Garage Gym Planner, a site that offers popular expert-curated reviews about fitness equipment, interviewed the country’s leading health and fitness experts to get their advice to get and stay healthy and fit. Here is our sixth installment of health and fitness professionals’ tips for fitness:
LEE SUTHERLAND, Director, Fitness in the City
Stay Strong, Stay Consistent
Stop with the diet, stop with binge exercising for a week. Just do something for you daily.
Fitness Every Day
Move your body daily – whether it’s a good sweat or strengthen session, a simple stretch in the morning or a walk around the block at lunch just get in the habit of moving every day.
Enjoy Fitness
Live!! Enjoy what you do!! Move in ways you love so you actually do it. Don’t force yourself to eat kale if you have it, there is plenty of other greens out there.
CHRISTIAN FINN, Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert
Forget About Motivation
The problem with motivation is that it comes and it goes. Some days, the sun is out and you feel unstoppable. On other days the opposite is true. Develop HABITS.
Focus on the System
The traditional advice on goal setting goes something like this: Set a specific goal, such as losing 20 pounds of fat or gaining 10 pounds of muscle. Then set yourself a deadline.
Jump Right In
It’s tempting to think that you need to wait until you “know it all” before getting started on a particular diet or exercise program. It’s just another form of procrastination. Just do it!
ANITA PERRY, Author and Blogger
Accept Change
Acknowledge and accept change-change in your body, change in your relationships, and change in your career. Know that you have the power within to become a better you.
Find Your Goals
Set an intention to be healthier. Once you set an intention and send it out into the universe, you have set the ball the rolling. Follow through by making a plan for your eating and movement.
Be Positive
Surround yourself with positivity, cut out the negativity. Sometimes we hold on because it is convenient but not in our best interest. Keep what serves you and your goals, discard the rest.
JILL KNAPP, Diabetes Advocate, American Diabetes Association
Schedule Your Workouts
We are all so busy. But if our workouts are scheduled into our day we will get it done Making our health a priority will put exercise on the forefront of our minds.
Make Fitness Goals and Stick to Them!!
Make effective fitness goals. Many join gyms and many stick with it for a short period of time. Make your goal a 3 to 6 month goal. It takes time to see results especially when starting out.
Take the Time to Create a Vision Board
This can be done with friends or family. Cut out pictures and words that inspire you. Create it the way that will help you achieve your fitness goals.
JUSTIN GRINNELL, Owner, State Of Fitness
To truly be motivated you have to understand the why. You have to know what fitness really means to you. It ca not just be about lifting weights, sets, reps, building muscle and losing fat. So, I ask each one of my clients these questions that are essentially tips.
Find What Fitness Means to You
Is it just looking good? Are you doing it for your spouse? Fat loss? For me it is being able to do the things I want to do in a productive manner. Find your motivation rather than just numbers.
Habit-Based Goals
Take one goal each month and master it and move onto the next one. After you master 4, revisit and repeat. Adding protein, veggies, nutrient-dense food are some examples.
Move!
Lastly, set 10-minutes aside each day to move. It doesn’t matter what it is. Walking, swinging a kettle-bell or playing with your kids. Just move every day and watch the magic happen.
Kathy Gruver
KATHY GRUVER, Motivational Health Speaker
Find Routines You Like
Make sure your exercise/physical activity is something that really zings you. If you don’t like what you are doing, you aren’t going to make the time to even show up.
Have Defined Targets
Set goals as to what you want to get out of the activity. Weight loss, stress reduction, competition, overall fitness, strength, or flexibility, whatever it is, know it so you can reach for it.
Remind Yourself
That you are doing this for YOU. You deserve to be on your to do list. It is not a bad thing to take time away from kids, family, work, whatever to make sure you are healthy. This is important.
AMIRA LAMB, NASM Personal Trainer, Master Instructor, and Creator of My Hot Body Project
Keep It Exciting
People can get bored with almost anything if they don’t seek out new challenges, skills and experiences.
Challenge Yourself
There are a lot of 30 day challenges these days. Some are better than others. I recommend choosing one by an experienced and certified fitness professional.
Gain New Experiences
A new experience might be a new class at a gym or something totally out of your norm like an aerial silks class, partner yoga, or combat training.
KEVIN CHRISTIE, Chiropractic Physician & Ergonomic Assessment Specialist
Fitness First
Always place fitness as the priority in your day that you have chosen to work out. Don’t place other activities as a priority for that day.
Eat Healthy
The healthier you eat, the more likely you will be to get activity and exercise as a priority in your life.
Consider Group Fitness
Build camaraderie with your peers. This will give you a sense of teamwork and accountability. Accountability partners can be instrumental in maintaining your exercise program.
VICTORIA GARCIA DRAGO, Yoga Instructor/Trainer & Mind Body Connection Expert
Get a Calendar
Write your monthly goals (as opposed to yearly ones). Write it down and check with your goal/goals at least once every month.
Vary Your Exercise Routine
Partner up with a buddy, sign up for a class and challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone a little bit (in a tolerable way) every time. Keep it interesting and exciting for you.
Work Out With Your Mind and Body As One
To add mindfulness all you need is your full undivided attention to your breath. As you stay mindful through your workouts, you’ll notice how great it feels to get the body moving.
JESSICA MATTHEWS, Senior Advisor For Health and Fitness Education
Keep Your “Why” Front Of Mind
One way to fuel fitness motivation is to hone in on your personal reasons for being active. Whether your objective is to lose weight, decrease stress or increase your energy levels.
Enjoy the Experience
Finding a form of movement that you enjoy is crucial to maintaining your motivation, as the more enjoyment the activity brings, the more likely you are to adhere to a regular routine.
Be Flexible In Your Approach
Flexibility is important not just physically, but also mentally. People assume that in order to be fit they have to commit to spending at least 60 minutes a day performing workouts.
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