We live busy lives, shuttling back and forth between home, jobs, social events and many other commitments. At times, we feel there is no time to exercise, or we have no choice but to grab the convenient food over the healthy food.
Picture: risteski goce/Shutterstock, pixabay[1][2]
I completely understand these feelings and experience them myself. When Im in full-time writing mode, I feel like all I can do is write, go to work, spend time with my wife, and then write some more before going to bed.
Were tricking ourselves in to thinking our time and options are limited. Even if our time is (which is a separate post entirely), our options dont have to be. We need to be a little better at starting small, balancing our needs and planning. The benefits of a healthier diet and active lifestyle are well-documented, stimulating both brain power[3] and productivity[4]. In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg names exercise one of the keystone habits that empower a healthy, productive life. Exercise fuels the ability to make other habit changes in your life possible, including diet.
Start Small
The first and biggest lie is the mindset that you need to make life-changing, wholesale changes to make a difference. Not so! Even if your diet and fitness habits are non-existent, you can begin to make small changes which can snowball into big results. Consider snow or rain. One flake or drop of water isnt going to make a big difference, and is easy to dismiss. But compounded by consistency and quantity, they accumulate into a force of nature.
Heres a little sub-list for you, little ways you can start small in fitness and food. Start with any of these once a week or every 2-3 days. Starting small will keep you motivated for the next opportunity.
- Go for a 10-minute walk or a five-minute run
- Swing a kettlebell 10 times
- Do 10 squats, then 10 pushups
- Drink 1 litre of water instead of soft drink
- Eat 1 salad a week
Resist the temptation to start big, because big starts normally end in big crashes. If you go for a big workout or run, youll be sore and need to rest even longer or risk injury. If you eat incredibly healthy for a few days, the sugar craving will be too much to resist, along with the thought of Ive been eating so healthy anyway! So start small and allow the snowball to grow.
Food Over Fitness
Many people, myself included, tend to flip the equation, prioritising fitness over food. We use our exercise as an excuse to eat whatever we want and burn the calories off later. While the plan isnt bad, its very short-sighted. A healthy diet combined with regular exercise is clearly the best way to live, instead of constantly trying to burn off the doughnuts you ate.
Food is one of the constants of our lives, something we truly cant function without. Fueling yourself with good food simply makes sense. When you combine healthy eating with your exercise, youll notice you feel even better! Elite athletes understand this balance, and though they routinely burn over 2000 calories in a workout, dont immediately go refuel with soft drinks, fried chicken and ice cream.
Plus, when a day comes up where finding your exercise time is difficult, making smart choices with your meals will help keep your body and mind in top shape. So when the choice is in front of you, choose the right food. I wont drop a diet plan bomb on you now, and certainly there is a lot of information on what to eat. We tend to make eating overcomplicated, even healthy eating! So here are a few simple rules to keep in mind.
- Eat as many whole foods as possible (fruits and vegetables)
- Eat lean cuts of meat.
- Eat smaller portions but a little more often.
- Drink plenty of water.
Move In a Way Thats Fun
If you dont enjoy running, dont run. If you dont enjoy lifting weights, dont lift weights. Move in a way you enjoy and youll see the benefits much quicker. Your exercise wont be a burden because its fun! Maybe its a dance class, yoga, hiking, canoeing, martial arts, cycling, soccer or tennis. If you stop forcing the workouts, following what youre supposed to be doing, then the habit wont take hold. I enjoy running, but only on trails. I enjoy lifting weights, but not in slow, uni-directional ways (bench press). I also enjoy mixing up my workouts, keeping them fresh and interesting by trying new things. Bottom line: Do what moves you.
Follow the Pareto Principle (the 80/20 Rule)
Disclaimer: This isnt the Pareto Principle exactly. But the 80/20 mindset is helpful when figuring out what kind of grace you can extend to yourself when your food and fitness isnt measuring up. Basically, if youre eating well in 80 per cent of your meals, you can be flexible in the other 20 per cent. If you exercise most of the week, dont stress out over taking a couple of days off.
CrossFit offers a pretty solid principle for their workouts. Three days on, one day off. Not quite 80 per cent, but close enough. If youre taking care of your body and mind 75-80 per cent of the time, youd have to do a lot of damage in the remaining time to screw it up. One more suggestion from my own experience: mix up your rest and cheat days so they dont occur at the same time. Being able to work out on a day youve eaten some unhealthy food will help negate the bad calories, and eating well on a day youre resting will increase the benefits of your rest.
Buy a Kettlebell
A kettlebell[5] is far and away the most important and useful piece of equipment I own. The functionality of a kettlebell design allows it to be used in so many more ways than a dumbbell or barbell. You can swing, carry, press, power clean and lots more. Since the bulk of the weight lies directly beneath the handle, the weight displacement allows gravity to pull the weight in a more natural manner. Classic dumbbells place the weight on the sides, making some exercises awkward or impossible.
Eat More Colour
Have you ever admired the rich colour palette of fruits and vegetables? Orange, after all, is both a fruit and a major colour[6]. Dark greens, apple red or banana yellow? Ever noticed the basic colour names on the Apple palette?Simply increasing the diversity of colours on your plate will help you eat healthier, even if thats all you do! No, Skittles dont count. Red meat, sweet potatoes, spinach salad and squash? Nailed it.
Embrace a Routine
If figuring out a daily workout just adds more stress to your life, dont do that either! Write one workout youre going to do for the week, and then simply do only that. I find I dont work out well in the morning because I havent planned anything. I need something concrete to get out of bed for. If our goal is to wake up and move around for 15 minutes, lets have a plan for it, and just do it for a week! I mentioned that enjoy mixing up my workouts, but its comforting to know theres something I can fall back on that I know will bear results.
If youre interested, join me this week in the following routine! No equipment required, ha! Your excuses have been reduced to ash.
- Monday: 25 pushups, 25 squats, 25 burpees, 25 box jumps
- Tuesday: Repeat
- Wednesday: Run or walk for 15-30 minutes
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: 25 pushups, 25 squats, 25 burpees, 25 box jumps
- Saturday: Repeat, or your choice of cardio
*Scale number of reps or duration of cardio to your pace. Doing a little is better than doing nothing.
If you do want more variety, check out TheSimpleGym.com[7]. Morgan writes four workouts every week and puts up a video of the movements so you can see how theyre done.
In a go big or go home lifestyle, we tend to overcomplicate matters, and the ways we move and eat are at the top of the list. We want to say we finished a killer workout or are on a fad diet, because it makes us interesting. Consider instead the snowball effect, building flake by flake until youre a force of nature.
7 Tips for Prioritizing Your Food and Fitness[8] [Matt Ragland]
Matt Ragland is a writer and adventure junkie, helping people align their priorities and choices with what they really love. He blogs at MattRagland.com[9] and would be delighted if you followed him on Twitter @MattRagland[10].
References
- ^ risteski goce (www.shutterstock.com)
- ^ pixabay (pixabay.com)
- ^ brain power (www.brainrules.net)
- ^ productivity (www.sciencedaily.com)
- ^ kettlebell (thesimplegym.com)
- ^ major colour (simple.wikipedia.org)
- ^ TheSimpleGym.com (thesimplegym.com)
- ^ 7 Tips for Prioritizing Your Food and Fitness (mattragland.com)
- ^ MattRagland.com (www.mattragland.com)
- ^ @MattRagland (www.twitter.com)
Resources:
The Zone Tone Breakthrough: Unleashing The Mind Muscle Connection For Accelerated Fat Loss, Lean Muscle, and Elite Conditioning (Kindle Edition) tagged “fitness tips” 7 times
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The Zone Tone Breakthrough: Unleashing The Mind Muscle Connection For Accelerated Fat Loss, Lean Muscle, and Elite Conditioning (Kindle Edition)By James Villepigue Buy new: $6.99 Customer tags: health(7), exercise(7), fitness(7), fitness tips(7), get in shape(7), bodybuilding(7), athletics(7), fat loss(6), muscle gain(6), build muscle(6), sports psychology(3), mind to muscle(3) http://www.amazon.com/The-Zone-Tone-Breakthrough-ebook/dp/B00A6K4HFS/ref=tag_rso_rs_edpp_url?ie=UTF8&creative=381421&tag=thedays-20
The Zone Tone Breakthrough: Unleashing The Mind Muscle Connection For Accelerated Fat Loss, Lean Muscle, and Elite Conditioning (Kindle Edition)By James Villepigue Buy new: $6.99 Customer tags: health(7), exercise(7), fitness(7), fitness tips(7), get in shape(7), bodybuilding(7), athletics(7), fat loss(6), muscle gain(6), build muscle(6), sports psychology(3), mind to muscle(3) Easy Fitness Tips Volume 2 (Kindle Edition) tagged “fitness tips” 5 times
Sun, 10 Jun 2012 13:56:15 GMT
Easy Fitness Tips Volume 2 (Kindle Edition)By Lisa Jeffreys Buy new: $0.99 Customer Rating: 
Customer tags: fitness tips(5), exercise tips(4), fitness(4), exercise program(3), female fitness(3), easy recipes(3), exercise and fitness(3), fitness and diet(3), gym working out, health tips Give Me Body: Top 5 Fitness Tips From Underwear Models / Queerty
We spend a lot of time daydreaming about underwear modelsmindlessly scrolling through the separate Tumblr account we have exclusively dedicated to tracking ripped, beautiful men in their skivvies. After wiping the drool … http://www.queerty.com/give-me-body-top-5-fitness-tips-from-underwear-models-20130329/
The 100 Best Fitness Tips
In Men's Health's never-ending mission to get you in the greatest shape of your life, we've grilled the world's top experts and combed our own archives to find 100 perfect fitness training tips. Get ready: You're about to feel the powerand have … http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/100-best-fitness-tips/
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You Can Help Your Child Get More Exercise By Following These 5 Tips
Does your child get enough exercise? You can get your children more active with these 5 fun parenting tips.
Better Health in Four Steps
In just four steps, you can improve your health for the better and this article will show you how. The steps below are bite-sized nuggets of health information you can actually use to live a healthy life. Here we go… Nutritional supplements are the first step As far as I’m concerned, they are very important […]
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Several food and nutrition trends were in the spotlight this year, including the continued rise of plant-based diets, non-dairy ice creams and superfoods that are blasts from the past — legumes, apples and cabbage. It can be easy to experience nutrition whiplash in the New Year, but don’t be a victim. Get a jump-start on […]
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What Are Some Good Fitness Tips? I have been trying to lose weight for a couple months now and has been stuck at one weight. Do anyone have any fitness tips and also eating tips for me?
80% of weight loss is diet.
You can eat a healthy diet and lose weight.
You can eat a healthy diet and exercise and lose more weight.
You can exercise and eat a poor diet and not lose and even gain weight.
A good healthy diet high in fiber, lean meats, eggs, complex carbohydrates, whole grains, antioxidant foods, healthy beverages and low in added sugar and salt help people lose weight, lower cholesterol, increase energy, improve brain function, lower blood pressure, reduce cancer risk and have a more positive lifestyle!
You need to eat a lot more food and a lot more fiber!
Diets that exclude foods from any food group are fad diets and do not lead to permanent weight loss or solve any other health issues.
First, try to kick your fiber intake to 40 grams of both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Whatever you do, get your fiber from your food, not from a jar.
Fruits and vegetables have good fiber in them. A high fiber diet increases the metabolism.
Try a breakfast cereal with at least 20% of recommended daily allowance of fiber in it. They are usually low in sugar so there is a double benefit. Blueberries or raspberries on top add more fiber and antioxidants. But fresh or frozen, not the kind in syrup. Oatmeal with berries or a bit of fresh honey is also good.
Raw nuts are a great source of fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants. Avocados are the best.
Lots of beans, peas, and grains are high fiber. Whole grain breads. Fiber kicks up the metabolism so you actually burn more calories. These foods will give you more gas in the beginning but if eaten daily, the bacteria in the digestive tract will elevate lowering the gas output.
This will get you on the path for a healthy daily bowel movement. This helps clean the system and aids healthy digestion.
I know it goes against everything you’ve heard but eating lots of the right foods will actually help you lose weight!
Next, take an age appropriate basic daily multivitamin. Don’t look at your multivitamin as nutrition but more as an insurance policy. Think of it as filling in the gaps in your daily diet as opposed to a primary source of nutrients.
You have to drink lots of water to be healthy. But you can disguise it. Fill your glass all the way full with ice before pouring low sugar beverages. Try iced green tea with a splash of orange juice in it for sweet. More antioxidants. Add lemon juice to water for flavor. Slice up a cucumber and float it in pitcher of water. Gives it salty fresh taste. But you must drink up to 100 oz of water daily to help your body get rid of waste and the natural toxins.
Last, you need to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep depending on your age. All recent sleep studies report a connection between poor sleep patterns and weight gain. This includes going to bed as close to the same time every night including weekends. Most of us stay up late Friday and Saturday night and it throws us off.
You must combine a healthy diet with exercise to multiply the benefit. Whether an hour a day in the weight room or just a 30 minute brisk walk every day, the added benefit of a regular exercise program really do increase and accelerate healthy weight loss.
I lost 30 pounds in 5 months by spending my money at the grocery and gym and have kept it off for over two years. Less than 3% of people that attempt weight loss lose it and keep it off for two years. It is not easy. It is a lifestyle change.
Good luck and good health.
What Are The Best Fitness Tips ? I want to know What are the best fitness tips ?
Fitness Tip 1 :
Change does not have to be Hard :
The majority of the fitness tips that you come across nowadays would request you to go for extended exercises in gym and eat only salads in addition to get registered with various elevated priced health clubs. By fitness tips, the majority of us believe that we have to totally change our life-style and thus the majority of us never bother to think about various helpful fitness tips. The terror of abandoning your dietetic habits is one of the obstacles between people and fitness tips.
Fitness Tip 2 :
Try to discover the golden signify between over training and concrete, tangible exercises gains and advantages . Calculate carefully the depth, period and frequency of your exercises. You require visible and quick results but a burnout might prove disastrous .
Fitness Tip 3 :
No exercises program and no diet will bring long term consequences if you do not make a serious responsibility. Nourish your self motivation and person discipline. Look into the mirror , if your eyes slash and spark at that time you be able to go on. Put Specific Objectives Setting specific goals means that you have to forget going to the fitness center without even knowing the cause you go. For example, set the practical objective of gaining 5 pounds of muscle mass throughout the next couple of months or to improve your bench weight 10 percent. Your exercises, your diet, your supplementation even your brain must be focused on this objective.
Anyone Know Some Good Fitness Tips? I’m really bad at running, and I would like to loose a few pounds, so I was wondering if anyone could give me some simple fitness tips? Just a simple fitness regime, please.
Avoid elevators and escalators,,
climb stairs,, walk long distances every single day.
hour of cardio at your target heart rate every day.
stretch properly afterwards or you wont want to come back tomorrow which blows the whole plan.
good luck
I Want To Lose A Few Kilos But Not A Heap, Dieting And Fitness Tips..? I weigh 58 kilos, and I don’t really want to lose too much weight, maybe 5 or 6 kilos, but I mostly just want to tone up. Do you know any dieting/fitness tips? I’m going to the gym 5 times a week, and on the days I’m not there I’m going for a run. Any tips on what to spend my time on at the gym? Thank you x
Dear Isy,
One thing you need to understand is that you have to work hard if you want to change the shape of your body. That means a balance of medium-high intensity cardio exercise along with challenging strength training workouts.
For weight loss, you’ll need to get about 5 cardio workouts each week at a medium-high intensity for at least 30 minutes. If you’re a beginner, it’s best to start slow and work your way up but, if you’re in good condition and have no restrictions, challenging yourself with harder workouts is the best way to burn more calories. Interval training is a good choice because studies show you continue to burn calories even after you’ve stopped exercising.
In addition to your cardio workouts, you’ll need to lift weights for all your muscle groups at least 2 non-consecutive days a week. And, by lifting weights, that means using enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps. For example, if you’re doing 12 bicep curls, you need to use enough weight that you can only do 12 bicep curls and not one more. Most people don’t lift enough weight to really challenge their muscles.
What you need to engage in is a well balanced all rounded diet with considerable physical exertion over a prolonged time period. Food can be broken down into 5 major groups. These groups are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals and water. The body needs varying amounts of these types of food so that the adequate amount of nutrients is supplied to the body. A well-balanced diet does not mean an equal amount of each type of food, as our body requires more of some nutrients than others.
Each type of food plays a significant role in our body but excesses or deficiencies of certain types of food can also harm the body and produce a negative impact on our health.
It is very important that we know how much of each type of food we are supposed to consume and that we eat in a sensible way. This means eating regular meals at “least” three times a day and drinking plenty of water, but what I would suggest is breaking it down to 5 smaller meals a day and having your last solid meal before 6pm after that you are only allowed to have pure low fat milk a mug or two would be a good idea to cut down on excessive cravings.
Hope this answers your question.