In today's wired world, all you have to do when you need something is to make a call and order it in, or log on to the provider's website, where you can place your order and pay for it with plastic. Just about anything: food, clothing, sports goods, cosmetics, drugs, airline and movie tickets, online entertainment, online education – you name it, you have it. Gee, it's wonderful to live in a world where everything is available at the click of a mouse button. Hmm… something doesn't smell right… Hey, got it! If you're going to sit around all day doing nothing but clicking buttons, you're going to fast become a couch potato. In fact, the mouse button may outlast you, if you don't move your rear out of that comfortable perch. And how do you ensure you not only get back into shape, but also stay in shape? Don't look far - just try out these 10 best health tips to stay fit, and make your life much more healthy and enjoyable!
Accept That You Need Change
The first step towards adopting any paradigm shift in life - or anything, for that matter - is to accept that you need to make that shift. To be convinced, check yourself in the mirror. Look at your complexion. Feel your skin. Check your weight. Calculate your Bio Mass Index (BMI). Sitting about doesn't help your body any. You need to become more active, see the outdoors more often, eat better food more regularly, give up on your vices, and pursue a more wholesome lifestyle. You need change!
Get Professional Advice
Starting on an exercise routine is not anybody's piece of cake. You need to have a physician examine you to check your vital parameters and suggest areas of improvement, and advise you of potential risks, if any. Next, a professional fitness expert - could be your gym instructor - should start you on your exercise regime, with a realistic, effective and measurable exercise program. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recommends three training routines: begin with strength training, which involves low level exercising for as little as 20 minutes a day once or twice a week; interval training, involving alternating routines of two minutes of walking and two minutes of running throughout the duration of a workout, say 30 minutes; and increased cardio/aerobic exercise, which involves a daily routine of 60 minutes or more of gradually phased low- to medium-level activity, such as brisk walking, jogging, or aerobics.
Aim for Achievable Targets
Do not rush into your exercise program with what you want to achieve - instead, focus on what you can achieve. Your targets must be realistic, and although you might not see major changes instantly, even minute changes can be tracked. To check, go see a friend or relative you've not met in a long time, and wait for the reaction. Chances are, you'll hear a positive comment!
Be Consistent
Once in, be consistent. Just because you have become comfortable doing some part of the exercise routine, do not attempt to force the pace or change the pattern without the approval of your trainer. Do what you're doing consistently - as long as your instructor tells you otherwise, even if it becomes monotonous. If the schedule indicates a 20 minute treadmill walk everyday for the rest of your life, do it no matter what!
Build Your Routine Around Your Life
Starting a fitness should not result in disrupting your normal routine, only correct those activities that are wasteful or detrimental to your health and wellness. Be open with your trainer about your priorities - mix up your fitness training with your office schedules, and both will suffer. Instead, create a routine that complements your life - for instance, instead of the daily 20 minute treadmill in the gym, you could walk or cycle to your office. Simple exercises such as neck, wrist and ankle rotations, eye rolls, shoulder rotations, on the spot jogging and sit ups can be done in the privacy of your office or home. A well stocked gym can even accommodate your weights and other specialized fitness equipment, so you can continue with your normal life even while pursuing an active fitness regimen.
EYE (Enjoy Your Exercise)
In life, you benefit only from doing things you enjoy, be it your work or hobby. Same is the case with your fitness regime. Take up only those activities that appeal to you. For instance, if being inside a gym makes you feel slightly claustrophobic or uncomfortable, opt for an equivalent jog on the beach, or a brisk hike through the hills. If clubbing is your scene, take advantage of the swimming pool and tennis courts that are usually a feature. Golf is a great way to stay fit, if you can afford it. Whatever you do, make sure it gives you pleasure and satisfaction, as well as a sense of achievement.
Time Your Routine
It's not always that you are ready to take on the rigors of an extended fitness routine. Make yourself amenable to the idea of a slightly flexible routine that allows you to exploit the periodic - meaning daily, weekly or even monthly - highs in your energy levels, or breaks in your busy schedule.
Stay Motivated
Motivation is the key. Look up those who've been successful in making substantial improvements to their physical fitness. Read about those individuals who have made an impact on their own lives, or others' by their commitment to an improved lifestyle through staying fit. And whenever possible, pat yourself on your back for your accomplishments in your fitness efforts.
Make an Exercise Buddy
There'll be times when you find yourself too low or disinterested to continue your regimen. This is a dangerous juncture, because once discontinued it'd be very difficult to resume your routine. This is where an exercise buddy is crucial: one or two friends or relatives in the neighborhood or relative vicinity who will ensure that you stick to your routine, whether you like it or not. And who rely on you to do the same for them.
Take Your Time
A lifetime of lethargy or decadent activity is not going to be erased overnight. Change usually takes time, and consistent, sustainable change will definitely not be immediately apparent. So even if you do not "see" physical changes, or even feel a mental high, don't feel let down. It takes just one night of hard partying to destroy your perfect biological system - and it will take months to restore it to its original glory. But it can be done, all you need to do is to give it time.
As you can see, trying out these top 10 tips to stay fit consistently will ensure that you can not only get back into shape, but continue to stay in shape for the rest of your life.
