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30 Fitness Tips That Really Work!

Whatever your goals when it comes to health and fitness, these fitness tips can really help! You don’t have to try them all at once, but start with adding a few into your daily routine each week and see how your health progresses and improves. Ready? Let’s get to it!

  • Move your body EVERYDAY. Whether it is your scheduled 30 minute workout or 5 minutes walking up and down the stairs.. It is essential for your body to KEEP moving through the week, even when you are having a rest day. Be sure to stand up, stretch and move once an hour to keep the blood and endorphins flowing.
  • Keep a fitness diary. It is impossible to track your progress or keep on top of things if you are not scheduling and recording it. Simply jot down your plans for exercise at the beginning of the week and make a note of what you did and for how long.
  • Eat plenty of colour. With every meal aim for whole and nutritious colourful foods; plenty of fruit, veg and goodness!
  • Avoid processed foods. On that note, try as hard as you can to avoid processed foods and refined sugar. More often than not, the fewer the ingredients, the better the food.
  • Hydrate. Minimum 2.5l a day is absolutely essential for keeping fit and healthy and particularly important when it comes to weight loss.
  • Pick workouts you enjoy. This is such important fitness tip. If you hate running you are far more likely to find an excuse to dodge your scheduled run than if you had picked something you love. Yes it will be hard, but at the very least make sure you are looking forward to it and feeling great after.
  • Find your WHY. Motivation means you will show up and workout when you feel like it, dedication means you will show up even when you don’t. Dig deep, beyond the weight loss aesthetics to find your why. Is it because you want to live a long and healthy life? Avoid injuries and health issues as you age, because it makes you feel great? Because you want to be a good role model for your kids? Think about it, this will be your go – to on the days when you just don’t feel like getting it done.
  • Add variety to your training. Strength, HIIT, Cardio, LIIT, Pilates/yoga are all amazing styles of exercise and complement each other immensely. Be sure to have a mixture of weight bearing and bodyweight/cardio style activity.
  • Don’t compare. The worst thing you can do is head straight to Instagram and think ‘why don’t I look like that’ ‘why can’t I do that’. You do YOU.
  • Stop the fad diets and restrictions. While you may see short term improvements, the fad diets just do not work in the long run and it has been proven again and again. Rather than cutting and restricting your favourite foods focus on a balance. Allow yourself a small treat of what you desire each day (i.e. a few squares of dark choc) as opposed to cutting it all out and craving (and eventually giving in) on the weekends and undoing all your hard work. Make real lifestyle changes to a healthier approach to eating and your daily habits.
  • Come prepared. Healthy snacks are key. If you are out for the day or working from home it is essential you prepare some healthy snacks so you are not caught off guard and end up rushing to the biscuit tin or the local shop. Prep some easy, healthy snacks for the week (apple and nut butters, dates, granola and yoghurt, handful of nuts, banana) are all great ideas.
  • Schedule your rest days. Days for rest and self – care are just as important as your training days. You will not see improvements if you do not allow your body to rest and recover. Factor in 1 – 2 days a week for recovery.
  • Focus on non – scale victories. It isn’t all about the number you see in front of you. Think about how you feel, how your clothes fit, what you see, how you perform. These are all so much more beneficial in the long run.
  • Keep progress pictures. Following on from the scales, progress pictures are an amazing tool for tracking and celebrating your progress. Take regular check ins to keep you motivated and on track.
  • Focus on strength. As we get older our muscle and bone mass decreases and consequently our metabolism slows down. In order to burn calories at a quicker more effective rate we need to build muscle through regular strength training. Try a strength workout here.
  • Eat slowly and mindfully. How often have you finished your meal while watching TV or scrolling through your phone and not actually realized you had even finished or felt full? For our brain and stomach to effectively work together and send the correct signals, we need to slow it all down and focus on what we’re doing. Chew your food to allow the digestion process to kick in effectively and for the body to do its job. Try to put down the electronics and just focus on your food and how much you’re enjoying it.
  • Don’t put yourself down. We ALL make mistakes. If you have an off day, reset put your energy into making tomorrow better.
  • Put your health and the top of the list. So often we are running round after others, but if we are not fit, strong and healthy in the long run we will not be able to continue to do so. Make sure health and fitness and your self – care is a priority, it will benefit you and others.
  • Just start. Sounds very simple – and it really is! So often we wake up not feeling like working out, and so often we just know we will feel amazing after. Get your gear on and just start. Whether you move for 5, 10, 20 or 40 minutes plus, all movement counts!
  • Try and stand every hour. If like most of the population you are spending a lot of time at home hunched over your desk, set yourself a timer every hour to get up and stretch. Try pacing while on the phone or replying to emails and try to squeeze in a lunchtime walk for some fresh air.
  • Set yourself weekly goals. Even if it is 1 or 2, goals are amazing for staying on track. Start by writing 3 goals you are going to give it your all to achieve this week. It could be; work out 4 times, eat more vegetables with every meal, drink an extra glass of water a day. Write them down and tick them off, no better feeling!
  • Focus on good quality sleep. Sleep is so important for our long term health benefits. Really try and focus on getting minimum 7 hours.
  • Keep your desk and kitchen separate. We are more likely to be tempted by the snack cupboard if we are sitting right next to it. Try where possible to keep your office and kitchen separate. Do not dine at your desk and do not work in the kitchen!
  • Be consistent. Doing a grueling 1 – 2 hour session once and then waiting a whole week to work out again just won’t work. Focus instead on doing just a little bit each day, even if it’s 10 minutes. Work your way up, schedule in your active rest days and you will achieve your goals.
  • Keep stretching. Stretching is so important. Stretching when you wake up can get you ready and set for the day, and stretching in the evening can help you recover from your workout and actually sleep better. Be sure to fit at least 5 minutes of stretching in per day.
  • Be prepared. If the thought of your early morning alarm fills you with dread then it is essential to have everything ready so you cannot back out. Have your workout clothes laid out and ready to go and a quick bite to eat if you like to fuel your morning workout. The quicker you get up and go, the quicker it will be done.
  • Start your morning with lemon water. This is such a great tip and an amazing hack for weight loss and digestion. Lemon water helps to flush the bodies toxins and regulate ph and digestion levels.
  • Schedule your workouts. You wouldn’t miss an important meeting would you? So treat your workouts like this. Schedule them in, write them down and treat them exactly like you would a work meeting or appointment.
  • Be patient. When it comes to weight loss, results will not happen overnight. You did not gain weight in one day, you will not lose it in one day… stick to it and you’ll get there.
  • Use exercise as YOU time. Exercise is brilliant not only for its physical benefits, but its positive effects on health, mental wellbeing, stress, productivity, energy levels, focus, brainpower and so much more. Exercise is also an amazing mood booster. Be sure to take this time for you to enjoy, release and unwind. Your body and mind will thank you for it!

Read next: 5 Steps To Losing Weight After 40

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