If Instagram is anything to go by, staying in shape means spending every waking minute in the gym and eating superfoods. While that contributes to staying in shape, there is more to it than that. These are some unexpected tips you can use to help you stay in shape.
Drinking water
One of the most important things you can do to ensure you stay in shape is to drink water. Not only is it vital to keep yourself hydrated while working out or to help keep your energy levels up during cardio activity, but it’s important to your overall well-being. For a post-workout drink, add a dash of salt to your water to help replace the electrolytes lost while sweating, allowing your body to recover quicker. Drinking water while out of the gym means that your body is already well hydrated and can flush out some of the unwanted toxins found in foods that are not nutritious. Water might be an obvious choice to bring along to the gym, but to stay in shape, you’re going to need to drink more outside of your exercise routine. Aim for at least two liters per day, regardless of whether you are working out or not.
Sleeping
When you are sleeping your body recovers, so the quickest way to get over your previous workout is to have a good night’s sleep. Your muscles can recover better while you are sleeping and your brain gets a rest too, which means you will feel more alert the following day. Sleep is linked to happiness, and the more you are able to rest, the better you will feel, which can help you feel more motivated to get in the gym regularly. Not only will you recover faster, meaning you can reach your fitness goals quicker, but you’ll actually feel happier at the same time!
Having fun
The best tip to ensure you stay in shape is to find a healthy activity that you love. Finding something you can’t live without means you are far less likely to skip going, helping you to maintain a healthy lifestyle by remaining active. Some people absolutely love going to the gym and so they stay motivated, but a huge proportion of the people who go can’t stand it.
Everyone wants the results of going to the gym, but because it can feel like such a chore, often people don’t stick it out. If their healthy activity is something they absolutely love they will move their schedule around to make sure there is time in their day to fit it in. It doesn’t have to be cage fighting, but having an aerobic sport or activity that makes you sweat while keeping you coming back for more is ideal.
If you can’t find an activity you can’t get enough of, make sure you take some enjoyment from it otherwise you’re going to struggle to keep going. Giving yourself small achievable goals helps you to progress and keep you coming back for more.
