5 Beginners Tips for Health and Fitness

I seem to start each year with setting health and fitness goals, but seldom reach them.

I guess I have an inner saboteur that likes to get its own way.

However, I know what I *should* be doing and in all honesty, fitness and health comes down to two main elements: daily exercise and the correct diet.

Here are five beginners tips for health and fitness.

Enjoy your food and training

One of the most effective ways to ensure success is to undertake exercises you enjoy and eat food you love.

If you can’t stand the gym, don’t go! Find the things that are fun for you. For me it’s turning up the music and dancing around the house, getting on the rebounder and getting out into nature for a walk.

Regarding food; the key is to find the healthy things you enjoy. If you can’t stand cabbage, swap it for a green food you DO love – perhaps stir fried broccoli or kale made into soup with other delicious veggies.

Love yourself

Think of your training and diet as a sign of self-love and because your body is amazing and should be respected and taken care of.

Every time you reach a target provide yourself with a treat (A new dvd, magazine, day out – NOT a candy bar!). Rewarding yourself with something you love is highly motivating and it doesn’t have to be expensive; perhaps you’ve given up junk food or alcohol – if so, put that money into your reward pot.

Don’t be disappointed if you don’t reach your targets; 80% is good enough!

Be realistic

Understanding what you aim to achieve i.e weight loss or healthy eating can be worked at by setting small achievable goals and keeping your overall goal in sight.

Strive to achieve a balance between stretching yourself but not moving the goalposts too soon and don’t focus on completing too many goals at once; this will only distract you and offer your mind a way out of achieving some of the hardest goals you set.

Inner thoughts

We all have an inner saboteur; perhaps yours has a craving for chocolate, or prefers to sleep in than go to the gym.

Learn to recognise your own pitfalls so you can avoid them. If you can’t be trusted with chocolate in the cupboards then don’t have it in the house!

If you struggle with eating when bored then avoid boredom. Many people take to blogging to avoid those urges; why not start a blog and share your experiences? I find keeping this blog helps to keep me accountable by sharing my green goals and commitments.

Get organised

Before you shop, create a list and plan your meals around the nutrition you need to build and repair: this will help if you need to recover from a training sessions on the weight training equipment or treadmill.

You may need to look into foods and supplements that will help your rebuild muscle in your training.

If, like me, you don’t like the pressure of hitting the gym, consider investing in simple gym equipment for your home; even if it’s just a rebounder and skipping rope.

What about you – how do you stay on top of your health and fitness goals?