When it comes to reaching your big goal, it all comes down to small incremental improvements.
Ivan Burev
Building the habit of hitting the gym everyday is admirable, but the most important change takes place outside, in real life. Here are Fitness Expert Ivan Burev’s 10 simple things, which if executed daily, will without doubt set you on the road to a fitter and healthier 2018.
Drink water as soon as you wake up.
A glass or two of fresh water will let your body know it’s time to get active after a long period of rest. It will flush out the toxins accumulated overnight, refresh your brain by hydrating you and fuel your metabolism.
Stretch.
Even before getting out of bed, you should make little habit of moving your body’s joints. Stretching out your muscles first thing in the morning activates your brain and releases endorphins, giving you that sought after ‘feel-good’ sensation’ to catapult you into the day ahead, giving you the boost you need to exercise later on.
Eat breakfast.
This is a really important one; making something as simple as simple as scrambled eggs with spinach takes less than 10 minutes and will benefit you more than you imagine. You will be full for longer and increase your productivity. (At least more than if you grab a croissant on-the-go - which is very high in the type of fat you want to avoid).
Take the stairs.
It is as simple as that; just take the stairs whenever possible. Most public transport escalators have the rule to stand on one side and climb the stairs on the other one. Use that opportunity and make it a short and intense workout during your daily commute!
Read your food labels.
A lot of the time products that are sold as “healthy and fitness-friendly” are likely to be high on sugar and/or fat. A little check of what’s on the food you buy will prevent you from eating past your ideal daily caloric intake. Read more here.
Use your lunch break.
A good 10-15 minutes of exercise during the day is better than nothing at all. Squat, press-up or just even do a wall-sit exercise to make the most out of your lunch break.
Cut. The. Sugar.
Make fruits your only source of sugar for 3 weeks and notice the difference. One apple and a bunch of berries or their equivalent is what an average healthy person needs everyday.
Drink smarter.
There are about 8-9 teaspoons of sugar in each can of cola, lemonade and the other varieties of carbonated sodas. Ditch the artificial drinks and opt of sparkling water with fresh lime.
Drink smarter (part 2).
Drinking alcohol is not recommended, but consider keeping your drinks low in calories. Choose a classic white wine with soda instead of a cocktail, for example.
Don’t starve yourself.
Getting fit is about getting stronger and healthier, rather than losing weight due to starvation. Constantly skipping your meals will you make you lose weight at the beginning but will also make you ill in the long run. Choose a sustainable lifestyle instead!
If you need any extra help hitting your goals, Ivan has recently launched a new online body transformation plan called BeYour12. It is a 12-week training and nutrition program that is personalised to fit each person’s individual goals, profile and schedule. Its online platform guides people through their body transformation in a straight forward, convenient and affordable way.