Health And Fitness

So you want to get in shape? Great! Getting in shape and staying in shape requires dedication, commitment, and hard work, but the rewards are worth it. Not only will you improve your body, you’ll feel better mentally, too—you’ll have more energy, feel less stressed out, and have more confidence as well. And there are so many ways to get into shape these days—p90x, Insanity Workout, group fitness classes at your local gym or community center—that there’s no excuse not to give it a try and stick with it until you start seeing results!

Before you start

Planning your diet is the first step in being healthy. If you want to work out and eat healthy, it's important that you know how many calories a day you need, which nutrients are most beneficial for you, how much exercise a day is good for you, how many times a week you should workout or exercise, etc. You can plan your diet according to what type of person you are: vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian. Plan ahead of time what types of food groups will be best for the type of person you are! 

For those who cannot afford expensive gym memberships or diets with healthy foods like broccoli and asparagus at Whole Foods, do not worry! Exercise does not have to be expensive and healthy food does not have to be hard to find. There are ways for you to exercise at home or on the go, which don't require any equipment or much space. Jogging around the block one mile takes about 20 minutes - just enough time to get your heart rate up while avoiding spending money on an expensive gym membership! There are also plenty of supermarkets where you can buy pre-made items with low amounts of sugar, such as apples and bananas. They're easy to take with you when you're running errands and they provide energy throughout the day. Another great way to stay energized is by doing 30 squats every morning before breakfast! They help keep your blood sugar levels stable without having to worry about crash effects from high-sugar snacks or drinks. These are all simple steps that anyone can take towards living a healthier lifestyle! The more research you do, the more excited you'll be to start! Find someone who has experienced similar obstacles to yours and talk to them. Once you've created your personalized list of goals, make sure you set deadlines for yourself so that you don't lose motivation too quickly. Remember: starting anything new is difficult but sticking with it can bring amazing results! You don't have to spend lots of money to stay healthy. With some preparation and dedication, eating right doesn't have to break the bank and staying active doesn't need fancy equipment. What are you waiting for? Take these tips into consideration now so that you can live a healthier life later!

Find a workout buddy

Working out is a great way to stay healthy and in shape. But the key, especially if you're new to fitness, is finding someone who will keep you motivated. Studies show that people who work out with a partner have higher rates of participation than those who work out alone—which is exactly what you need in order to get fit! Make sure that your workout buddy shares your same goal-oriented attitude, so that they're as invested in helping you succeed as you are in helping them succeed. When it comes to working out together, there are no hard rules about what you should do or how often you should do it. Just make sure that you both feel comfortable with whatever plan you decide on and stick to it! It might take some trial and error to find a workout routine that works for both of you, but once you find one, the results will be worth it. Once you've found your workout buddy, set up a schedule where each person knows when they'll be exercising with their partner (so nobody feels left out). Set weekly goals for yourselves (say weight loss goals) and monitor your progress. It can also help to track everything from reps completed during workouts to calories consumed by using an app like MyFitnessPal. 

It can also help to track everything from reps completed during workouts to calories consumed by using an app like MyFitnessPal. You'll never know what impact tracking has until you try it yourself! Plus, don't forget to check in with your exercise buddy every now and then. If either of you starts feeling discouraged, encourage each other instead of giving up. Remember that the two of you chose this journey together, and nothing can stop you from achieving your goals - not even difficult times. The truth is that every journey takes time - but yours doesn't have to be long if you focus on getting started today!

Choose an app

My favorite fitness app is Fitocracy. It breaks everything down into manageable, doable chunks, it tracks your workout and diet, it has a great community built around healthy living and fitness, which is so important when trying to keep you motivated. Fitocracy works as a video game of sorts, where you earn experience points for completing each work out or achieving specific fitness goals. That keeps me interested in the app when I may feel like giving up. Additionally the friends I have made on Fitocracy keep me motivated even more- because if I can’t exercise that day then they need my help too! And we all know motivation comes from others just as much as it does from within yourself. You want people who will hold you accountable and remind you why your doing this in the first place. You want people who are right there with you when the days get tough and are willing to be there for encouragement, commiseration, and some laughs. The great thing about Fitocracy is that anyone can post an update with their workouts - what they did, how long it took them (or how many calories they burned), etc. If someone has been struggling with a particular area of their body or needs tips on how to stay motivated or needs anything else really - this community becomes such an invaluable resource. The accountability helps us keep at our goals while also encouraging one another not only through words but by deeds. For example, if someone posts that they haven't exercised yet today, the replies to them might include I'll join you! or don't give up! On the other hand, it's also easy to find those moments when you're feeling good about yourself. Some days I'll go for 10 mile run and beat my previous record time and then write about it. Other times I'll finish a set of 100 pushups without stopping. There's something special about sharing these moments with others and knowing that they're celebrating with you rather than feeling envious or competitive. When I take a break from Fitocracy for awhile, I always miss that sense of community and camaraderie. But now I'm back to being more active in the group again and it feels wonderful. I've found myself going on runs during my lunch break at work and getting excited about the fact that I get to come home after a stressful day and still complete a set of 300 crunches. We recently had our first major snowstorm here in New York City, which meant no running outside for me. So instead I went onto the treadmill and got my cardio fix inside. Granted I was able to log 300 miles worth of walking/running in December but...I still missed running outside! That's when the Fitocracy group helped motivate me to start up running indoors again, thanks especially to Dave who was never afraid to tell me how much he misses seeing my updates during winter months. I am so grateful for Fitocracy and the community that it has provided me. I am stronger, more focused, healthier, and happier as a result of this app. The best part is that the benefits to my life extend far beyond my health and fitness goals. I genuinely enjoy interacting with the community on Fitocracy and spending my free time with people who share in my love of healthy living.

Change your lifestyle, not your body

The bottom line is this; if you're unhappy with the way you look, make a change. And don't get wrapped up in thinking you need to make drastic lifestyle changes overnight; learn what small lifestyle tweaks will help you achieve your fitness goals. It may take months of working toward them every day, but every little bit counts. These are just some of the small things that have helped me start on my journey to better health. 

1) Get moving - I start my morning off by doing about 30 minutes of light cardio (I usually walk around my block). I also try to do some type of physical activity for at least 30 minutes three times per week. 

2) Eat more fruits and vegetables - Every single meal I eat has fruit or vegetables in it! They are so important for our bodies' health because they give us vitamins and minerals we can't live without. Some days I have both a fruit for breakfast, a vegetable as lunch, and then maybe another vegetable as dinner! I know that it sounds like a lot, but I find when I'm really hungry after work and all I want to do is eat unhealthy food, these foods make me feel full longer. The best part? My body feels great afterwards! When people say you are what you eat, they really mean it. 

3) Drink lots of water - Water does so much for your body! Aside from being an important part of our diets, drinking enough water can actually reduce cravings for sugar and unhealthy foods. There's nothing like starting the day off right with lots of cold water poured over ice in a big glass pitcher :) 4) Try new activities - You don't have to be good at something from the beginning. As long as you're trying new things, anything is possible! For example, I love yoga now and am getting pretty good at it. If you think you might be interested in joining a group class or going out dancing, go for it! Doing something different than your usual routine could inspire new ways of staying healthy.

5) Stay active throughout the day - I've learned how important it is to stay active throughout the day instead of sitting down most of the time! Whether it's getting up to stretch or walking around the office while talking on the phone, there are plenty of ways to keep your blood flowing and avoid those bad habits that come with sitting for too long. 6) Find time for yourself - It sounds silly, but sometimes people forget themselves! Put aside some me time in your daily schedule where you can relax and reflect on everything you accomplished during the day. I usually meditate before bed each night. Sure, it takes 10-15 minutes out of my evening routine, but sometimes a person needs to set aside their worries for a little while before continuing their journey forward into tomorrow.

Never Give Up

A few months ago, I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath. This past Thanksgiving, I ran the US Marine Corps Marathon. When people ask me what changed, my answer is usually I just started running. And that's true -- it wasn't until I committed to taking at least one run every day that my health turned around for the better. The experience has been amazing so far, but like any new endeavor, there have been some challenges along the way. It was difficult getting back into shape after years of neglecting exercise and paying attention to nutrition. At first, I found myself too sore from running every day to do much else in the evening; even basic tasks like showering or cooking dinner left me exhausted! But now I've learned how to balance a rigorous workout routine with the other aspects of life that make life worth living (which includes eating well). 

I'm still amazed by how much progress I've made since starting this journey less than six months ago; it makes all those days where nothing seemed to go right worth it because they helped lead me here today. Nowadays, when I start thinking about quitting, I think about everything that could be lost if I don't keep going--my happiness, my friends and family, the sense of accomplishment--and it helps me get through another mile on the treadmill. If you're just beginning your fitness journey as well, remember that you can always turn things around if you give yourself time to grow. Trust me, once you see the changes in your body and mind, it'll all be worth it. Good luck! Your next step is to find an activity that suits your current level of fitness. For example, someone who's never exercised before might want to try walking 30 minutes each day while listening to their favorite music or audiobook while someone who exercises regularly might want to add intervals on the elliptical machine two times per week. Finally, choose a buddy- either someone who wants to lose weight like you do or someone who enjoys working out more than you do- and sign up for an event together! Exercise should be something fun rather than something tedious - this will help motivate both of you and make sure nobody gives up midway through.

Reward yourself

If you're just starting out on your journey to health and fitness, you might find that the way your body responds initially is discouraging. But don't let this discourage you! Push through it, stay diligent in your routine, and trust that with time your body will start feeling better. You'll never be able to see how much progress you make if you quit or become discouraged. One day at a time, one meal at a time, one workout at a time-every step of the way counts. Set small goals for yourself so you can feel accomplished when achieving them. Find someone who shares the same lifestyle as you and work together to stay motivated. Join an online community where likeminded people share their experiences, struggles, advice, and encouragement with each other. Post photos of your journey on social media-nothing inspires others more than seeing their own personal success reflected back at them. As you push through those first few months, take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods full of nutrients, finding activities that bring joy into your life outside of working out (like reading books), avoiding temptation by taking inventory before entering any store (i.e., grocery store), and keep looking forward to living a healthier life once these difficult days are over! Remember that every step of the way counts and everything worth doing takes time. Keep going, because it won't happen overnight. You are not alone; there are many others going through the same things you are and would love to encourage you. Know that there is no such thing as failure - only lessons learned. The only person holding you back from anything is yourself. And the best part about taking control of your life? It's free. All you have to do is decide that today, right now, is the day. The key to success lies within our decisions and dedication to change-not something external like money or opportunity. So decide what kind of life you want and then go get it!