set at 1,000 meters, or 3,281 feet, but every course is different. A steep slope will have a shorter course distance but be harder to run up. A gentle slope will be easier to run up but cover a longer total distance. For a given finishing time, what’s the sweet spot?

The Colorado researchers built the world’s steepest treadmill (video ), capable of reaching a slope of 45 degrees—a 100-percent grade, in other words. To put that into perspective, a black diamond ski run is typically about 25 degrees, and gym treadmills rarely go more than 9 degrees. They had to line the treadmill belt with sandpaper for grip, and even then runners couldn’t stay balanced beyond 40 degrees.

They tested runners at a variety of slopes, with the treadmill speed adjusted so that they were always gaining elevation at the same rate, equivalent to a vertical kilometer in a very respectable time of 48 minutes (the world record is just under 30 minutes). Here’s what the results looked like for walking (black circles) and running (white circles), with metabolic rate (basically how quickly they were burning calories) on the vertical axis:

At gentle slopes like 10 degrees, it takes a lot of energy to climb, because the treadmill is moving really fast to gain the required elevation. At steeper slopes, the calorie burn decreases: steeper is indeed cheaper, at least up to a point. Beyond about 30 degrees, calorie burn starts increasing again, presumably because the incline is now so steep that it’s hard climb efficiently. The sweet spot, then, is between 20 and 30 degrees—which, as it turns out, corresponds to the average slopes of the courses where the fast vertical kilometers are held.

(You might also notice that walking burns less energy than running for most of the steeper slopes. That’s a truth that most mountain and trail runners eventually discover for themselves. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should only walk up hills, as I explored in this article on the walk/run dilemma in trail running.)

The Best Slope for Hikers

Climbing a kilometer in 48 minutes is really fast, the aerobic equivalent of running as hard as you can for 10 kilometers, so it’s not clear that the Colorado results have much relevance for backpackers or military personnel. Looney and his colleagues decided to run similar experiments at a range of much slower climbing speeds. The Colorado study had a climbing rate of 21 vertical meters per minute; Looney’s study looks at four different climbing rates of between 1.9 and 7.8 meters per minute, a much more realistic range for hikers.

The overall results are similar to the running results: steeper was once again cheaper. For each climbing rate, choosing a steeper slope corresponded to burning fewer calories. As with the running data, there’s probably a point where getting too steep becomes counterproductive. But the steepest slope in Looney’s study was only about 13 degrees, and in that range steeper was always better.

There was an additional wrinkle in Looney’s protocol: the military is on Arctic operations, so they ran the same protocol at three different temperatures: 32, 50, and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The two warmer temperatures were basically the same, but the data at 32 degrees was slightly different.

At slower vertical climbing rates, calorie burn rates were higher than normal at 32 degrees, because the subjects were spending extra energy keeping themselves warm by shivering and activating their . At higher vertical climbing rates, calorie burn rates were roughly the same regardless of temperature, presumably because they were working hard enough to stay warm even at 32 degrees. In cold temperatures, in other words, pushing harder can sometimes be more efficient because it saves you the energetic cost of keeping yourself warm. (Conversely, you might imagine that the steepest slopes would cause problems in really hot conditions because you’re more likely to overheat.)

The Takeaway

The most important caveat to keep in mind when interpreting these results is that the comparisons are based on a fixed climbing rate. If you’re at the bottom of a hill and want to get to the top in a given amount of time, then choosing a steeper route will generally save you energy. If you’ve got all the time in the world and don’t care how long it takes you to reach the summit, then you might well choose to take a gentler route that will feel easier as you climb.

Most of us, though, live in a world where time is scarce. Even if we’re not racing vertical kilometers, we’re hoping to make it to the summit and back, or to the next campsite, before dark. In that situation, if you’re choosing between two routes, remember this: If one route is twice as steep as the other, you’d have to walk twice as fast up the gentler route to reach the top in the same time. Counterintuitive though it may sound, that data shows that under most circumstances, twice as steep is easier than twice as fast.

For more Sweat Science, join me on and , sign up for the , and check out my forthcoming book .

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Athletes, take note: Although you already know that the best way to release tension is stretching, you may need a reminder that increasingly supports the fact that practicing stretches after a workout can literally minimize your aches and pains after resistance training of any sort.

Your stretching routine doesn’t need to be particularly long or involved to be effective. But you do need to target all of the major muscles you just exhausted during any full-body workout. So if you engage in strength training of any sort, set aside five extra minutes. You’ll thank yourself later.

6 Best Stretches After a Workout

Or you can pick and choose specific stretches for back muscles, leg muscles, and upper body muscles if you’re short on time or you rely on a body part split routine.Try to stay in each pose for 30 to 45 seconds. Depending on how tight you feel after lifting weights, you can linger in the stretches for longer. Don’t forget to breathe.

1. Downward-Facing Dog

One of the most well-known yoga poses, Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is also one of the best stretches after a workout when you’re strength training because there’s a strong chance it will help lengthen at least one of the muscles you just repeatedly contracted in your weightlifting session. The pose lengthens the entire posterior chain, including your spine and upper back.

It also targets the calf muscles and Achilles tendons, which makes it especially useful following squats. Tightness in these tissues will limit your squat depth and make it difficult to keep your heels firmly grounded when lowering your body into a back squat. Without this stability and mobility, you reduce your Without that full range of motion, your muscles will not get the maximum stimulus for . Lack of flexibility also increase the risk of losing your balance when you go for depth in the squat.

How to: The key to practicing is drawing your hips up and back toward the ceiling and reaching your heels down toward the mat. (There’s no need for your heels to touch the mat. But you want to reach for it to lengthen those muscles and connective tissues.)

Think about creating two sides of a triangle with your body: you should have a straight line from your hips down through your back, shoulders, and arms down to your wrists. Plant your palms firmly on the ground with your fingers spread nice and wide. Then, you should mirror this straight line and a similar angle from the hips down through the heels.

2. Cat-Cow

Not all yoga poses require you to get into a specific shape and then hold it statically. Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana) is a dynamic yoga exercise that flexes and extends the spine to improve mobility of all of the tissues related to the spine. It also promotes hip mobility. Although this is one of the best stretches after strength training, but it can also be performed as part of a dynamic warm-up.

How to: You will move between an anterior and posterior pelvic tilt in –. Being able to consciously perform a posterior pelvic tilt is critical for any supine weightlifting exercises, such as the bench press. Understanding how to engage the lower abdominal muscles, as you do in Cat-Cow, helps you press your low back and back of the pelvis into the bench to prevent straining the back.

One tip is to not rush the movement between the cat posture and the cow posture and to sync your movement with your breath. Improving this mind-body connection can help you better activate your core muscles when you are performing other strength training exercises with weights.

3. Extended Triangle Pose

Any version of Triangle Pose (Trikonasana) will help stretch your hips, spine, glutes, hamstrings, and inner and outer thighs. Best of all, this is an excellent yoga pose after chest workouts because it helps open up the pectoral region and shoulder girdle. Use this yoga pose after bench pressing or performing chest fly.

How to: Think about spreading your weight evenly between both feet and grounding them down into the floor in . If you cannot reach the ground with your front hand that is aiming downward, use a yoga block under that hand.

4. Cobra Pose

This backbend helps stretch the chest, shoulders, and abdominal muscles. Because your arms help support your shape in Cobra (Bhujangasana), it doesn’t require a lot of back strength. Also, you get to control how intense you make the stretch.

How to: Try to squeeze your glutes and press the front of your pelvis into the mat to support safe alignment and muscle engagement in

5. Puppy Pose

Puppy (Uttana Shishosana or Anahatasana) is one of the best yoga poses after weightlifting exercises that work the shoulder girdle, arms, and upper back.

How to: Think about lifting your hips up and stacking them directly over your knees as you walk your chest forward in . Also, focus on elongating your spine and stretching along your armpits.

6. Lizard Pose

Also known as Dragon Pose, this is one of the best yoga poses to stretch the quads and hip flexors. The quads stabilize your knees when you practice squats and lunges and the hip flexors help stabilize the pelvis when you lift the bar while deadlifting. The hip flexors are also essential during hip thrusts, kettlebell swings, and so much more, so it’s important to stretch them after a leg workout.

How to: Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana) has countless different options depending on your desired intensity. You basically start in a low lunge with your back knee on the mat. Bring both hands inside your front foot and stay here or come down onto your forearms. You want to feel a stretch along the front of your back hip and thigh. Don’t worry about bringing your forearms all the way down.Ìę

If you practice each stretch one time, the entire post-weightlifting routine takes less than 10 minutes. You can repeat any of the poses where you feel like you need to target the muscles again.

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Food creator recipe has exploded in popularity on TikTok. The dish, which features white beans, chickpeas, and peppers, has racked up 12.5 million views on the social network so far and inspired a slew of spin-off recipes. I imagine all of the fanfare for this dish is due to the fact that it’s packed with tons of nutrients, is aesthetically pleasing, and is a nice change from your typical leafy green salad.

Even though beans are trending, a 2021 study published in concluded that most Americans aren’t even getting close to theÌęrecommended amount.ÌęThe latest , which are from an advisory committee to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), recommend that people eat at least 2.5 cups of beans and lentils per week. That’s a big increase from the current of legumes per week.

Beans, which are full of , aren’t just a good base for a salad—they may give you an athletic edge. They’re also easy to incorporate into your diet.

What’s Behind the Push to Eat More Beans?

“Beans are one of the healthiest foods to consume,” says , a certified sport specialist in dietetics at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

“They’re nutrient powerhouses, offering protein, iron, and B vitamins, all while being low in fat and highly sustainable to produce,” says , co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy, a practice that offers nutritional guidance for people with and without underlying health conditions.

Beans Are High in Protein

The small legumes are a significant source of plant-based protein, making them a good option for vegetarians, vegans, or anyone looking to lower their meat consumption, says Vavrek.

“Beans are lower in fat than red meat (yes, beans contain a very small amount of fat), and they are a good source of fiber,” says , a registered dietician at George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates. So, consistentlyÌęswapping a cut of steak for a cup of beans may .

They Help Boost Energy and Lower Disease Risk

The complex carbohydrates in beans are an excellent source of energy, says , an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University. Complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes and corn take longer to digest and provide more energy for a longer duration than simple carbohydrates such as white pasta or white bread. They also contain more nutrients, includingÌęfiber and vitamin B, than simple carbs.

A growing body of research links eating more legumes with better health, including a lowered risk of developing chronic diseases such as . One scientific review published in the journal in 2023 found that people who consistently included beans in their diets had a lower risk of death from any cause.

Still, beans aren’t a staple food in most American diets. “Beans really haven’t gotten the love they deserve,” says , a registered dietician and author of the healthy-living guide titled . Cording says the reason isn’t entirely clear, but it’s possible that Americans have simply gotten used to thinking of animal sources for protein. “Also, I find that often people don’t know what to do with them,” she says.

How Beans Can Optimize Athletic Performance

“Beans are high in carbohydrates, and, as we know, athletes need carbohydrates to help fuel performance,” Vavrek says. That, combined with their protein levels, “make them an excellent choice for fueling recovery,” Keatley says.

Keatley says that beans’ high-fiber content also helps regulate blood sugar to deliver consistent, sustained energy while you train. That fiber content also supports gut health and digestion, which makes it easier for your body to absorb nutrients, Metzger adds. It also may help your body recover after workouts, she says.

Beans even contain electrolytes like potassium, which are often found in sports drinks and are essential for hydration, muscle function, and preventing cramps, Young says.

Beans May Enhance Agility and Speed

There isn’t a lot of research directly looking at the impact of legumes on athletic performance, but there is some.

A small, randomized, double-blind study published in the journal in 2020 had eight soccer players either eat a lentil-based nutrition bar or a carbohydrate-based bar two hours before a simulated soccer match. The participants were given an agility test of paced jogging, running, walking, and sprinting, along with three-minute intervals of soccer agility skills. Study participants who had the lentil-based bar performed better on the agility test and had a lower carbohydrate oxidation rate (the speed at which the body breaks down carbs for energy) during the match. As a result, the researchers concluded that the lentil-based bar provided an improvement in agility, running, and jumping high later in the game.

A small 2020 study published in divided 19 soccer players, 12 women and 7 men, into two groups. The first group ate a pulse-based diet (including beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.), and the second group consumed their regular diet for four weeks. The researchers found that only the female participants, who made up the majority of the study participants, reduced their total cholesterol levels on the pulse-based diets and also increased their levels of high-density lipoproteins, which reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the researchers didn’t conclude that the beans enhanced athletic performance—only that they supported other factors that contributed to good health.

Is It a Good Idea to Eat Beans Before a Workout?

Cording stresses that everyone’s body processes beans differently, but in general, she doesn’t recommend having a hefty serving of beans before a workout. “That’s going to be really uncomfortable because of the impact it can have on digestion,” she says. The high fiber content can lead to bloating or gas, which could interfere with performance.

Because of this, Keatley suggests eating beans at least 12 to 24 hours before a workout and consistently sprinkling them throughout your diet, focusing on smaller servings at each sitting versus larger ones to minimize side effects. “Incorporating them regularly into meals throughout training is more effective than relying on a one-off ‘bean boost,’” he says. Another reason to focus on consistency, according to Young: “Regularly including beans in your diet helps your body adapt to digesting them efficiently.” Making sure the beans are thoroughly cooked can also make them easier to digest.

If you’re concerned about timing beans around your performance or aren’t sure how you’ll react to them, Cording says it’s better to have them after your workout and gauge how you feel from there.

How to Get More Beans in Your Diet

If you’re not currently a bean eater, Cording suggests starting slow. Vavrek recommends drinking plenty of water to help move legumes through your digestive system and prevent constipation. Metzger also suggests soaking beans overnight in cool water, which removes some of the gas-producing sugars.

Here are some easy ways to eat more beans, according to Metzger:

• Add chickpeas to a saladÌęor soup, or make a chili
• Eat black beans with rice or as a side dish
• SautĂ© white beans with garlic and olive oil
• Snack on roasted soybeans
• Dip pita chips or vegetables in hummus
• Toss lima beans into your salad or create a succotash (a combo of corn and lima beans)

You can even put beans in smoothies, Cording says. “The key is to integrate them consistently across meals, allowing their benefits to support overall training and performance,” Keatley says.

Want more ofÌęșÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű’s Health stories?Ìę.

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Now that the excitement of New Year’s has long worn off, you might find yourself de-prioritizing the list of resolutions you made at the top of the year. I, for one, have already skipped the daily journaling and stretching practices I committed to more times than I’d like to admit. Whether your goal was to squeeze in a ten-minute walk each day before work or totally overhaul your fitness routine, it’s always tough to make new habits stick.

For this reason, many Americans who resolve to be more active each year quit into the new year. And according to data from the , some people report that they break their resolutions even earlier. About 60 percent of adults who made at least one resolution in 2024 had kept all of them by mid-January; another 28 percent said they’d kept some of their resolutions, while 13 percent said they’d already given up on them. If you’re in this last camp (or you’re about to be), we have good news: “It’s never too late to start a habit or get back on track, especially when it’s tied to a core value you hold,” says , a psychologist based in Florida. “You can pick back up at any time.”

Here, experts provide a few tips for anyone whose resolutions are in danger of being put on the back burner until the next new year rolls around.

1. If You’ve Been Missing Your Daily Walks, It’s Time to Recruit a Friend

If you’re just not excited about your daily walk, inviting a neighbor might do the trick. “It’s harder not to do something you said you’re going to do when there’s another person involved in it,” says , a psychologist based in California. Another plus, she adds, is that “It’s just probably more fun. Changing behaviors can be challenging, and you should infuse fun and joy into that any way you can.”

You may even take longer walks when you bring a friend. I’ve found that time flies by when you chat with a friend while strolling through the park. If you’re still not convinced, that people may see added mental health benefits when working out with others compared to those who work out alone.

2. If You’re Skipping Workouts Because It’s Cold, Reassess What Kind of Gear You Need

Extreme cold has descended upon much of the U.S.Ìęin recent weeks, and this could be why you’re dragging your feet when it’s time to go for your daily run or other outdoor exercise routine.

If those workouts have led to severe discomfort lately—for instance, if your fingers, toes, or any other part of your body got so cold they became stiff or numb—that’s a sign you need to wear different gear, says , an exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to buy anything new. “Try dressing in layers,” Horan recommends.

If you’re up for spending a few bucks on some cold-weather gear, consider investing in a good base layer, fleece-lined gloves, or a headband that doubles as an ear warmer. that stick to the bottom of your socks have also been a game-changer for me this year.

3. Plan to Skip Some Days

Because implementing a new practice into your daily life can be difficult, you should be prepared to miss some days. This means designating a few days each week or month as “no-gym” days when you know you won’t make it.

You can approach this one of two ways: blocking out certain daysÌęyou know will be extra busy or picking those days as they arise. Try to spend the time that you would normally dedicate to your resolutions doing something rejuvenating, like reading, meditating, watching reality TV, or doing another activity that leaves you feeling refreshed.

“As much as routine can be helpful and good, it’s not always realistic to say, ‘I’m going to start going to the gym four times a week,’” Puder says. Inevitably, you will have a sick day, a really long work day, or a day during which things just don’t go as planned. Knowing you won’t meet your goal every single day can help you reset when that happens.

“All-or-nothing thinking is a cognitive error,” Reynolds says. If you’ve come to terms with the fact you’ll probably break your streak, you may also be more inclined to give it your all on the days when you do make it to the gym.

4. Listen to Your Body—If You’re Sore or In Pain, It’s Time to Go Back to the Drawing Board

Taking your fitness routine from zero to 100 can leave you feeling fatigued or worse. “We call it ,” Horan says. “When someone’s new exercise regimen is too intense, thisÌępaired with sleep lack and/or lack of proper nutrition can increase injury risk,” she says.

It can be hard to differentiate between regular soreness that occurs after working out a particular muscle group for the first time in a while and overtraining. But one sign that you’re going a little too hard is pain or soreness that lasts more than four days after the workout that caused it. “If it’s lasting five days, that can be a sign that our bodies are not recovering properly,” Horan says.

Another tell-tale sign is asymmetrical pain. For example, Horan says, “When someone comes to me and says, ‘My right knee really hurts, but my left knee is fine.’”

Overtraining can highlight slight muscle imbalances throughout your body. Let’s say you always do certain household chores with your right arm; this could mean that the muscles on the right side of your upper body may already be a bit stronger than those on your left. If you start overtraining, those muscle imbalances may become noticeable via asymmetrical pain.

If this sounds familiar, consider scaling back your workout routine and then building up to your ultimate goals.

5. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Protein to Accommodate Your New Activity Level

If you’re beginning to feel less energized than usual ahead of your workouts, you may need to tweak your diet.

“If you are increasing your movement without also increasing nutrition, you’re asking your body to perform at a higher level with less fuel,” says , a dietitian based in New York.

You may need to work more protein into your meals or simply eat more of the foods you usually gravitate towards. “Maybe someone who used to be satisfied with a cup of rice alongside their dinner finds they’re going back for seconds,” Geraty says. Paying attention to your body’s needs will boost your energy and help you meet your goals.

6. Consider Starting Some (Healthy) Competition

Many fitness trackers and apps, like , allow you to share your progress at the gym with friends and family members, and they can give you kudos when you’re on a roll. The recognition from loved ones is nice, but it can also be motivating to monitor their progress as well.

If you see that you’re the only one in your family who didn’t go for a walk today, that may be all the incentive you need to grab your tennis shoes and get out the door. Each time I learn that my Dad, who’s one month shy of 70, has hit five-plus miles in a given day, I’m far less likely to rot on the couch all evening.

Want more ofÌęșÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű’s Health stories?Ìę.

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There’s tons of evidence, from hundreds of studies with hundreds of thousands of participants, showing that exercise is an effective tool to combat depression and other mental health issues like anxiety. These studies find that it’s at least as good as drugs or therapy, and perhaps . It’s now recommended in official guidelines around the world as a or treatment. Still, there’s an important caveat to consider: is all this evidence of a connection between exercise and mental health any good?

That’s the question debated in in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, based on a symposium held at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine. Four researchers, led by Patrick O’Connor of the University of Georgia, sift and weigh the various lines of evidence. Their conclusion is mixed: yes, there’s a relationship between exercise and mental health, but its real-world applicability isn’t as clear as you might think.

The Observational Evidence on Exercise and Mental Health

O’Connor and his colleagues assess three main types of evidence. The first is observational studies, which measure levels of physical activity and mental health in large groups of people to see if they’re connected, and in some cases follow up over many years to see how those relationships evolve. The headline result here is pretty clear: people who are more physically active are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety now and in the future.

Observational studies also suggest, albeit more weakly, that there’s a dose-response relationship between exercise and mental health: more is better. is enough to produce an effect, but higher amounts produce a bigger effect. It’s an open question, though, whether doing too much can actually hurt your mental health. Some studies, for example, have found links between overtraining in endurance athletes and symptoms of depression.

The big problem with observational studies is the question of causation. Are active people less likely to become depressed, or is it that people who are depressed are less likely to be active? To answer that, we need a different type of study.

The Evidence from Randomized Trials

The second line of evidence is from randomized control trials, or RCTs: tell one group of people to exercise, tell another group not to, and see if they fare differently. Overall, the evidence from RCTs lines up with the observational evidence: prescribing exercise improves or prevents the occurrence of depression and anxiety.

For example, here’s a graph from a 2024 meta-analysis of 218 RCTs with a total of over 14,000 participants, :

Dots that are farther to the left indicate how much a treatment aided depression compared to a control group. Notice that walking or jogging ranks slightly above cognitive behavioral therapy and far above SSRI drugs. That’s an encouraging picture.

The evidence still isn’t bulletproof, though. One problem is that it’s very difficult to avoid placebo effects. Participants who are randomized to exercise know that they’re exercising, and likely also know that it’s supposed to make them feel better. Conversely, those who sign up for an exercise-and-depression study and are assigned to not exercise will expect to get nothing from it. These expectations matter, especially when you’re looking at a difficult-to-measure outcome like mental health.

Another challenge is the timeframe. Exercise studies are time-consuming and expensive to run, so they seldom last more than six months. But a third of major depressive episodes spontaneously resolve within six months with no treatment, which is in part why FDA guidelines suggest that such trials should last two years, to ensure that results are real and durable.

Why Context Matters When Studying Exercise and Mental Health

The third and final body of evidence that O’Connor and his colleagues dig into is the contextual details. Exercise itself seems to matter, they write, but “who we play with, whether we have fun, whether we are cheered or booed, and whether we leave the experience feeling proud and accepted, or shamed and rejected also matters.”

For example, most of the research focuses on “leisure time physical activity,” meaning sports and fitness. But there are other types of physical activity: occupational (at work), transportation (active commuting), and domestic (chores around the house). Is there a difference between lifting weights in the gym and lifting lumber on a construction site? Between a walk in the park and a walk down the aisle of a warehouse?

One view of exercise’s brain benefits is that it’s all about neurotransmitters: getting the heart pumping produces endorphins and oxytocin and various other mood-altering chemicals. If that’s the case, then manual labor should be as powerful as sports, and working out alone in a dark basement should be just as good as meeting friends for a run on a sunny day. Both intuition and research suggest that this isn’t the case.

Instead, some of exercise’s apparent mental-health benefits are clearly contextual. Doing something that creates social connection and provides a feeling of accomplishment is probably helpful even if your heart rate doesn’t budge above its resting level. And conversely, an exercise program that leaves you feeling worse about yourself—think of the clichĂ© of old-school phys ed classes—might not help your mental health regardless of how much it boosts your VO2 max.

This is where the big research gaps are, according to O’Connor and his colleagues. It’s pretty clear at this point that exercise isn’t just correlated with mental health; it can change it. But the best ways to deploy it in the real world remains understudied. For now, the best advice is probably to follow your instincts. Don’t stress about what type of exercise you’re doing, how hard to push, or how long to go. For improving mental health, these variables seem to have surprisingly weak effects. Instead, focus on the big levers: whether you’re enjoying it, and whether you’ll do it again tomorrow.

For more Sweat Science, join me on and , sign up for the , and check out my forthcoming book .

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On Sunday February 9, 2025 the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Travis Kelce will be there. Taylor Swift will no doubt be cheering him on. Kendrick Lamar is slated to perform the halftime show. There’s a lot to look forward to.

Here at șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű, we are still thinking about an infographic published by the in the fall of 2024, which charts, of all things, the sheer volume of Uncrustables being consumed by the NFL. Yes, that’s right, if you haven’t heard, professional football players eat an ungodly amount of the pre-packaged, crust-cut-off, frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches sold by Smuckers and available in virtually every grocery store. According to the Athletic, NFL teams are tucking into somewhere upwards of 80,000 Uncrustables a year. And that’s just among the teams that chose to respond to their inquiry.

For their part, Smuckers has made the most of players’ love of their iconic sammie, with teams like the Ravens and players like the Kelce brothers.

Now, I don’t claim to be a nutritionist, but I do devote quite a bit of rent-free space in my brain—and quite a bit of my time—to reading about and researching the latest science on diet and nutrition. And I try to reasonably modify my own and my family’s diet in response to evidence-based things that I learn.

Alcohol is connected to higher risks of at least seven types of cancer,? Alrighty, Aperol Spritzes only on special occasions moving forward. ? Never going to buy a can without BPA-free on the label! And on down the line to microplastics in kitchenware. You get the gist.

So I think what surprises me most about Uncrustables as professional athlete fuel is my perception that they fall into that most contemporary of negative food categories: ultraprocessed. Although the research on the effects of ultraprocessed foods is still emerging, early , among other potential downstream health considerations. So I guess I would assume they are, broadly put, something to be avoided, especially in the context of peak athletic performance.

But let’s challenge my assumptions, starting with my broad brush view of ultraprocessing. As a recent article published on our sister site , “Sports nutrition” requires ultraprocessing in order “to create fast-digesting carbohydrates in the form of gels, chews, and beverages to keep your muscles adequately fueled.” The ultraprocessed factor of certain specially manufactured foodstuffs, arguesÌęTriathlete, ensures their capacity to meet nutritional needs in a unique way for endurance athletes. Again, as a total non-nutritionist, that feels like a fair point in their favor.

Peanut Butter and Jellies Are Pretty Amazing Workout Calories

And we do know that PB&Js are a great workout option.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű writer Michael Easter put it simply in a 2018 story he wrote on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as the unassuming—but ultimate—adventure fuel: “A basic PB&J—sliced white bread, Jif, and grape jelly—contains 350 calories and 16, 45, and 11 grams of fat, carbs, and protein, respectively. That’s roughly equivalent to a Peanut Butter ProBar—a favorite among endurance athletes—with its 380 calories, 20 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbohydrates, and 11 grams of protein.” And, according to his estimates, they “[clock] in at roughly 25 cents each.”

Kelly Jones, a registered dietitian, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and owner of and told me that if she were my nutritionist, she’d recommend making my own PB&J or peanut butter banana sandwich “out of whole grain bread and having half or a full one depending on the timing before activity” to net out greater nutrient density.

Uncrustables aren’t that far off a typical homemade PB&J in their caloric content, coming in at around 210 calories with 28 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 8 to 10 grams of added sugar. On Amazon, , which makes the cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.75 per sandwich. And there’s definitely something to be said for the convenience of an Uncrustable when it comes to the per-unit price breakdown.

So I guess my first assumption—that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren’t the best thing to eat when working out—is pretty far off the mark. That said, making one at home is definitely a better bang for your buck and probably has denser nutritional value.

But who wants to make 80,000 homemade PB&Js in a year?

What Do Nutritionists Say About Uncrustables?

To get more perspective—and to test more of my assumptions—I reached out to , a nutritionist and certified personal trainer based in Denver, Colorado. Carmichael runs her own nutrition and fitness company, Team Humble Yourself, where the mission is to educate and empower women to take responsibility for their habits within nutrition and fitness.

Carmichael gave me some really helpful food for thought. She said she likes “to think of nutrition as paralleling finance. Like a budget, you can spend your money on whatever you want, but long term, all the short-term gratification spending (like consistently eating a highly processed diet) will not lead you to an early retirement or a life full of financial freedom because of small choices that were made daily.”

As such, an Uncrustable here or there is totally fine, but “whole foods are elite,” as she said. “It takes less energy to digest ultraprocessed foods. It takes more energy (calories) to digest and process whole foods, so relying on more of a processed item for recovery isn’t something that should be habitual.”

Jones added another layer of complexity to my thinking about ultraprocessed foods as a part of athletic training and recovery. She noted that “rather than label all ultraprocessed foods as unhealthy, we should recognize they fall on a spectrum from low to high nutrient density. Athletes who burn 1,000 calories or more per day participating in their sport may have more flexibility to choose foods such as Uncrustables in their diet versus the average American just working to fit in three workouts each week.”

To emphasize that spectrum of ultraprocessing in food, Jones noted that Oreos may be an obvious example to most people, but few recognize canned beans or Greek yogurt as ultraprocessed foods. In fact, I think most of us would agree that the latter examples fall into our idea of healthy eating.

Other Post-Workout Snack Options

Carmichael gave me a whole list of great ideas for post-workout fuel that she believes can help replenish your body’s glycogen storage, repair and rebuild muscle, and enhance metabolic function. She suggested, “post workout, if you’re not ready for a bigger meal, a large bowl of yogurt or cottage cheese paired with a fruit and honey, or even a slice of toast with some turkey” are all great options.

From Carmichael’s perspective, it’s all about moderation. “Make a whole food snack or meal after a workout more of a habit, and have something like an Uncrustable when you really want it,” she said. “Moderation is key for everything!”

Even Uncrustables.

Ryleigh Nucilli is °żłÜłÙČőŸ±»ć±đ’s columnist for the Pulse. Once her dad, Rob, wanted to try eating Uncrustables on a long road trip, but her sister insisted he eat the homemade variety—served on hot dog buns.

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If you search for creatine recipes on social media, you’ll find many creators adding it to everything from smoothies to oatmeal bowls. Even though experts and influencers tout its benefits in their videos, I avoided using it because I’ve always been a bit skeptical of supplements. Before adding it to my diet, I had tons of questions that needed answers. Can it actually boost performance? Is it safe? And what kind of supplement is it?

Creatine is a compound found in meat and fish and is also naturally produced by the human body, says , director of the exercise and sports nutrition lab at Texas A&M University. , an associate teaching professor of exercise science at Syracuse University, says creatine can help improve strength and power, enhance muscle recovery, increase muscle mass, and even provide cognitive benefits.

As you’re probably aware, there’s some controversy surrounding the safety of creatine. People have long held the belief that creatine is an anabolic steroid (it’s not) and that consuming creatine can lead to kidney damage, hair loss, and dehydration. Fortunately, suggests that these claims are myths. One suggests that most people can consume 30 grams of creatine per day for up to five years without much risk. However, if you’re planning to ingest creatine every day for a lifetime, you’re better off dropping that number to just three grams per day, says Kreider.Ìę

Instead of adding creatine to plain old water, I wanted to find creative ways to add it to my diet. Here are the few recipes that really stood out to me and what a nutrition expert had to say about them.

1. Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Coffee Creatine Balls

I’m a dessert lover, so whenever dinner’s over, you’ll usually find me scurrying around my kitchen for a little treat. When I came across these peanut butter and chocolate creatine balls from the food blog , I was immediately intrigued.

The called for oats, dried figs, peanut butter, coffee, chocolate protein powder, maple syrup, three teaspoons of creatine, cinnamon, and salt. After mixing everything together in a bowl, I used a tablespoon to scoop out portions of the dough and rolled them into balls.

Once they were perfect spheres, I sprinkled them with flaky sea salt. You could also top them with shredded coconut, crushed peanuts, or a drizzle of melted chocolate.

, a registered dietitian based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, recommends these energizing bites as a great pre-workout snack because they can help boost your performance. “The caffeine from the coffee acts as a mental stimulant, creatine helps optimize both brain and body function, the carbohydrates from the figs, oats, and quinoa flakes provide energy for your workout, and the protein supports muscle recovery,” Stangland says.

She recommends eating one or two of these bites about 30 minutes before getting active.

The Verdict: Delicious and Energizing

Every day before dinner, I go on a 45-minute walk, so I had one of these peanut butter and chocolate creatine balls about 30 minutes beforehand as a pre-dessert. (I say this because I still ate a bowl of sorbet later that day). After taking a bite, my first thought was how much they reminded me of edible cookie dough.

They have a bold, sweet flavor with a strong espresso kick. I had so much energy during my stroll that I powered through the whole thing and never once felt the urge to turn around and go home.

2. Creatine Lemonade

When I came across a tutorial for creatine lemonade from , I knew I had to try it because, you know, who doesn’t like a cool glass of lemonade?

To make this, I juiced one lemon (you can use store-bought lemon juice if you prefer) and added three grams of creatine powder. Even though the recipe calls for five grams of creatine powder, I chose to use three grams instead, per Kreider’s advice, and because I’m new to creatine.ÌęThen, I poured in two cups of water. The original recipe suggests adding a teaspoon of stevia, but I chose to use agave instead because that’s my preferred sweetener.

The Verdict: Crisp and Refreshing

I was amazed at how crisp, tangy, and delicious this drink tasted. It wasn’t chalky or gritty at all and had the smooth consistency of traditional lemonade. Even though I liked it, I won’t be sipping this before my outdoor workouts any time soon because the temperature in the northeast, where I’m currently based,Ìęis, on average, around 5 degrees Fahrenheit. However, I can definitely see this drink being my go-to pre-workout beverage in the summer.

To test its effects, I decided to chug it after shoveling snow and a deep stretch session. The next day, I didn’t feel my usual post-shoveling soreness; this is probably due to the fact that, according to Stangland, vitamin C from the lemon juice aids in muscle recovery.

3. Egg-White Creatine Oatmeal

There are a few things that you’ll find in my breakfast lineup every week: boiled eggs, a Greek yogurt parfait, and a steamy hot bowl of oatmeal. So naturally, when I saw dumping creatine and raw egg whites into her hot cereal, my interest was piqued. Unfortunately, almost immediately after starting the recipe, I realized it wasn’t going to work. Here’s why.

The recipe says to cook one-half cup of oats according to the package instructions (which I followed by microwaving the grains with water for a minute or two). Then, you’re supposed to add in the raw egg white from one egg, 25 grams of protein powder, and five grams of creatine (I, again, opted for three) and mix everything together. That’s when things went left.

The steam emanating from the hot oats began to cook the egg whites, which gave the dish an unpleasant scrambled egg-like texture. Still, I carried on, determined to see the recipe through. I garnished it with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a tablespoon of dark chocolate.

A word of caution: please use pasteurized eggs for this recipe. The pasteurization process without cooking the egg.

Culinary mishap aside, Stangland says that having a bowl of egg-white creatine oatmeal before a workout is a great choice. “The creatine helps power your performance, think quick movements like jumps and lifts, while the carbohydrates in the oatmeal provide sustained energy to support your muscles throughout the entire workout,” she says.

The Verdict: It’s a “No” for Me

From a fueling and recovery perspective, this recipe makes sense, but I couldn’t get past the texture and taste, so I didn’t finish the bowl.

If you want to experiment with a version of this recipe, you could try making savory overnight oats and adding an already-cooked egg white on top to avoid a half-scrambled-and-half-sort-of-cooked egg in your oats. Or maybe the trick is to not heat the oats too much.

4. Sour Watermelon Creatine Gummy Bears

During my undergrad years, I took a few food science courses, and one of my favorite topics was learning how gelatin can improve the texture and stability of certain dishes. So, when I came across a clip of pouring liquid into molds to make gummy bears, I quickly ordered all the tools I needed to try it out myself.

Homemade candy may sound complicated, but it’s surprisingly easy. While I chose to order a gummy-bear-shaped mold, this is completely optional—just make sure you’re using some type of silicone mold so your candies don’t stick. I even tested out this recipe with an ice cube tray, and it worked.

To make creatine gummy bears, start by adding one and a half cups of water to a pan, along with one-half cup of lemon juice, four tablespoons of gelatin, and 10 servings of watermelon-flavored creatine powder. Since I didn’t have that, I added a drop of red food coloring to give it a fruity look and three tablespoons of honey for sweetness.

Next, I heated the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the gelatin dissolved; this took about two minutes. Then, I used a spoon (a liquid dropper is also fine) to transfer the mixture into the mold. I put the gummies in the fridge for two hours so they could solidify.

The Verdict: “Spectacular. Give Me 14 of Them Right Now.”

This was my first time making gummies in a while, so I was nervous they wouldn’t set. But after leaving them in the fridge overnight, I was so excited to see the squishy treats come out perfectly the next day.

As for the flavor, the honey masked any aftertaste from the creatine powder, and the lemon juice added a nice zest. The honey, according to Stangland, can also provide a nice jolt of energy needed to get through a tough workout.

If you prefer plant-based candies, you can replace the gelatin with agar-agar, a red algae-based ingredient. Just use the same amount of agar-agar as you would gelatin in this recipe. I ate two gummies 30 minutes before a yoga class and had no issues doing the toughest planks.

5. Creatine Chocolate Dip

This dip from only has four ingredients: creatine, protein powder, peanut butter, and almond milk. The recipe is simple, too.

I mixed three grams of creatine, two tablespoons of protein powder (I used chocolate flavor), and two tablespoons of peanut butter. Then, I slowly added one-quarter cup of almond milk, stirring until the mixture reached a brownie-batter consistency.

After a workout, it’s ideal to load up on carbs and protein to help replenish your energy stores and support muscle recovery, says Stangland. “The apple and almond milk provide the carbohydrates, while the protein powder and peanut butter supply the protein. Creatine completes this trio of nutrients that aid in recovery,” she says.

The writer makes the creatine chocolate dip. (Video: Ashia Aubourg)Ìę

The Verdict: Yes. That’s All.

It took me less than three minutes to whip this up. I served it with apple slices, but it would also pair wonderfully with raspberries, strawberries, or graham crackers. I was worried the spread might turn out gritty, but it was smooth, creamy, and airy.

After a week of experimenting with creatine-packed recipes, I couldn’t help but get excited after trying this one. It’s the perfect proof that you can easily sneak this powerhouse supplement into everything—breakfasts, snacks, lunches, dinners, and, yes, even candy.

Want more ofÌęșÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű’s Health stories?Ìę.

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Mick Jagger is 81 years old and on the Rolling Stones’ “Hackney Diamonds” tour. The shows run somewhere between two and two-and-a-half hours long. Jagger is running, gyrating, singing, and dancing at each one. I couldn’t help but notice that Jagger is in incredible shape—for a person at any age. How does he do it? And what would it feel like to work out like him?

How to Work Out Like Mick Jagger

Jagger has worked with the Norwegian personal trainer Torje Eike for many years, and cite yoga, dancing, strength training, sprinting, and meditation asÌęthe types of workouts that Jagger tends to do five to six days each week.

Using these online sources—along with videos Jagger has shared and interviews he has given—I put together a five-day Jagger workout plan that incorporates each of his core fitness practices.

And then I tried it.

Day 1: 1 Hour of Vinyasa Yoga to Start the Day

I decided to start my Jagger week in my comfort zone with a form of physical activity we both seem to love: yoga. I practice vinyasa two to three times a week and have done soÌęon and off for a decade.

Today’s class started with a dash of kismet, though. The instructor at my usual studio, ,Ìęasked if anyone in the room was familiar with Rick Rubin. Surely she can’t be talking about the record producer, right? I thought to myself as I tentatively raised my hand. But Rick Rubin, the unparalleled American producer of albums ranging from The Beastie Boys’ 1984 License to Ill to Mick Jagger’s 1993 Wandering Spirit,Ìęwas exactly who she was talking about. She used Rubin’s thoughts on creativity to ground that day’s practice, which ended up going pretty heavy on the chair poses if you ask me.

Mick, are you here with us in the room right now?

Day 2: Transcendental Meditation and Strength Training

I’m not going to lie; I was dreading the meditation component of Jagger’s routine. will tell you that meditation is one of his major habits. Except, and this is important, I have spent at least 15 of my 36 years on the planet very aware that meditation might help quiet my usually screaming mind. But I’ve always refused to do it because it sounds a little too quiet. And 15 minutes sounds like a very long time.

So, since I’m a meditation avoider and thus a total novice, I did some cursory research on Transcendental Meditation before I sat down to try it. From what I , picking a mantra, one that consists of sounds vs. meanings, and repeating that mantra throughout the practice serves as step one. Step two is sitting for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day, choosing a comfortable position, and repeating the mantra until the end of the allotted time.

Obviously, I went for the 15-minute option. I chose the classic Sanskrit “Om” as my mantra and settled into a comfortable position in my office and guest room. As the minutes ticked by, I resisted the urge to check the remaining time on my phone and to focus on the meditation.

And, honestly, it was kind of great. The time passed much faster than I expected. I assumed I was around the five-minute mark when the timer went off to signal 15. Repeating the mantra made it easier to push out intrusive thoughts, and I felt myself settle into silence in a way that is usually pretty elusive to me. I think I might keep meditating even after my Jagger week.

Oh, I also did strength training on Day 2Ìębecause Jagger gets in a few good gym workouts each week, and weight training is already part of my regular routine. I performed bench presses, shoulder presses, tricep extensions, flys, concentration curls, medicine ball twists, incline bench with dumbbells, and kettlebell shrugs.

Not bad.

Day 3: 1+ Hour of Vinyasa and Sprints

Most places I looked online included a striking detail about Jagger’s purported regimen: in the past at least, he’s done sprints to keep in shape. A lifetime ago, I, too, regularly did 100-meter sprints, and I was actually very good at them. I was a high school soccer player who set the all-time scoring record for the sport at my high school because, in addition to a strong right foot, I was just really, really fast.

But then,Ìęclose to 20 years elapsed, and I became a sedentary knowledge worker and had a baby. I can’t say sprinting is part of my week unless we’re talking about hustling behind my child after she darts toward the street in front of our house.

So sprinting hurt, and I went relatively easy on myself since it had been a while.ÌęI opted to do four 100-meter sprints with a ten-minute warmup consisting of a short jog, leg swings, and some stretching. I tried to be reasonable, too, and get some negative splits going by starting at around 70 percent of my already diminished sprinting capacity. I was huffing and puffing by the end, but I made it through, which was my singular goal for this exercise.

I should note that I also did an hour and 15 minutes of vinyasa yoga in the evening. I’m not sure if Mick Jagger combines workout types across his days, but I have to imagine that if he’s feeling up to it, he does.

Day 4: Dance Workout

No Jagger workout week could exist without at least one . (And in one , Jagger said he does two dance workouts a week.) I kept it simple and found a , though I’m certain Jagger must be able to dance for much longer stretches.

Dancing isn’t at all part of my regular regimen, and it was hard. It required coordination and speed, and I had to keep my eyes on the screen to be able to follow the instructions with any semblance of proficiency. I think the cardio component of this workout is great, and I totally get why it makes sense for someone performing “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” on the regular, but I’m not sure I’d subject myself to this particular form of training again. My dancing is best saved for family wedding receptions.

Day 5: Strength Training

On my final day of Jagger Week, I repeated my strength training circuit from Day 2. This is my regular lifting routine, and it makes my arms and back feel strong and pliable. I figured I would end the Jagger week in my own comfort zone.

Should You Work Out Like Mick Jagger?

I spoke with , a former Division 1 athlete, SoulCycle instructor, and certified personal trainer, to get her take on the workout plan I put together, as well as what she would suggest for anyone who really does want to get started working out like Jagger.

Gaines told me it would be best to ease into the Jagger-style workout if you’re a relatively sedentary person. She recommends working out two to three times per week for the first month, building up to four times per week in month two, and maxing out at five to six times per week in month three. “For the first month, I would suggest strength training two times per week and cardio once a week,” she says. “Strength training will help prevent injuries and will give your muscles the foundation to take on other activities, such as dance or yoga.”

If my week as Mick Jagger taught me anything, it’s that a diversified workout plan and a focus on mindfulness feel really good. If I were to habituate some of what I tested out this week—and move beyond the initial soreness—I think I would feel really balanced and strong.

And, as Gaines reminded me, the most important thing to remember when starting any routine is to take it easy on yourself. “Have patience in building a program that works best for you, but also patience in getting the results you are looking for, she says. “The best way to build a Jagger-style regimen would be over time, so patience is key.”

Ryleigh Nucilli is the former Director of Digital Content at National Geographic and the former Digital Managing Editor at șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online. Sturgill Simpson is her favorite musician, but she’s not sure what he does to stay in shape.

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