There’s a reason why neighbourhood gyms are always packed in the first week of the new year. Getting in shape tops the list of new year’s resolutions for most of us, but how many of us actually achieve those goals?
Let 2019 be the best year ever for your bod and get moving with these simple tips and tricks!
What people need the most in their fitness journey is to just get out there and start moving, and most often than not, finding a community provides that boost of motivation to get things done.
A 2016 study found that overweight people tend to lose more weight when spending time with fitter friends. Another study found that when starting a weight-loss program, 95% of those who started with friends completed the program compared to a 76% completion rate for those who embarked on the program alone. Bonus benefits? Those who started with friends were also 42% more likely to maintain their weight loss.
Working out with a group provides motivation and a sense of accountability, making you less likely to skip a workout day.
It’s easy to set lofty goals on the lines of “I want to lose X amount in a month!”, but getting fit is a marathon, not a sprint. Starting with small goals ensure that you won’t get discouraged. So if you wanna run a 5k eventually, start out with brisk walking and progress on to slow jogs.
We love the Couch to 5k, a running planning plan available on iOS and Andriod to help beginners get into fitness. The 9-week plan involves a 20 – 30-minute workout, 3 days a week with rest days between each day. The workouts scale up over time to keep you feeling challenged and to help you improve your fitness levels as well.
Meal prepping is an easy way to get some consistency into your diet. Plus, it's cheaper than always eating out!
It’s really easy to justify that extra slice of cake or bar of chocolate when you’ve been working out. But you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. According to Kinohimitsu’s resident nutritionist Nicole, “It’s much easier to overeat than it is to burn away the calories”. Treats like chips and chocolate also contain way more calories than we realise and require hours at the gym to just burn off.
For a healthier post-dinner treat, try dark chocolate! An antioxidant powerhouse, dark chocolates may even contain more antioxidants than certain fruits!
So skip the beer and candy. Aim to get a balanced diet filled with lean proteins, whole grains, fresh vegetables and healthy fats for maximum bang for your exercise buck.
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Charlene K
Author
Charlene enjoys long walks to the fridge, makeup and emotional eating. A former journalism student and avid skincare nerd, you'll find her on the weekends reading up and writing about the properties of ceramides, acids and oils.