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# 3 Mistakes Women Must Stop Making After Their workout - From A Pilates Trainer Who's Seen It All
- URL: https://www.boopshq.com/3-mistakes-women-must-stop-making-after-their-workout-from-a-pilates-trainer-whos-seen-it-all/
- Published: 2026-09-28T21:14:36.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-28T21:14:36.000Z
- Description: Protein shakes, tight eating windows, and the fear of 'undoing' a workout. Personal trainer Ella Strain-Turville discusses the post-workout mistakes she sees most, and why recovery should feel simple, not restrictive.
- Author: Ella Turville
- Tags: Longevity, Women’s Nutrition

I teach Pilates, and I know how tempting it is to think the workout is the whole job. You finish a class, feel good, rush into your day and decide you'll think about food later. **But what happens after training matters just as much.** Recovery isn't about finding the perfect powder or eating by the clock. It's about giving your body enough to work with, consistently.

Here are the three nutrition mistakes I see women make, when all they really want is to feel stronger in class and recover well afterwards.

#### short on time? here's a quick summary

Recovery isn't about the perfect powder or eating by the clock, it's about giving your body enough to work with, consistently. Here are the three mistakes to watch for after a workout.

- ****Eating less because you "earned it."** Training uses energy, food is how you recover and get through your day. If you're skipping meals after a hard class, look at whether you're eating enough overall.
- ****Relying on a protein shake alone.** A shake is convenient but doesn't replace a proper meal. Not all protein powders are equal, some are built around fillers and flavouring rather than the protein itself, so check the ingredients, not just the marketing.
- ****Following a rigid rule instead of your day.** The "30 minute window" isn't as strict as people think, what you eat across the whole day matters more. If another session is coming up, refuel sooner, if not, there's no need to rush.

****Your takeaway**: eat enough, eat a mix of foods, and let your training and appetite guide the details, not a fixed rule. Recovery should be simple, not restrictive.

  
## **1\. Treating the workout as a reason to eat less**

It's easy to slip into the mindset that you've "earned" food by exercising, or that eating afterwards somehow cancels out the work. Neither is true. Training uses energy; food is how you recover and get through the rest of your day.

That doesn't mean everybody needs a huge meal the minute they put the mat away. It means not making a habit of ignoring hunger after a hard class, especially if you've eaten very little beforehand. 

**If you find yourself exhausted, ravenous later in the day, or stuck in a binge-restrict cycle, look at whether you're eating enough overall.** A demanding schedule is not a reason to run on empty.

## **2\. Boiling recovery down to one shake, one rule, one plate**

Protein matters, and women often don't eat enough of it. It gives your body the building blocks to repair and adapt after exercise. But it isn't the only thing you need, and where you get it from matters too. 

Not all protein powders are equal, some are built around fillers, sweeteners and flavouring rather than the protein itself, so it's worth checking the ingredients list rather than the marketing on the front of the tub.

A shake is convenient when you're short on time, but it doesn't replace lunch.

**A post-workout meal should be food you actually enjoy, with protein and complex carbohydrates.** Think chicken, roasted veggies and hummus, sprinkled with seeds. 

Bone broth is a good alternative to reach for too, an easy way to add extra protein alongside your meals. I drink it as a tea with all my meals!

Carbohydrates. They are not the enemy and come in so many more nutrient dense forms than just rice and bread! Don't skip them. They come in so many forms: veggies, purple sweet potatoes (a blue zone superfood), bananas, papaya. 

They replenish the fuel you use during training, particularly when sessions are long, intense or close together. Your wider diet still needs enough energy and variety.

Portion sizes! All depends on your appetite, the training you've done and what else you're eating that day. 

There isn't one plate that works for every woman or every workout. But start noting which foods leave you energised rather than bloated and sluggish, and lean towards those. That's how you nourish your body and enjoy it.

## **3\. Following a rigid rule instead of listening to your day**

You've probably heard you have to eat protein within 30 minutes of finishing or the workout "doesn't count". It isn't that simple. 

**What** **you eat across the whole day matters far more than panicking about a tiny window.** If you've got another demanding session soon, eating and drinking sooner helps. If you had a meal before class and dinner is coming up, you don't need to race home for a shake.

Don't forget fluids. A hot Pilates class will leave you sweaty, but there's no magic drink everyone needs afterwards. 

Have water available, drink to thirst, and think about what you've lost through sweat and what your next session demands. 

For most everyday workouts, water and normal meals beat any elaborate recovery product.That said, on a longer or more intense day, I'll add a bit more. 

Coconut water is a good source of electrolytes, and before a hot class I'll often have my matcha hydrator, more on that below, it keeps me hydrated, gives me a steady lift of energy, and the collagen peptides give me a bit of extra protein.

## **My Current Morning Obsessions**

My morning starts with a whole lemon in water. Then I make my matcha hydrator before heading to an infrared HEAT class, it only takes a couple of minutes and sets me up properly before a hot session. Afterwards, I make my upgraded avocado toast."

**Matcha Hydrator** — I blend 600ml coconut water with matcha, aloe flesh, a handful of spinach and 10g collagen peptides, then drink it straight or over ice if it's a warmer morning.

**Upgraded Avocado Toast** — I toast a slice of sourdough, mash half an avocado on top, then add sardines, two soft boiled eggs, a few slices of fig, two crushed Brazil nuts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Each topping earns its place. **Sardines and avocado bring healthy fats, while eggs add protein for repair. Brazil nuts and figs add extra nutrients and fibre, and sourdough keeps me going without a mid-morning slump**.

The point is to make recovery less complicated, not more restrictive. Eat enough, eat a mix of foods, and let your training and appetite guide the details. Our bodies are to be fuelled, not restricted."

See you on the Heat.LDN mat