Fitness Articles

Easy Fitness Tips

You and I both know there is so much conflicting information about fitness out there -- heck, even the news reports can't make up their minds

Margarine is better than butter. No, butter is better than margarine. Coffee is bad for you. Wait, coffee can help you. Wine can help prevent heart disease. No, wine can promote breast cancer. WHICH IS IT?!


1. Move it or lose it (the no-brainer). 30 minutes of exercise daily. I'm not talking about a walk in the park, although you can do that on the side. I mean at least 30 minutes (up to 60) of pushing your body beyond what it's used to doing. I can just imagine some of you frowning, thinking that you must put yourself through some torturous workouts. Not at all.
Slash your odds for a number of killer diseases and rev up your metabolism with aerobic conditioning and strength training and slow down (or reverse, to an extent) the aging process.

2. Stop putting up with stuff that's holding you back from being healthy, fit, and energized. Why waste your happiness, health, time, and energy when you don't need to in the first place?
Putting up with things is good for no one. Make a list of ten things you're tolerating at home. TAKE ACTION NOW. STOP COMPLAINING and get to work on this.

3. Fruits and veggies. Get five to seven servings of fruits and veggies a day. Not only do they reduce your risk of getting some forms of cancer, they are heart healthy, and give you more nutrition-bang for your money. Plus with the added fiber, you feel fuller even when you're eating less. So fruits and veggies are waistline-friendly.

4. Get your Zzzzz's. Depriving yourself of sleep (okay, I'm guilty of this, too) not only makes you grumpy and less productive but may also age you prematurely and promote serious illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. Shoot for a steady 7-8 hours each night.

5. Come from a better place - improve your attitude. Stop trying to change your behavior. Instead, start shifting on the inside.
Saying things like, "I will stop eating sugar," "No eating after 7 PM," "I will only eat foods that nourish me," or "I am going to work out daily, starting Monday," the focus is on what you want/need to change.

6. Feed your body well, and feed it often. If you want plenty of energy in addition to boosting your metabolism, 2 meals a day just won't do it. Spread your meals throughout the day (3-4), balance them with protein, fruits and veggies, and a little bit of good fats such as walnuts or almonds, or oils like olive or sunflower, and your body will be a well-oiled, leaner, energized, peak-performing machine.

7. Drink your water! Drink at least eight glasses of water a day - even a slight dehydration can make you feel lethargic.

* BONUS FEEL-GOOD TIP *

8. Raise your standards. How many of you would like to feel very, very good about yourself, and others, too? Be irresistibly attractive to high quality people? Have "high-as-a-kite" self-esteem and self-worth?