No one understands the ins and outs of getting in shape better than those who help others get fit. These experts know the greatest part of fitness takes place outside the gym. Here are the top 20 fitness tips from the pros.
20. Make Exercise a Habit
To make exercise a daily practice, you must reinforce it as a daily habit, like brushing your teeth. The more you do it, the more it will become part of your routine. Eventually, you’ll crave it rather than neglect it. If you’re pressed for time, start with 10 or 15 minutes and gradually work up to 30 minutes or more.
19. Prioritize Fitness
In life, there are endless things fighting for our attention. If you don’t prioritize exercise, other things will command your time. Fitness begins outside the gym by prioritizing your time for exercise. Schedule time for it and commit to doing it. It’s equally important to prioritize things that support your fitness success, such as proper diet and adequate sleep.
18. Set a Goal
Not having a fitness goal is like being on a ship with no destination. You are sailing around aimlessly. You can also have too many fitness goals. It’s best to start with one, like tightening your arms, and achieve it. You’ll see better results. Then, set a new goal and achieve that. Continually setting and achieving new goals prevents burnout.
17. Consult a Fitness Pro
Once you identified your fitness goal, it’s a good idea to seek out a fitness professional. You don’t have to sign up for a dedicated professional trainer. You can benefit from one or a few consultations. Many gyms include these with your membership. A pro can help give you step-by-step guidance on the best way to achieve your goal.
16. Prioritize Sleep
Most people don’t realize that you aren’t building muscle while you are working out. You’re actually breaking them down. The rebuilding phase occurs while you sleep. That underlines how crucial good sleep is. To get the greatest benefit, you need 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Banish anything that can disturb your sleep from your room, including excess light.
15. Eat Right
Nutrition is often an overlooked area of fitness. You can bust your butt lifting weights and doing cardio, but all that will be for naught if you aren’t eating the right diet. In fact, diet is 80% of the factor for weight loss. Exercise is only 20%. Further, certain nutrients and supplements can enhance your exercise efforts.
14. Get an Accountability Partner
An accountability partner is a great asset for getting fit. Convey your fitness goals to a gym partner, friend, or family member who will hold you accountable. A gym partner does not need to have the same goals as yours; they’re there to motivate you. Another way to stay accountable is to enroll in a structured group fitness class.
13. Get Outdoor Exercise
Gym workouts are fine. But weather permitting, get outdoors for fresh air, to challenge your routine, and to stay motivated. Instead of the treadmill or bike, run on an actual trail or track. Run up and down flights of stairs or bleachers. Look for things you can jump up on or over. Challenge your body to make some new moves.
12. Vary Your Workout
It’s easy for people to fall into a set routine of exercises. Week after week, they do the same routines and reps during strength training and the same minutes of cardio on autopilot. Unfortunately, the body adapts to routines. To continue to benefit from your exercise, you need to continually alter your routine and challenge your body with something new.
11. Divide Your Workout
Many people cite a lack of time for not getting their recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise. You can always split it up. Do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon. You can even do three rounds of high-intensity workouts in 10-minute intervals throughout the day. It still equals 30 minutes of quality exercise.
10. Aim for Intensity
The number one excuse people give for a lack of exercise is limited time. But even 15 minutes of time is enough for a high-intensity workout that will raise your heart rate. You can do it at home. It doesn’t require equipment or lots of space. Squats and push-ups will suffice, as will resistant bands or a suspension strap system.
9. Prioritize Strength Over Cardio
Many people are focused on losing fat, so they emphasize cardio. But it’s best to devote more effort to strength training. Then, do light cardio at the end. Strength training is better for long-term fat loss because it builds muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate. You’ll burn more calories when not exercising. For optimal results, weights, then cardio.
8. Align Your Spine
Before beginning any type of weightlifting, you need to first practice aligning your spine to perfect your form. Begin with simple body-weight exercises such as squats and push-ups. Practice keeping your shoulder blades stabilized and keeping your pelvis in alignment. With your form perfected, you’ll reduce the risk of injury when you begin your weight-lifting regimen.
7. Flatten Your Midsection
Unfortunately, endless crunches alone won’t flatten your midsection. First, you need to reduce the fat. Otherwise, you’re only building muscle under the fat. When building muscles, you need to activate the deep abdominal muscles. There’s a move that can hollow out or “scoop” the abdomen. It’s the same move you make when zipping up a tight pair of jeans.
6. Practice Nasal Breathing
Nasal breathing is vital. This is especially important during cold weather. Breathing through your nose warms and helps humidify the air, which helps more oxygen reach the lungs and muscles more easily. It increases nitric oxide production, which acts as a bronchodilator and vasodilator. Mouth breathing causes your body temperature to drop more quickly. Your vessels and arteries also constrict.
5. Take Breaks From Sitting
The increased use of technology has more of us doing more sitting than ever. Too much sitting can put stress on your body, as well as your spine. If you sit for long periods during the day, make sure to get up and walk around once every 30 minutes or so. Try to get your posture back to neutral.
4. Hydrate All Day Long
One reason you may be feeling fatigued during the day is that you are losing more water than you realize. Don’t just drink water during your workout. You should keep water at hand and be sipping, not chugging, throughout the day. Remember, muscles are made up of about 76% water, while the body is composed of around 66% water.
3. Roll Away Soreness
It’s normal to have a little soreness after a workout. However, access soreness means you are overdoing it. The fix is using foam rollers. You can find them in sporting goods departments or online. Roll a foam roller along your sore muscles for 20-60 minutes after you finish your workout. This will help boost circulation and relax the muscles.
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2. Don’t Sweat Sweating
It’s okay to sweat. In fact, it’s a must. Sweat is a protective device for your body. As heat in your body increases, it needs to be released somehow. Sweat is the way the body cools itself out. As you get in better shape, you will actually sweat more. That’s because your sweat glands have become more active and efficient.
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1. Stay Fitness Curious
Never become satisfied or stagnant about where you are in your fitness. Eventually, your body will adjust to your routine and will no longer be challenged. It’s important to stay curious about fitness, ever-learning, and ever-altering your routine. Seek out a fitness Pro. Experts can give you tips and offer ideas on how to keep your fitness activities fresh.
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