It’s getting to the end of January and it can be hard to keep up the high levels of motivation we all had at the start of the month. But fear not, it might not be as hard as you think!
Here are five simple things you can choose to do today, that will help on the road to achieving your health and fitness goals.
- Drink water – after the weekend, especially if you had alcohol, or if you were just out and about you will need to hydrate your body. Aim for 2.5 – 3.5L per day depending on levels of activity. If you find it hard to drink water – add flavour with slices of lemon, lime, berries, oranges, cucumber, mint. Set reminders on your phone if you tend to forget.
- Sleep – rest and recovery is just as important as exercise. You need sleep. You can’t function properly without it. Sleep is vital for health, and specifically, for fat loss. If you do not get enough sleep you will reduce your insulin sensitivity and increase inflammation in the body. Do yourself a favour and put away all electronic devices about 40min – 1 hour before sleep. Try not to watch TV. Turn off room lights – light candles if you want. Make sure your room is as dark as possible. No caffeine after late afternoon. And give belly breathing a go before you sleep.
- Eat protein with every meal – From talking to clients in PFP gym, I know that getting the required levels of protein into the body everyday can be hard. So, try to be mindful of eating protein with every meal – eggs, meat, protein shake, dairy. Make it a priority.
- Meditate – meditating for even a few minutes a day is a great way to counteract the stresses of daily life. There are load of apps that you can download to meditate. Focus on breathing – breathe in through the nose, deep into the stomach, hold for five seconds and exhale through the mouth, pushing out every bit air.
- Move – move as often as you can. Stand up from the desk every half hour and take a two-minute walk, have a stretch and move your body. Go for a walk or run, do a gym class or yoga class, go for a cycle or hike, play sport, dance – put on the music and dance at home – do whatever you enjoy but make sure that you move!
The main thing with any goal, especially a health and fitness goal, is to make small steps everyday towards it. Aim for consistent progress over perfect progress. If you consistently move towards your goal, you will get there – no doubt about it!
As always, feel free to get in touch – I’m very happy to answer any questions you may have
