Ways to keep your fitness on track in 2020
New year, new resolutions – this has been the trend since time immemorial. Whilst some pledge to more world travel and increased family time, fitness invariably features in the majority of new year resolutions. Whether its a commitment to lose weight or eat more fruit, a healthy lifestyle is certainly not difficult to achieve with a few simple tools to keep your fitness on track.
Maintain a diet journal
Your personal fitness tracker could be electronic or handwritten – whatever fits your needs and more importantly, is something you see yourself sticking to in the long term. A journal is a great way to record your eating habits and identify gaps in your diet. Recording your daily diet represents an honest account of what you actually eat – so the additional midnight snacks and the deficiency of vegetables does not go unnoticed. For the more tech-savvy, there are apps available on the App Store such as My Fitness Pal and MyPlate, that help you with this.
Create an exercise calendar
Any form of exercise is an essential part of commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Deciding when to exercise and what form of exercise to do in advance (for example at the start of the week) helps avoid last-minute laziness. Creating a clear outline for the week ahead allows you to make time for exercise, no matter how hectic your schedule might be. It is also useful to dedicate days for certain forms of exercise – for example, deciding days purely for “upper body exercise” or resistance training.
Invest in a fitness gadget
With the technological revolution, there are several devices available in the market that are great for tracking how much exercise you fit into a day. The classic Fitbit device will help you work towards 10,000 steps a day – a great gadget for people who love walking. For a more stylish device, the Apple watch is a worthy investment as it enables syncing with the iPhone.
Workout with a fitness buddy
A workout partner is a time-tested, foolproof way of ensuring you get your workout. Working out with a friend or a partner increases your motivation to exercise and can also allow you to get creative with your workout (the Internet is full of workout buddy videos including a range of exercises from yoga to weight training).
Enroll in a fitness class
The variety of fitness classes available is testament to the fitness-conscious 21st century. Join a class that sparks your interest for fun – this could be a pilates class or something you have never tried before (Tai Chi or aqua aerobics). There are often a host of free trial classes available before you commit to extra sessions, so dipping your feet into a new kind of workout is definitely worth a try.
Buy workout gear
Another proven way to boost your motivation when it comes to working out daily is a selection of gym clothes. From embellished yoga leggings to athletic jackets, a range of sport wear helps you feel your best and gives you that extra push you need to go to the gym.
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Cover photo: Photo by kike vega on Unsplash