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 tenth and final installment of health and fitness tips:
VICTOR, Chief Wellness Officer
Find Fun Being Active
Stay active in a way that is fun to you, and just get moving in some way, shape, or form.
Reward Yourself
If you need to, establish ways that you will “reward” yourself for meeting a goal that is/was tough for you to accomplish.
Smaller Goals
Set small goals for yourself. Meet the “mini-milestones” you establish for yourself.
KARL SCHNELL, Certified Personal Trainer
Partner Up!
One of the best ways to keep you motivated towards your fitness goals is to find a partner. That way you can keep each other accountable.
Fitness Tracker
Start using a fitness tracker like a FitBit or an Apple watch. It will keep track of your fitness level for each day and even remind you when you haven’t been moving.
Set Goals and Write Them Down
After you do these, tape them to your computer or somewhere in your workspace so that you will see them through your day.
MICHAEL WOOD, Director, Michael Wood
HIIT Helps
Add 1-2 HIT training sessions in on the cardio side. Increase the speed for 30 seconds, then again at a faster pace for 20 seconds, finally, all-out for 10 seconds, recover and repeat.
Measure Your Steps
Buy or bring back that pedometer for 2017. Get an average step count. Try to progress by 500-1000 steps a week until you’re consistently getting 7,500-10,000 steps a week.
Nutrition is Key
Tie the two previous tips I mentioned with one simple nutritional tip to see those inches or body fat melt away: monitor added sugar. Women should take in <100 calories (or 25 grams) a day of added sugar and men should consume <150 calories (38 grams) a day of added sugar. Start by getting back into reading all food labels and begin to monitor your added sugar.
PHIL, Career and Executive Coach
Set Goals, and Stick to Them
Without clearly defined goals what are you trying to achieve this year? Take the time to sit down and plan out some weekly, monthly, and even annually.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Stepping outside of one’s comfort zone builds character, builds confidence, and helps us to achieve things we never thought possible.
Visualize and Believe in Yourself
Always dreamed of that perfect physique or setting a new personal best on a certain exercise? It’s time to start visualizing yourself doing it and believing in yourself, because you can do it.
JENNIFER KOTYLO, Movement Therapist and Body Awareness Specialist
Do Something, Anything!
If you don’t have time to “exercise” at least move. Wiggle, fidget, shake…
Start From Feet Upwards
Good movement starts from the ground up. Give yourself a foot massage – using your hands circle your ankles, bend your toes forward and back, and fold your feet up and down and in and out.
Loose Hips
To help keep your hips supple, don’t just walk forward. Take some sideways steps and some backwards step, which help put your hip joints through their entire range of motion.
CHELIZ RUBY, Weight Loss Coach
These fitness tips speak to me, and I hope they motivate you to keep living the healthy fit life.
No matter what, start the year with a good cleanse.
Don’t strive to be skinny, rather work towards being healthy and staying healthy.
Slowly but surely, the work you have put in will show.
OLIVIA FIGUEROA, Personal Trainer, Fitness Model and Blogger
Forgive Yourself
Don’t hold onto the things you didn’t get to or goals you didn’t quite achieve in the past. Keep your head forward, be positive and focus on the great things you can accomplish.
Set Goals and Hold Yourself Accountable
Write down weekly attainable goals, even something as small as drinking enough water each day. Every time you reach a goal it really helps motivate you to stay on track.
Keep Your Fitness Pals Close
Setting appointments for a healthy lunch or a great workout with a friend is so motivating. If you are someone who usually works out alone, having a fitness partner can help you.
AMIE HOFF, Fitness Consultant | Personal Trainer
The 3 things that get me up and moving when I have no desire to exercise (yes, it happens to use fitness professionals too!)
Short Term Goals
Tell myself I only have to go for 10 min. That’s it. Only once have I quit after 10 min. 99% of the time I get into the workout, break a sweat, the endorphins kick in and I keep going.
Write Down Excuses
If I am thinking of blowing off a workout, I make myself write down the reason(s). Not only does it help me address the reason, I tend to identify a pattern.
Get Outside
If I can do my warm up outside in the fresh air and preferable sunshine, my mood changes. The motivation I gain from even 5 min outdoors is enough to help me continue my workout.
CHARLES SLEDGE, Fitness Writer
Drink more water
Do more compound lifts
Focus on increasing the weight over all else
JARREL CUDJOE, Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert
Put the Past behind You
Forget about how you were lazy and unmotivated in the past, forget about all the late night snacks you had or unhealthy habits you may have acquired throughout your past.
Like Attracts Like
Surrounding yourself with a few people that are interested in reaching similar fitness goals as you is one of the easiest ways to be motivated.
Remember Your Goal
People are either afraid to take the first step or they take the first step and get discouraged at how long the journey is or they take the first step and and eventually end up getting stuck.
Final Thoughts about Workout Motivation Tips
So there you have it, workout motivation tips right from the experts!
After reading through all this, you realize that most of these experts aren’t talking about huge gains or throwing around heavy weights and strict diets. They are all talking about not being lazy and doing something just to get rid of those “zero” days. All you require is to watch your diet, and be consistent about working out. And never beat yourself up for those days when you are not able to give a 100%.
When it comes to workouts, you always have to think positive and plan for longstanding gains rather than the short game. Hopefully these workout motivation tips from the experts have given you the fuel to fire up those fitness goals. Work hard, play hard!
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