You won’t always be so lucky as to reverse a poor health diagnosis such as diabetes, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
Muscles that don’t move do atrophy and bones that aren’t worked do weaken. Your bottom warps to the chair you sit in all day, all the time. So it’s time to get up and do something about your health, and a little addition of fitness can go a long way.
Her are 10 simple fitness tips to help make this happen….
1. Take the Stairs.
You have heard it before, but the elevator doesn’t “elevate” you to good health. Taking the stairs is simple way to add more steps and elevate your heart rate. This doesn’t mean that every single time and when you are on the highest floor that you have to do this.
But if 7 out of 10 trips you can add this into your day, especially when you work in an office setting that matches this elevator scenario, take those stairs as a step towards better health. There is no elevator to improving your health and you don’t want to be on the one that leads you to the doctor’s office.
2. Leave a Spare Bag Of Gym Clothes In Your Car.
You never know when you might be able to sneak in a workout or become inspired to get moving. Maybe a co-worker asks you to go for a hike after work or to go hit golf balls. Instead of using the excuse that you don’t have proper attire, or you forgot your tennis shoes at home, low and behold you are prepared.
This also mitigates those times when you actually did forget to bring your gym clothes, and instead of hitting the gym on your way home, you just have to go home because you won’t be able to workout in your suit and tie.
3. Make What Interests You A Fitness Opportunity.
If you like to listen to books on tape, watch Netflix, catch up with friends on the phone, these are all opportunities to add a little cardio or strength training in while doing so.
Put those headphones in and listen and set up that screen on the machine, and just like that you have simply added fitness to what you enjoy and it’s a win-win for your hobbies and your health.
4. Burn It To Earn It.
Food is a glorious part of our culture that we can’t exactly let go of or quit completely. You can’t just stop eating, but you can try to use fitness as a way to earn what calories you are consuming.
This means that if on Fridays you are going to happy hour, and because you know this, you can decide that before attending you will get a good workout in to burn some calories before you drink and eat them.
It’s a balance and a way to at least maintain your weight more or less. To indulge, you must move to burn off what you are putting in. It’s a game you play with yourself to not feel guilty and to feel like you are in control of your health.
5. Wear a Fitness Tracker.
There are so many on the market and yes, your fitness still counts even if you don’t track it. The truth is that these fitness monitors are motivating and also serve as a constant reminder to get you moving.
Realizing how many steps you are taking, your heart rate, or how many calories you are burning, make you feel accomplished. If you are not meeting the minimum goal you have set for yourself, that tracker stares at you to push you to make it happen.
6. Incorporate Two Forms Of Fitness Each Week Into Your Routine.
Monotony leads to boredom and boredom leads to quitting. You have to keep your workouts stimulating, otherwise, both you and your body either burnout of decide that this is going nowhere.
The same routine becomes agonizing and dreadful rather than fun or feeling like time goes by quickly. Variety is the key, and this is also important to avoid adaptation and your body no longer benefiting from just going through the motions.
7. Stop Stopping.
There are some days and circumstances in which exercising does not fit into your schedule. Life happens and time can be limited, but if one or two days pass due to this, it doesn’t mean the entire week, month, or year stop in terms of exercising.
The key is to get right back at it when you can. As with many things in life, the longer you go without it, the more it goes to the back of your mind and then you don’t really even think about it anymore.
That is true for exercise too. You can decide to keep waiting and waiting to do it again, but the agony of starting over, feeling tired, and that initial struggle will be looming ahead.
Every time you stop exercising, getting back into the swing and habit of it becomes harder and harder.
8. Make It Convenient.
Put yourself in a position that makes exercise part of your day, not an added task. Choose a location that is in the same vicinity as other locations you already go to.
This might be the same shipping center as your grocery store or right next to your house or work. An added commute that adds stress only makes this harder for you.
Having to wake up earlier or get home much later because the gym or place you attend is not near by can make it harder.
This is not true for everyone as driving time is no problem to some, but if you know yourself that it isn’t just down the street or around the corner that you are less inclined to go, then reconsider where and what you are doing.
9. Eat 1-2 Hours Before Your Exercise.
Food is fuel and mood boosting. Going into a workout hungry or moody is not a good idea and will lessen the quality of your workout and probably the duration too. Food is energy that you need to exercise and help your body perform.
It is important for your recovery as well and to achieve desirable results. Just have a good source of protein and complex carbohydrates prior to exercising, and it will be much more enjoyable and doable.
10. Be Realistic.
Not every body type is meant for every type of exercise. Boot camp and high intensity isn’t always for you. Running or swimming might not be your strong suits. Pick exercise selections that you find stimulating and challenging in a positive way.
Over doing it and acting like you are Hercules won’t be sustainable, rather, you will be more prone for injury which only sets you back.
You are in this for the long haul, so do what basically entertains you so it doesn’t feel like exercise, rather, it feels like you are doing something good for yourself.
