Five simple tips for helping you stay motivated and exercising all year long.
With the new year often comes a goal to get in better shape—but it is not always the easiest to fulfill. The trick is finding something that will keep you motivated to work out way after January. Fitness expert and founder of willspace in NYC, Will Torres, shares his tips to keep exercising all year long.
Don’t burn the candle at both ends.
Torres says if you’re going to start the new year with early morning workouts, make sure to get to bed earlier. This will make your workouts more effective and keep you less hungry during the day. To help get your body ready for an early night’s sleep, he suggests stretching before bed to slow your heart rate, calm your breathing, and get into your REM stage faster. To motivate yourself in the morning, lay out your clothes the night before and have music ready to put on first thing.
MORE: 5 Tips to Beat Holiday Weight Gain
Work out with a friend.
Find someone who is in better shape then you and already has good habits in place to keep you motivated, says Torres. If you and your friend can’t meet up, try the app ‘Yog.’ It allows you to virtually run together, so you can still hold each other accountable even if you aren’t in the same place.
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Switch up your workout routine.
Routines force your body into auto-pilot, in effect, creating a plateau, explains Torres. Challenge yourself to train in different ways—if you typically do a lot of cardio, start lifting weights. Toress suggests selecting a series of exercises like step ups, pull downs, overhead press or chest presses. Find the appropriate weight for yourself and do 8-10 reps, repeating three times. If you only focus on lifting heavy weights, use that to work on your endurance and add some cardio at the end. Go faster during the work out with smaller amounts of rest.
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Prepare a feast for yourself.
Most people say they don’t cook at home because they don’t like to cook for one person. But Torress suggests preparing enough food for lunch and dinner for two to three days. Sign up for cooking newsletters to get different recipes every week so you don’t get bored. Go to the farmer’s market instead of the grocery store for seasonal ingredients. Fresh fruits and veggies are not only great for your body, but a wonderful way to support your local community.
MORE: 10 Best Foods for Your Body
Make an investment and hire a trainer.
Every time you want to head out to a dinner, cocktails, or brunch, Torres suggest putting that cash in a jar instead. After a few weeks, collect your savings and use the money to invest in your health and fitness.
MORE: 5 Tips to Beat Holiday Weight Gain
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