Most people who have successfully lost weight and maintained weight loss understand that to get fit you should have fun along the way.
Most of us want to get fit. There are lessons to be learned in life, work, relationships, and even working out.
Often we perceive more clearly once we’ve attained a goal or done a task. The adage “experience is the best teacher” appears to be accurate. No one claims, however, that you must have lived through the teaching moments in order to benefit from them. Indeed, individuals giving wisdom earned via their experiences can provide us with a plethora of information.
With that in mind, here are some workout, food, and lifestyle lessons learned from athletes, personal trainers, and average folks.
1. Don’t be afraid of muscle growth.
Many women feel that lifting weights is the only way to gain muscle. This simply is not the case.
Resistance training with bodyweight, resistance bands, and medicine balls is a great way to sculpt and reshape your body. You gain lean muscle as well as build bulk.
Starting a resistance training session three times a week is the best way to start reshaping your body. Consuming protein — in the form of a smoothie or a hard-boiled egg — within 45 minutes after finishing your workout is important. It helps you keep the muscle your body is building.
Boot camp programs can be helpful. Many are helpful for learning resistance training. Boot camps challenge their members to build lean muscle. They help them use a variety of functional tools and bodyweight exercises.
2. Make and stick to a plan to get fit.
The difference between someone who sets a New Year’s resolve to exercise and then quits and someone who keeps with it is having a strategy. “No one plans to fail, but they do fail to plan,” we’ve all heard.
Sticking to your plan is vital. When you promise to meet a friend at the gym every day, do it. If you promised yourself to have a short workout during your lunch break, keep your commitment. This helps you fulfill your workout goals on time.
3. Exercise with a goal.
Working out merely to be able to say you did it is great. However, it doesn’t provide much in the way of long-term motivation. It’s difficult to keep to an exercise routine if you don’t have a goal or a purpose for working out.
When it comes to making a lifestyle change, many women have a weight loss goal in mind. However, there are other benefits of an exercise regimen. There are benefits such as enhanced health, increased agility, coordination, and general fitness level.
Consider these when setting your fitness goals. In addition, they are concrete and serve as motivation to maintain a long-term workout routine.
4. Increase your fluid intake.
When you exercise more frequently, you require more fluids to restore the minerals and nutrients lost through sweat.
Yes, it’s good to work up a sweat while working out. Half coconut water and half water is a terrific combination drink that keeps you hydrated. The electrolytes in coconut water — or any other sports drink — helps hydrate your body. In addition, the water helps restore broken-down muscle mass.
Here’s a good rule of thumb for calculating how much water you need per day. Take your current weight, divide it in half. The result is the number of ounces you need to drink every day to stay hydrated. A 150-pound woman, for example, would need roughly 75 ounces of water each day.
5. Put cravings in their place.
Cravings often indicate a vitamin deficiency in your diet. In addition, it is perhaps a sign that you’re thirsty or exhausted.
If possible, sip a glass of water or take a nap before grabbing that cookie. Symptoms come in the form of cravings. This happens whenever your body is dehydrated or sleep-deprived.
6. Have fun. Get fit.
There’s no rule that says working out needs to be tedious.
Most personal trainers and everyday people who have successfully lost weight and maintained their weight loss understand that exercise should be enjoyable. Do something you enjoy and work out at the same time.
For example, Zumba is an excellent way to get your exercise fix if you enjoy dancing. An outdoor boot camp is for you if you want a tough workout. These programs include interval training and resistance activities.
Finally, don’t let your attempts to get fit, sculpt your physique and make long-lasting lifestyle improvements be derailed. Trial and error thinking gets in the way of success here. These pointers come from the experiences of many other people. In addition, we share them with you so you don’t have to go through all of the fitness traps that stymie your progress.
