4 Tips for Getting Fit

4 Tips for Getting Fit pexels.com Well, there are countless blogs, workout videos, apps, healthy recipes, etc. to make us all lose our minds a little bit when it comes to fitness. It’s very easy to become overwhelmed with it all, give up, and turn to a bowl of popcorn and some candy and call it a day. Unfortunately, we’re running out of time. Quickly. So with that in mind, it’s time to take action and achieve those results we’ve all been patiently waiting on the couch for the abs fairies to deliver. According to a  recent article  on NBC news by Bayer Consumer Health, there are four steps that we can all take. 1. “Get Your Nutrients” According to Bayer, hunger can be cured by something as simple as a spoonful of peanut butter. It’s very easy to turn to processed foods for a quick snack, but as a general rule, if there are more than a few ingredients in the food you’re eating (i.e. there’s a list of ingredients, half of which you can’t pronounce) don’t eat it. Junk food is not good for you, so try to avoid it as much as possible. In general, stick to the 80-20 rule: have 80 percent of your diet be made of healthy calories and 20 percent can be for those cravings/unhealthy items. Also, if utilizing vitamins, be sure to use them in addition to your healthy eating, not as the sole source of vitamins. In other words, a healthy diet is key to your workout plan, whether you want it to be or not, so the more healthy food you’re putting into your body, the better. To avoid temptation, remove all junk food from your house. Laziness typically wins out and if the food isn’t directly in front of you, you aren’t likely going to seek it out when you’re surrounded by healthy alternatives. 2. “Work Harder for Less Time” Circuit training, or “short, high-effort bursts followed by short periods of active recovery,” is the best way to achieve results. So don’t plan out a full, hour-long workout where you’re running or using one machine, but instead, incorporate several different components for about a minute each. While in total, you aren’t going to be spending nearly as much time working out (it’ll probably cut your workout in half), it’s going to be more effective in the long run. This is really good news for all of us, as the less time we can spend in the gym, the better. So get those workouts in, shower, and enjoy some Netflix. Win-Win. 3. “Count Up, Not Down” Many individuals set a number for themselves. For instance, some workout routines start you out at 10 pushups, 10 sit ups and 10 squats. However, this isn’t a true baseline measure. Instead, time yourself for one minute and see how many of each you can do. Record that number. For the final minute, do a plank. Use as many moves as you want and set up a daily routine to do in the morning, at night, or during your lunch break. You can try to improve your numbers every day, truly giving yourself room for progress. As another tip, don’t count up when doing any reps  but count down instead. Countdowns are more likely to motivate you in your workout. 4. “Train Legs to Get Abs” Show of hands, how many of you skip leg day? You aren’t alone. Leg day is skipped by many individuals, simply because it’s too hard or because we don’t seem to care so much about our legs and instead want results in more noticeable places, like our arms and abs. However, leg training is perhaps the most important. Leg workouts tend to burn the most calories, as you’re working the largest muscle group in your body, and many leg workouts also happen to target your abs. Two birds, one stone. All four of these tips are great to keep in mind when putting together your daily workout routine and when hitting the kitchen for some meal prep or quick snacks. Unfortunately, it’s important that we all understand good health doesn’t come easy it takes hard work and dedication, both in the kitchen and in the gym. So put down the bag of MMs, grab some gym shoes, and get to work! Swimsuit season is just around the corner, and at least one of us needs to be ready for it!