This week the nation celebrated National Fitness Day, so we thought we’d dust off our trainers and get active ourselves- my two favourites are yoga and running. The problem is, with the busyness of life and the chaos of trying to balance it all, often the first thing to slipĀ is our fitness regime – be it commitments take precedence or plans fail to even get off the ground. As the expression goes – the busier your are, the more of a necessity it isĀ to make time to get those endorphins flowing! So with this in mind, we decided to bring you three little fitness tips for beginners, perhaps to help you out on your new fitness journey, or maybe to reignite that passion you once had. Let us know what you think!
Form a new habit
The reason why so many well intentioned exercise regimes fall flat is because many don’t realise that it needs to become a habit. Experts agree that it can take two weeks for new habits to form, so during that initial period it’s a really good idea to exercise every single day. Yes, you heard it. Every day.
Now that might seem daunting. Impossible, even. But it can be done! Even just 15 minutes of HIIT exercise a day can make a real difference, not only to your overall health but to your mindset too. And once your head is in the right space, it’s going to be easier to get your body there too. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Start out by setting a two week goal: aim to exercise at least once per day, and then extend the goal to another two weeks, taking it from there. A new habit will start to form and while you may not always stick to every day, you’re more likely to get the bug and want to go back for more.
- Plan out your exercise each day, and make sure you create a window where you can work out without interruptions at least once every day for two weeks. And then stick to that plan!
- Enlist the help of a friend to get you going. Exercise, whether it’s weights at the gym or running out in the park, is always better with company. We LOVE Park Run on a Saturday – there will be one near you, it’s free, fun and doesn’t matter whether you can blitz 5km in 18mins or 48mins. Everyone is involved (and there is cake at the end!)
Set yourself fitness goals
Once you form a new habit of exercising regularly, you will be able to start setting fitness goals, and these will help you to stay motivated. Let’s face it, motivation is probably the number one reason we either stick to a fitness regime or we don’t. Decide what motivates you and set your goals accordingly. So it might be that your motivation is to fit into that pair of jeans you’ve never worn. Or it could be that you want to learn a new sport, break a personal best, or reduce your body fat percentage. Whatever your goal, you can reach it!
- Start small. Set an easily achievable goal that you can see yourself reaching within a month or two. And from there, move the goal posts accordingly.
- Look for new challenges. It’s likely your overall goals will change as you get going, so keep an open mind and consider new challenges now and then.
- Record your progress. Fitness journals are an excellent way to keep a personal record of what you’ve achieved. Whether you’re tracking measurements or weights lifted, it always helps to see them written down in black and white.
Overhaul your diet onceĀ and for all
We’re huge advocates of clean eating and adopting an 80/20 approach to food and nutrition. We take care to ensure our diets are mainly filled with natural, unprocessed ingredients, and we hope that you do too. But let’s face it, we’re human too. This means that sometimes we’re going to indulge in foods that are less than great for us. I still like a glass of wine and small amounts of organic meat if and when my body needs it. That’s ok! But if you feel that your diet leaves a lot to be desired right now, you might want to change a few things. We are what we eat. Literally…
When you embark upon a new fitness regime, your body is forced into behaving differently. So at first, you’re going to burn fat, gain muscle and most likely lose weight. The thing is, if your diet doesn’t catch up to your new fitness levels, you’re only ever going to get so far before you plateau, or want to give up completely. Instead, work to make small changes to your diet so that you can optimise your workouts, and continue to see results.
- Start small. Perhaps reduce the number of takeaways you have, or cut down on that weekend glass of wine. Eventually you can make bigger changes that make you feel even better.
- Get a friend or your partner to change their diet with you. There’s strength in numbers and it works!
- Keep a food diary so that you can see where your diet could be improved- and celebrate the parts that are spot on!
- Learn how to fuel your body so that it can perform well when you exercise- this is the key to having enough energy to work out, and still be able to build that leaner frame you’re after.
What are your top fitness tips?
