Fitness goals can stem from a lot of different places. But whether it’s about weight, confidence, or just the general desire to live in a healthy body, it all boils down to a desire to take care of yourself. Here are four ways to do that in a healthy manner.
Method #1: Find Healthy Foods You Actually Enjoy
Healthy eating habits are essential for maintaining physical fitness. No matter how strenuous your workout regimen may be, it all falls apart if your diet consists of nothing but burgers, fries, and pizza pockets (unfortunately).
But healthy doesn’t have to mean gross.
Everyone’s taste buds are different, but here are some good-for-you foods that you might actually like, too:
- Fruit – Fruit is like nature’s candy. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and antioxidants. Blueberries are an antioxidant superfood and full of nutrients. Cherries, mangoes, and watermelon score high on the healthy spectrum, too.
- Granola and protein bars – For the healthiest options, look for low sugar (even natural sugar), high fiber and protein to sustain your energy, and ingredients that you actually recognize. If you’re looking for sweet granola bars, find some with high veggie-content as well. If you want something more savory, you can’t go wrong with most companies’ peanut butter flavor.
- Hummus – Paired perfectly with carrots or celery, individual packs of hummus are one of the easiest and healthiest to-go snacks.
Method #2: Make Your Workouts Fun
Easier said than done, it’s true. But if you’re not naturally the morning-noon-and-night, platinum-gym-membership-never-skip-leg-day type of person, you can still follow through on your goals by tricking yourself into exercising through something you’d otherwise enjoy.
- Games and activities – Who doesn’t like games?! Organize a group of friends for a quick match of Spikeball, tennis, or just to play catch. You’ll be too distracted by how much fun you’re having (or by the sheer thrill of the competition), you won’t even notice how much you’re sweating.
- Exercise with friends – Games or no games, finding a gym buddy is the perfect distraction as well as an exercise in accountability. Plus gossiping on the treadmill sure beats getting lost in your own thoughts (especially if those thoughts are, “wow, I hate the treadmill”). Don’t forget to be gym outfitted when you go!
- Reward yourself with a view – One of the best parts of hiking or trail running is surrounding yourself with the beauty of nature. Purchase the right pair of trail running shoes or hiking boots and enjoy a dose of the great outdoors alongside your fitness.
Method #3: Exercise At Home
Some people love the gym atmosphere, whereas others just can’t be bothered to make the commute each day. Incorporate an exercise routine into your daily life that can be easily sustained to see lasting results.
Obviously a home gym outfitted with a stationary bike, squat machine, rack of hand weights, and more would be awesome. But you can follow along to tons of at-home fitness tutorials that require little to no equipment and are a simple addition (or substitution) to your workout routine.
Method #4: Exercise As A Form Of Transportation
Sometimes you just don’t feel like you have time to exercise on top of your already busy day. Instead of neglecting exercise in favor of your errands, use it as a means of getting from point A to point B.
- Walking – It seems almost too easy, doesn’t it? But even 30 minutes of walking a day is a great form of exercise. Instead of driving down to the grocery store or to pick up a coffee on your lunch break, take a brisk walk. It’s a bonus arm workout if your bags are heavy from the store.
- Cycling – Consider riding your bike to work or school, even if it’s just once or twice a week. Not only is cycling an excellent low-impact activity, you’ll also start your day off right with a burst of dopamine.
Forgiving Yourself and Moving Forward
Staying fit is so easy… in theory. In reality, life gets in the way a lot more often than we’d like. Utilize these four fitness tips to stay fit (but go easy on yourself if you fall behind on your goals). All you can do is assess the damages and get back into the routine as swiftly as possible.
