Easy Tips to Keep Your Fitness on Track

We all have our reasons for wanting to get fit. It may be to lose weight, gain muscle, or to feel more energetic and less tired. Whatever the reason, we want so badly to improve our fitness habits and improve our quality of life. This requires a consistent effort over a long period of time, but it can be easy to mess up and fall off track. Here are some useful tips to stay on track when trying to get fit. Follow them to help you consistently improve your own health.

1. Be Realistic

Trying to get fit means learning how to set goals. The SMART method is a way that you can create realistic fitness goals:

Specific: Creating specific goals usually involves using numbers. For example, a goal of losing a certain number of pounds, or a goal of being strong enough to run a certain distance in a certain amount of time.

Measurable: If you've created specific goals, you will be able to measure and record your progress every day.

Attainable: Your goal needs to be something that is within your ability level. If you're new to the world of fitness, set an easy goal, and then once you reach that goal, set a slightly challenging goal, then a more difficult one, and so on.

Relevant: The actions that you take have to align with the goal you're trying to reach. Be careful that you aren't doing unnecessary things that may feel good but won't actually help you reach your goal.

Time-Bound: When setting a goal, create a deadline, and stick to it. If you end up not reaching the target by the deadline, it's okay. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just learn from your mistakes and try again.

2. Exercise Daily

Get active every day for at least 30 minutes. Aim to do some form of moderate physical activity that raises your heart rate daily. You could go for a brisk walk or hike or swim laps in the pool. For a sweat-inducing calorie burner, you can do interval training workouts. Don't want to trek outside? Try some at-home exercises you can do anywhere. [Link to workouts you have on your blog and include the text: "Here are some of my favorites."]

Now, remember, if you want to get fit, you have to work hard. However, there is such a thing as working too hard and causing harm to your body!

How do you know when you're working too hard? Listen to your body. If you're experiencing things such as lack of sleep or a high resting heart rate, that means you're probably pushing yourself past your limits. Other signs to watch out for include persistent fatigue, or trouble thinking and concentrating, that means you're probably pushing yourself past your limits.

3. Keep a Schedule

A schedule is a must-have for getting fit because it can help you know what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat it. It can also help you plan what times you work out, so you can exercise consistently. Using a scheduling app on your phone is likely your best bet. That's because you'll be able to turn on notifications to keep yourself from forgetting your daily healthy habits.

4. Mix It Up

When you're scheduling your food and workouts, the easiest thing to do is keep things the same. That means planning the same kind of exercise or the same meal every day. But a little variety can be good for you. For example, to get a broader range of varying nutrients, experiment with different fruits and veggies you have never eaten before. And when exercising, plan to target different body parts on different days. Mix things up and have fun! 

5. Keep a Workout Log

A workout log is a place where you write details about the exercises you've done. You should write down what specific exercises you did and how many reps you did. Also, track how much time it took you to do everything, and how you physically felt throughout the exercises. It may seem like a chore, but it's worth it to be able to go back and analyze how effective your workouts are so that you can adjust and improve them.

6. Take Your Body Measurements

Since you have created measurable goals, you should take body measurements at least once a week so that you can keep track of the way your body changes. Grab a measuring tape and measure yourself when you wake up in the morning before you have eaten anything. Measure your abs, arms, calves, chest, hips, waist, and thighs, and don't forget to write down every number!

When you take your body measurements, go one step further and break out your phone to take photos of your body. This will give you visual reminders of what your body used to look like. Yes, it may feel awkward to take pictures that clearly show the shape of your body. But when you start to see changes between earlier photos and more recent photos, you'll be so glad you did it. Seeing progress feels good!

7. Eat the Right Foods

As tempting as it may sometimes be, especially when you haven't eaten in a few hours, stay away from junk food. Instead, opt for more nutritious foods such as lean meats, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. Avoid processed foods and opt for whole foods as much as possible.

While you're at it, it's a good idea to watch how much you're eating. Rather than starving yourself early in the day, then gorging on large amounts of food later, spread out, and portion your meals. A standard recommendation is to eat three meals a day with two small snacks in between. You can use the following guide from the USDA for suggested portion sizes.

• 5 - 6.5 ounces of lean protein

• 1.5 - 2 cups fruits

• 2 - 3 cups vegetables

• 5 - 8 ounces whole grains

• 5 - 7 teaspoons healthy oils

8. Keep a Food Diary

Keeping a food diary is crucial for getting fit. Whether you want to use an app on your phone, a blank notebook, or a pre-made food diary that you can buy, you should keep a record of every single thing you eat and drink, and at what times. Doing this will allow you to compare your food diary with your exercise diary and your body measurements. You'll then be able to know which foods are the best for helping your body stay healthy.

9. Get Good Sleep

Getting plenty of sleep does not mean you're lazy -- it means you're serious about being healthy. If you get 7 - 9 hours of restful sleep every night, your body and mind will be restored and revitalized! There are many methods you can use to get deep, restful sleep. You can wear a sleep mask, listen to relaxing sounds or music, and use aromatherapy.

10. Stay Motivated

All of the tips above are utterly useless if you don't stay motivated. Try repeating positive affirmations to yourself daily. Doing this can help increase your optimism and self-confidence. And you're not alone! Talk with a couple of trusted family members or friends who are willing to give you encouragement.

You Can Do It!

Deciding to get healthier is wonderful -- but if you don't have a solid plan in place, you're not going to make much progress. You need to work harder and work smarter. If you consistently follow these tips over a long period of time, you will feel better not only physically, but emotionally. You CAN do it!

References:

1. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/serving-and-portion-sizes-how-much-should-i-eat

2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/overuse-injury/art-20045875

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6172294/