Five Tips for Getting Fit in 2015 | Fitness

 

New year, new you. Most new year resolutions revolve around getting fit, joining the gym, losing weight, getting toned, eating healthy or getting that dream body. So, it feels like the best time to share some of my favourite fitness tips with you! Carry on reading for my 5 simple tips that will help make your fitness resolution stick and you’ll start seeing those results you dream of.

1.       Ditch The Cardio

Seriously. Hit the stop button on that treadmill, stop pounding away for hours running in the same spot, and stop being a total cardio-junkie. Most people will turn to the treadmill in hope that it will answer their fitness prayers. But in all honestly, it can get a little boring and there are so many other ways that you can burn fat. I’m not saying cut out cardio altogether. Just simply, switch it up and try alternative (more fun!) methods. HIIT (high intensity interval training) is a great way to burn fat and increase endurance.  HIIT is the repetitive process of doing short, quick bursts of high intensity exercises followed by short low intensity recovery periods.  You can apply this to the treadmill (sprint, walk, sprint, etc.) or to circuit workouts. The Nike Training Club app is filled with so many great workout circuits that are bound to get your heart racing. So if you’re looking for HIIT workout inspiration, download the app and get working up a sweat.
 

2.       Eat

Dieting is not going to get you that dream body. Trust me. Dieting can put strain on your body and often leads you to reach for those leftover Christmas chocolates in a moment of weakness. Instead of dieting, just make wise food choices. Make sure your diet contains more protein, more complex carbs and lower levels of fat. Carbs should make up around 50% of your daily calorie intake, with protein accounting for roughly 30% and fats should be around 20%. So, whilst it is important to be eating healthy that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to the odd sweet treat. The app MyFitnessPal is perfect for tracking your meals. It allows you to input your current height, weight, activity levels and goals. Based on this information, it can devise your nutrition goals – how many calories you need and what percentage of that should be carbs, protein and fats. You’ll probably be surprised to see how many calories you are actually allowed to eat…and still manage to reach your goals! By using the MyFitnessPal app, you’ll see that you are allowed to treat yourself to a slice of cake every now and again! If you want any ideas for healthier sweet treats then I have recipes for Peanut Butter Cups and Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.
 

3.       Lift Heavy

Don’t panic, picking up the weights isn’t going to make you look like the Incredible Hulk. It’s actually one of the best things you can do for your body. It will make your body more defined, toned and stronger. If you are new to weight-lifting then start light and focus on your posture and form. Once you have perfected the technique of the exercise, you can start increasing the weight. When weight-lifting you should focus on specific muscle groups to ensure that you are getting optimal results. For instance, you could split your work-out over 3 days and do chest and biceps on day 1, back and triceps on day 2 and shoulders and legs on day 3. This will make sure you are covering a full-range of different muscles, and also giving your muscles enough time to recover and repair themselves before working out again. Start off by following a training program from Bodybuilding.com. These are perfect for helping you to reach your fitness goals. The program will tell you what muscle group to train, what exercises to do and how many sets and reps you need to be doing. It’s a fool-proof way to keep on track.

4.       Plan

Planning is key to success. It will stop you from straying from the path. And even if you do stray, it will help you find your way back again. It will ensure that you reach your goals. Devise a training program (or use one from bodybuilding.com). This will make sure that you remain motivated in the gym and that you are getting the most out of your work-out. If you step foot into the gym, unsure about what you are even doing there, then chances are that you aren’t going to reap the benefits from it. The same applies with food. Make sure you are planning your meals. Now, I’m not saying become a nutrition Nazi. But, if you have a good idea of what types of meals you should be eating and when, then it’ll help you to reach your diet goals. Even plan your cheat meals. If you struggle with sticking to healthy eating, then give yourself one day a week where you can indulge a little bit. Just try not to go overboard! There are so many fitness and health apps that you can use to keep you on track, so check out the app store on your phone and find out that works for you!

 

5.       Just do it

Excuse the Nike slogan. But it’s true. The only way you’re going to see results is to get off your ass and work for them. Stop saying ‘I will start on Monday’ and start now. There’s no use in making up excuses to yourself, you will only end up moving backwards. Looking at motivational photos on Instagram and pinterest is great (it really is!) but the true motivation is yourself. Just get out there and force yourself to work out, even if you aren’t feeling it. More often than not, by the end of the work out you’ll be feeling 1000x more energized and you’ll feel so happy that you decided to work out. After all, they always say that the only work out you regret is the one you didn’t do! So, what are you waiting for? Start your fitness journey now.

Grandiose Days,

xxx