Lifestyle Nutrition
At Austin Simply Fit, we know that Health Drives Performance. You aren’t going to get the full benefits of your hard work in the gym if you aren’t taking care of your baseline health – your lifestyle and nutrition choices. Here are some important things you need to be doing outside of the gym that will have a huge impact on your health and wellness.
These may seem like low-hanging fruit, but these small lifestyle changes will greatly lower your stress, improve your recovery and boost your overall health.
Prioritize quality sleep
We have all heard about getting 7-9 hours of sleep. It isn’t just the quantity of sleep, it’s about the quality. If you have a hard time falling or staying asleep, consider addressing your sleep hygiene. Certain supplements, such as magnesium, can do wonders to impact your overall health. Good sleep is essential for recovery. If you aren’t getting it, your body is in a steady state of trying to catch up.
Do activities that lower your stress
From the second we wake up, we can improve our overall stress by planning for a “no-stress” morning. This means waking up with enough time to create space for yourself – get some sunlight with a quick walk, eat breakfast, read, meditate and take your time before the stresses of work begin. Try a no-phone rule one hour before bed and one hour after waking up. This allows you to calm down in the evening, and to reduce added stress first thing in the morning.
Stay hydrated
We all know how important it is to drink water daily, but how much is enough? At minimum, you need half your body weight in ounces. If you are working out that day, drink more water, and consider adding electrolytes to assist hydration. This is a simple but critical part of feeling great and being able to recover each day. Hydration is also a huge part of healthy digestion.
Stretch regularly
Having a consistent stretching routine is crucial to a healthy and pain-free life. It keeps your muscles flexible, strong and able to move comfortably through full ranges of motion. When you are tight, you are more prone to strains, discomfort, and poor movement patterns, which can affect your progress in the gym. Follow our Stretch Protocol to improve mobility, support better posture and feel better overall. A few minutes a day can go a long way!
Go on daily walks
In recent years, people have really started to become aware of the profound effects walking 4-6 times a week for 30-60 minutes can have on your health. This intentional zone 2 type of training helps our cardiovascular health and recovery, as well as our mental health. Walking outside is a plus due to the well-documented research surrounding the positive health effects of spending time in nature and getting more vitamin D1. We were built to walk. Once you start making this part of your routine, you will begin to crave this time in your day. Walking after every meal can also help with blood sugar regulation.
Eat nutrient dense whole foods
Last but not least, nutrition. Are you eating a nutrient-rich diet with an emphasis on protein, fresh fruits and vegetables? Eating whole foods every 3-4 hours will help regulate blood sugar and insulin, which will promote a healthy body composition – meaning lean muscle tissue and a healthy body fat percentage.
It is important to start the day with a protein-forward breakfast. For a busy lifestyle, plan your daily meals and snacks in advance, so you don’t find yourself skipping meals and then grabbing something less nutrient-dense when you get too hungry.
Your nutrition post-workout is also a crucial part of your recovery. Your muscles are primed to absorb nutrients at this time, making it essential to prioritize protein to rebuild tissue and carbs to replenish glycogen stores in the hours immediately following a workout.
Keyspan
If you are ready for a more structured approach to your health, check out Thrive, our program in partnership with Keyspan. Keyspan is an Austin-based longevity company that takes a holistic and functional approach to wellness. By starting with an initial blood draw, Keyspan identifies key biomarkers—measurable indicators of your biological state, including metabolic health, inflammation, vitamins, and hormone levels—and creates a personalized plan and supplement regime to optimize your health. This is coupled with functional health coaching to help you stay accountable and reach your goals. Click here to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. ASF offers structured nutrition and health coaching through their partnership with Keyspan, an Austin-based longevity company. The program, called Thrive, starts with a blood draw to identify key biomarkers — including metabolic health, inflammation, hormone levels, and vitamin status — and uses that data to build a personalized health plan and supplement regimen. Ongoing functional health coaching keeps you accountable and on track.
Lifestyle nutrition at ASF means the practical, everyday habits outside the gym that directly affect your training results — what you eat, how you sleep, how you manage stress, and how much you move throughout the day. ASF’s approach focuses on sustainable changes that support strength, recovery, and long-term health, rather than restrictive diets or short-term protocols. The philosophy is simple: health drives performance, and you can’t out-train a poor lifestyle.
No. ASF trainers provide general nutrition guidance and education to support your training — they don’t prescribe custom meal plans, specific macro targets, or medical nutrition therapy. The focus is on foundational habits: eating enough protein, staying hydrated, timing nutrition around workouts, and choosing nutrient-dense whole foods. For clients who need more specific dietary guidance, ASF can refer you to trusted registered dietitians.
Nutrition is a critical part of what happens between training sessions. What you eat directly impacts your recovery, muscle development, energy levels, and body composition over time. ASF specifically emphasizes post-workout nutrition — the window right after training when your muscles are primed to absorb protein for tissue repair and carbohydrates to replenish energy stores. Trainers track body composition over time using ASF’s InBody machines to ensure what you’re doing inside and outside the gym is moving you in the right direction.
ASF coaches clients on six foundational habits that have an outsized impact on health and training results: prioritizing quality sleep (not just quantity), doing activities that lower stress, staying properly hydrated (at minimum, half your body weight in ounces daily), stretching regularly to maintain mobility and prevent injury, going on daily walks for cardiovascular and mental health benefits, and eating nutrient-dense whole foods with an emphasis on protein. These aren’t flashy recommendations — but consistently doing them makes a significant difference in how you feel and perform.
Keyspan is an Austin-based longevity and functional health company that partners with Austin Simply Fit to offer the Thrive program. It starts with a blood draw to measure biomarkers related to metabolic health, inflammation, vitamins, and hormones, then creates a personalized wellness plan and supplement protocol based on your results. Combined with your training at ASF, it gives you a comprehensive picture of your health — not just how strong you’re getting, but how well your body is functioning at a deeper level.
For clients with medical conditions, food allergies, or specialized dietary requirements, ASF recommends working with a registered dietitian or qualified healthcare provider. ASF’s nutrition guidance is educational and supportive in nature — it complements your training but does not replace individualized medical nutrition advice. If you have specific needs, your trainer can help point you toward the right professionals.
My experience at Austin Simply Fit has exceeded my expectations. I started training with Alyssa Hansen a couple of months ago and I've already seen great results with just a couple of sessions per week. She's able to easily explain how to perform each movement and has the type of personality that keeps me accountable and focused on the task at hand.
– Jason K