The most common reason why many people fail to stay fit is that they’re too hard on themselves. If fitness becomes the worst thing you do you’ll never be good at it. Staying healthy is a lifestyle we choose for ourselves and we must love the steps we take to stay fit.
If you’ve recognized that you’ve not had the best health or lifestyle so far, you’re ready for the next step. You don’t have to be hard on yourself by getting into an extreme diet or exercise regimen. You can start slow and get better at it with tiny steps.
A daily dose of fitness tips
Here, we will give you tips that you can follow every day without being too tough on yourself:
- Hydration must become a habit
Many of us don’t drink water until our throats dry up and we’re thirsty enough to die! You shouldn’t let yourself feel the urge to drink water by keeping yourself hydrated anyway.
The best way to do this is by using an app that reminds you to drink water at the right intervals. It just shows up as a notification and you pause what you’re doing to drink water.
Start the habits on weekends or holidays or when you can have your phone with you all the time. Once it becomes a habit, you don’t need to wait for notifications or use your phone.
Drink a glass of water every morning and after having a meal. Keep sipping all through the day and make sure you have had at least eight glasses before hitting the bed.
- Find excuses to move more
Most of us have desk jobs and we sit for hours and hours every day. This is one of the leading causes of health problems and can get as bad as early death.
Make it a point to stand out and walk around for 2-3 minutes after you finish one hour of a sitting job. Use stairs instead of elevators to allow your legs to incline and exercise. Walk across one end to the other to personally talk to a co-worker rather than sending a text.
- Use a fitness band
Buy yourself a smartwatch or fitness bands to track the calories you burn and steps you walk all through the day. Adults are expected to walk a minimum of 8,000 steps every day and that’s best when brisk.
When you track calories, you must exactly know how much you’re losing when you walk or exercise. Count calories of the food that you eat so that you can balance out what you lost against gained.
- Choose healthy food alternatives
Diet is not all that hard if you can choose healthy options and make them tasty. There are tons of recipes online that can make your salads taste like they’re from a 5-star restaurant. You need to understand the importance of nourishment and eat well.
More than considering what you must have noted the things you shouldn’t at all. For example, if you love caffeinated drinks replace them with natural fruit juice. They might have calories but are healthy. Cut down on sugar or stop having it completely to see a major difference within a month. Add more veggies, legumes, and fish to your diet and stop processed food.
Add Greek yogurt and apples to your diet as the best possible dessert. Have oats for breakfast with almonds and walnuts to kickstart your day. Most importantly cook at home to keep yourself healthy and nourished.
- Choose your favorite exercise
Not everyone likes to do squats and lunges, and that’s totally perfect. You can choose your favorite exercise to keep your muscles nurtured. It can be gushing into the wind with a cycle, feeling refreshed with swimming, or relaxing with yoga. When you choose your exercise type, you’re sure to stick to it.
So many people have turned to Zumba that doesn’t only involve intense cardio but also lets you learn dancing. You just need to pick your favorite and you’re good to go. You can also alternate among these to break monotony but keep your fat burning.
- Get a partner
If you don’t live alone, you can bring in a lifestyle change with your family members. Doing positive things together don’t just add to individual growth but improves your bond as well.
You can even divide the tasks so that you’re constantly at each other’s back. For example, one person has to remind the other when to drink water, while the other cook healthy meals. It can actually be a fun thing to look up to and soon it becomes a habit.
- Give yourself ‘me’ time
Don’t just push yourself to have a better body but also give your mind the time it deserves. Take out time alone to do things you love and feel content. You can meditate, read a book, watch your favorite TV show, or cook something for yourself. Keeping your mind healthy is crucial because that’s keeping everything else in place.
- Manage time
If you can win the act of managing time, you’re one step ahead towards your journey to success. Time management is the most crucial aspect that makes a lot of difference. It lets you analyze how much you’ve added to the day and what you had to let go.
If you make it a habit to wake up early and sleep early, it will add to a positive body and mind. The early rays of the sun are nourishing and your first healthy meal lets you start a great day.
People who have different work schedules need to manage otherwise but if you can wake up early, do that. It not only adds more hours to your day but also lets you be on time and be more productive.
Final thoughts
Some of the points might seem tough to start with anyway. Just go one by one and work things out. Once you start changing or incorporating a few habits, you will be able to adjust some more naturally.
