Getting fit is something that many of us will aim to do at some point in our life. Sometimes it will be sustainable, while others might find it difficult to keep up after a while. If getting fit is something that you’ve wanted to do for a while, then there are some helpful tips below that will make sure you stick to your goals. Here are six ways to get fit this year.
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Make Exercise A Positive Thing
Exercise should be a positive thing, not something you dread. It can certainly start off like that if you’re not someone who regularly exercises or has done since they left school. We all need exercise for our bodies, and it can be a mental game when it comes to making it a positive experience, rather than a negative one. Look at it as being another way of giving your body self-care, and to work on yourself. It can be that ‘me-time’ that you need to escape what’s going on in your life at the moment and to leave all that emotion that you might be feeling at the door. Exercise can be a great way of de-stressing, and so it’s certainly worth doing more of it where you can. Instead of going into a gym class or joining up with a sports team out of necessity, make sure you find something that you love in order to make it a positive experience every time.
Focus On Your Food Intake
Your food intake is something that you need to look at, and that goes hand in hand with exercise. If you’re not putting in the right food, then you’re not going to get the best out of your fitness sessions, whatever they may be. Consider your current diet and what you might be able to do in order to better it. Is there certain foods that might be worth cutting out in order to make yourself feel better internally. Some foods can have more of a negative effect on your body, and when you’re trying to feel fit, the wrong food won’t help. Try making changes where you can, and slowly but surely, you’ll start to see and feel the results, inside and out.
Take Your Time
Getting fit doesn’t happen overnight. The same can be said for losing weight, and even though extreme dieting might help in the short-term, it’s not sustainable or healthy. Getting fit is, therefore, like a marathon and should be treated as such. Take your time when it comes to building up a routine and finding what works for you. Your lifestyle is something that will need to incorporate a fitness routine, and for some, it can be harder to slot in than others. Find the time to fit in the exercises and build up where and when it’s possible. Don’t allow yourself to rush the process because that’s not going to help you sustain anything that you’ve worked hard to do.
Find What Exercise Works For You
Every exercise works a different muscle or area of your body. Whether it’s your sprinting form for speed or working on your core, some are going to be bearable for you and some aren’t. There are exercises that are going to be more advanced than others, and so it’s worth knowing what you can handle right now and what you might want to leave until you’ve gotten fitter. It’s also worth mixing up your exercises where you can to keep them challenging but also fun too. There are so many different forms of exercise that you’re never going to struggle to find something that you enjoy. Take a look online, ask those who work in the gym you go to for advice and set yourself up with a schedule of exercises you can alternate between.
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Set Manageable Targets
Targets are a great way to keep yourself motivated whilst getting fit. It can be hard to keep up with a routine, but you’re less likely to give up if you’ve set yourself goals. You might have a special event coming up, and therefore you want to reach a goal weight. Or perhaps it’s to do with wanting to train for a sports event and you’re not exactly at the right level that you should be at. Setting manageable targets is important though, otherwise, it can be easy enough to get de-motivated by them.
Assess any current targets you have and whether they’re working for you or not. If they’re not, scrap them and pick some new goals to achieve. As you achieve those goals, you can start replacing them with more challenging ones, and you’ll definitely start to see the results a lot sooner.
Get An Exercise Buddy
Exercising alone can be preferred for some people, but others might want someone there to motivate them and keep them going. You could get a PT if you have the available funds, but in order to save some money, you can always find an exercise buddy. Ask around your workplace, your friendship groups or even family and find someone you can work out with. Having an exercise buddy can be really handy in keeping you motivated to go to the gym or do the sports class that you’ve signed up to do. It’s also more pressure on you to cancel when you know you’d be letting someone else down too. Make sure you’re finding someone who has the same drive and attitude about fitness that you do. However, if you’re not that motivated to workout at all, then it can definitely be helpful to have an exercise buddy who is driven to exercise. That way, they can encourage you on those days where you might not be feeling it as much.
Getting fit is difficult to sustain, but once you’ve got into the rhythm of it, you can really find it beneficial for both your health and overall wellbeing. Follow these tips to help you get fit this year but to also keep it up for the long run.
