1. Exercise Daily
Recommended minimum exercise levels for moderate health improvements are 20 minutes of exercise a week. But, if you want to be in shape, you will need to shoot for an hour of physical activity each day. You don’t need to kill yourself at the Lacrosse field but you will want to engage your body regularly. This could be a brisk walk for an hour. If you are feeling especially mighty, alternate between jogging and sprinting for a high intensity work out. Remember arch supports are essential for such activities. You will feel tired and strained muscles after a HIIT workout, but as long as you are not suffering in your physical activity you are doing well.
Make sure you are feeling good when you begin and keep yourself plenty hydrated. A balanced diet will be at the center of your physical exercise. Make sure you eat enough protein to maintain your muscle form and keep you from gaining excess fat. And keeping up with regular sleep is also important to have the energy for regular physical activity.
2. Eat the Right Foods and Portion Each Meal
Remember there is a huge difference between cravings and hunger. Your tummy will be begging for sweets, salty goodies and other tasty treats all day long. It may even fudge these cravings over to make them look like hunger. But, only healthy food will build the level of fitness you are looking for. Feeling hungry? Grab an apple that can keep you full for as long as 4 hours. Green veggies also do a great job of keeping the digestive system clean and functioning.
You will also want to choose those meats that are lean like chicken or turkey. Seafood is another source of healthy nutrition and fitness fuel, shrimp and tilapia are especially good choices. These foods are high in the healthy nutrients that support physical effort and the protein needed to fuel muscle growth. Furthermore, think appropriate portions. The right sized servings can do much to improve your metabolism which is important to losing weight the healthy way. Remember your balance of energy. If your body is still digesting your over-sized meals, you will have very little power for a healthy exercise. If needed, try eating 4 to 6 smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to 3 big meals.
3. Keep Track of Calories and Food Intake
There is no better way to fine tune your daily dietary intake and maximize your capacity for fitness than by taking careful note of everything you eat and even how you are feeling when you do. One important component of your daily food journal will be the calorie count. This is essential to losing weight and gaining muscle mass you need and comes down to the calories in your body. If you are getting more healthy calories than you need for daily exercise and output, you will gain weight. If you shoot for a calorie deficit, you will begin to lose weight slowly but surely.
4. Be Sure to Get Sleep
Most of us work over 8 hours a day, and many over 10. This means that it is essential to be supporting our waking cycles with plenty of high-quality sleep. The human body needs between 6-8 hours of sleep for good health. If you feel especially tired at any point in the day, treat yourself to a nap. But, never nap for more than 45-60 mins. Long naps will begin to mess with your nightly sleep habits.
5. Stay Motivated
Finally, support your fitness goals with a positive attitude and mindset. If you keep your health and fitness goals in sight, you will always have the motivation and desire to push onward to a life of fitness and health. If you make your fitness plan part of your enjoyable life, you will be more inclined to workout as your relaxation activity. The benefits of this frame of mind are invaluable to improving fitness levels.
