Never let your circumstances be a weight that pulls you down; use them to be a weight that helps you develop your strengths.The sad reality of society today is many of us to start exercising and eating well; we want to join the gym, eat healthier and look good. One of the major problems I have heard many complain of is how expensive it is to join a gym. Girls like myself, who want to train and exercise in female only environments, find it even more difficult given the limited places there are available that offer this service. Many of us have loads of commitment: work, kids, school, and university. It is not always feasible to find time to travel and pay for an expensive gym to work out. We often see motivational quotes telling us to be more productive with our time; productivity does not mean the day will have more than 24 hours!
I have come up with 10 easy ways to build up habits that will
add to your fitness. These are great for those who are starting out their
fitness journey and are equally beneficial to those who want to develop a fit
lifestyle outside of the gym! All are feasible, easy and on a budget. Pick one
each week or fortnight and develop it slowly into your way of life! Let me know
what you choose and how you get on!
10 Tips to get into tip, top
shape!
1. Change of route!
If you are one of those people who takes a bus to work or
school, why not walk instead? If not to and fro, maybe just on your way home.
If the journey is too far to do this, perhaps get off a few stop earlier so you
get a 5-10 minute walk out. Gradually build it up so you are getting off
earlier each fortnight to help increase the amount of walking you do. Equally,
be honest with yourself if you are a driver; do you really need to drive to the
corner shop or cinema or post office? Save the petrol and kill some calories!
2. Stairs vs. lift!
Do not be that person who takes the lift/ elevator for one
floor! Walk the stairs regardless of what you are carrying and how many floors
you are going up (though if you are carrying a piano, I think the lift is a
valid means of transport!). This is a great bit of exercise that does not
require much effort; sometimes the time it takes me to wait for the lift at
university, I could have walked up and down the stairs 5 times!
3. Do your chores!
Turn those daily chores into a workout! Give yourself a set time
for cleaning the whole kitchen or bathroom without taking any rest. Sprint your
way through washing the car; set a personal best and aim to break it each time.
Never forgetting the actual cleaning part of course!
4. Do a good deed!
So many of us have elderly neighbours, often whom live on their
own. In conjunction with number 3, offer to do their cleaning, gardening or
shopping for them. If you have no elderly neighbours, offer to babysit for your
family and friends. Kids do nothing but keep you on your toes. Do a good deed
and crop that waist line!
5. Fit-alise!
Maybe not my best invented word, but use some of your
social activities as a form of exercise. If you have a games console, buy games
that require you to get up and be on your feet [would insert examples if I was
a games geek, evidently not!]. This is a great way of bring social interaction
and exercise together. Get your children, partner, siblings or friends on
board!
6. Home sweet home!
There are loads of workouts that can be found on youtube – easy,
simple and suitable for beginners.This is great for those who want to save on
money or have not got a suitable gym near them. One of my favourites is Fitness Blender; check them out and see what you
think. It is also a good idea to invest in some basic home exercise essentials,
such as a stability ball and exercise mat, to push your exercise one step
further. Start of with simple workouts that you can easily fit into your
schedule and build on that.
7. Multitask!
We really are busy people and, on some occasions, can not find
enough time for a full workout. Sometimes, I do 3 sets of 10 squats in my
kitchen whilst I am waiting for my eggs to boil. In the adverts between
your favourite TV show, do continuous jumping jacks. For each shirt and
trousers you iron, do 5 push ups. Blending in your exercise with daily
activities can make it easier to make exercise workouts seem less daunting and
time consuming. A mansion is not built in one day; slow progress is better than
none.
8. The great outdoors!
Our best gym is indeed free. Become a lover of the outdoors and
go for a run or walk in your local park. If you have any interesting walking
trails or hikes in your local area or somewhere easy to get to, do it! Organise
a day trip with friends to places further out – another great way to fit-alise!
9. Car park tragedy!
Those who drive are lucky – no smelly armpits on the train or
bus. Though, amongst drivers there is a deep desire to have the parking spot
closest to their destination. STOP! Inconvenience yourself and park the
furthest away you can. Force yourself to walk with your 10 bags of shopping to
the corner of the car park. Sweat off the calories before you even eat them!
10. Back to class!
Look for local fitness classes – zumba, yoga, gymnastics,
karate, kickboxing. Find groups that go different sports. There are so many
different activities you could be part of; be active, be cool and get involved!
Final, important words: Do things
you enjoy, be happy and don’t push yourself too far. The body has limits, know
yourself and build from there! Though looking at other people’s achievements is
great for motivation, be balanced in how you take things on board; do not
belittle yourself due to other people’s success and do not pressure yourself to
obtain the same. Enjoy your fitness journey and take small steps to build
sustainable habits! Also, have fun :)
Post a Comment
I love hearing from all of you and greatly appreciate all your feedback and comments! xx Kristen