It’s easy to get lost in the midst of fitness and nutrition offerings nowadays. Every day a new trend is born – follow this Keto diet, join this new Sculpt programme, calculate your fat-burning hearth rate…
But does fitness have to be that complicated? Amid all this noise, we often overlook what works best. It’s too simple. Too obvious.
The most successful lifestyles might not be sexy but they are simple. They often involve incorporating the most simple habits into our every day life in a consistent sustainable way.
So let’s just simplify things. Because no matter who you are or what you do, we believe there are some simple rules that can guide your fitness journey. And it doesn’t need to be complicated.
Top 10 Simple Habits You Can Start Today
Let’s be honest. Simple doesn’t mean easy. If you are serious about improving your lifestyle, you need to be consistent and committed to make these guidelines work for you.
Once you do this, you can truly enjoy the power and effectiveness of your new lifestyle. Ready? Here we go!
- Move Every Day
Exercise is by far the most important, transformational lifestyle habit there is. It leads to positive changes across every arena of life. Our body should move at least 15-30 minutes per day. The quality of movement is also important. Don’t prioritise quantity over quality. Check in with a coach regularly to correct your posture and technique, don’t leave it to too late. - Take Rest Days
And recovery is the most underestimated habits of all. Yet, it can make a huge difference in your active days. If you recover and rest properly, you will feel so much more energised during the next day’s workout. Rest also means “active recovery” such as hiking, walking, swimming, yoga…as long as you heart rate is not pushed to extremes. You can choose to actively recover also during gym days. Instead of concentrating on intensity, make sure you focus on moving well but slower. - Warm Up & Cool Down
Other two overlooked aspects of fitness. Warm up and cool down properly at all times. We mean it! Whether you follow your coach’s instructions or you are getting ready for your run, get yourself warm by mimicking the same movements you would do in the workout/run without weight or intensity. After working out, stretch those sore muscles, take time to cool down your body and bring down your heart rate. Appreciate what your body has just been through. - Be More Playful
Take your fitness seriously and work hard. However, always do it with a smile on your face! Fitness doesn’t have to become a compulsion nor a stressful race to be the best at all times. Add in some play and fun, take a friend along your class and have a laugh together, accept your “no” moments and don’t overdo it. Challenging is good, stressful is not! - Apply Fitness to Other Areas of Life
Fitness can be anything everywhere. Getting stronger and fitter at the gym is great. Now it’s time to apply your improved fitness to other areas of life.It can be anything from a new fitness activity (a new sport, a half marathon, a multi-day hike…) to everyday’s chores (take the stairs instead of the elevator, carry your grocery in only one go, feel less tired when cleaning the house…). - You Are Unique
As human beings we sometimes tend to take everything as a competition against others, putting our body and mind under unnecessary stress. However, your fitness journey is your fitness journey.Everyone is unique and has their unique strengths and weaknesses. Don’t fall into the comparison trap! Work towards your unique goals and enjoy your unique journey. - Learn From Experts
Do-It-Yourself might work until a certain point. After that, everyone needs a coach, a friend, a teacher to improve further.Listen and learn from people more experienced than yourself, whether it’s your coach at the gym or your nutritionist or your physiotherapist or your yoga instructor…We need other people in order to grow. So be open to learn every day. - Get Outside
The more you can be outside exposed to fresh air and sunlight, the better your mindset will be. Try to challenge your body more by getting outside. Hiking, running, walking are great for this.So don’t frown next time you see a 800m run in the workout. Rain or shine, your body and mind will rejoice afterwards! - Eat Well
Too often we hear we should follow that strict diet to loose those extra pounds or getting more muscly. Again, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Keep your nutrition simple.Focus on eating more vegetables, avoid processed food and added sugars, and drink plenty of water. The more consistent you can be in your nutrition habits, the more positive changes you will see in your body and lifestyle.Remember, it’s simple, not easy. You will have “no” days, so it’s important you accept them and keep going. - Sleep Well
Make sleep a priority to let your body heal and rejuvenate. A good approach is 7 to 9 hours. Also, allow yourself some wind-down time and a pre-bed routine to help get more consistent sleep every night. As with exercise and nutrition, it’s about quality, not quantity. Try meditation and avoid exposure to computers or phones before bed time.
Grow and Learn Every Day
As with any top ten list, broad generalisations guarantee imperfection. YOU are unique, so is your fitness journey.
We recommend you to focus on what works best for YOU and only start with one or two habits at a time.
And always remember to ask for help if it’s too hard. We need other people in order to grow and learn every day.