If you don't have time to go to the gym, you can't afford to pay a membership to a sports center, or you just don't have the right motivation to do gymnastics, you're not the only one. Many people fail to go to the gym regularly. Fortunately, there are numerous alternatives to keep fit on your own by doing a little exercise every day. If you follow a healthy diet and continue to exercise, you will find that you have a lot of energy and be able to improve the quality of your life.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Incorporating Physical Activity into Daily Life
Step 1. Put on your exercise gear when you are at home
If you don't have to go outside, wear clothing suitable for sports. This way, you will keep in mind not to neglect physical exercise and you will be encouraged to work hard.
Wearing sportswear, you will be ready to train as soon as you have 5 or 10 minutes to spare
Step 2. Strengthen your muscles when you clear up your groceries
Instead of placing the milk carton directly in the refrigerator, use it as a weight to perform a few sets of bicep curls or lift it a few times over your head. Switch sides and repeat the exercise with the other arm to prevent any muscle asymmetry.
Canned goods are also great for doing bicep curls or straight arm load lifts. Hold a jar in each hand and raise your arms to the side, helping with the shoulder muscles. Lower them to your sides as you exhale, then raise them again as you inhale. Do 10 repetitions. You can also stretch them forward to do the front lifts
Step 3. Give yourself some breaks when sitting to move
Whether you are working on your computer or watching television, get up and move for 5-10 minutes every hour you sit. Walk around the room or do 10-20 jumping jacks.
- If you're watching TV, get up during commercial breaks and do the exercises very quickly, such as jumping jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups.
- If you've bought a fitness ball (available online or at sporting goods stores), use it instead of the sofa when you want to watch TV because it's a great way to passively strengthen your core area and add some exercise during commercial breaks.
Step 4. Do household chores faster
Sweeping the floor, vacuuming, dusting and even fixing the bed all allow you to burn calories. Listen to cheerful and lively music to increase the intensity of the work, so you will speed up your heart rate. Not only will you get some training, but you will also keep the house clean.
- For example, you can burn 200-300 calories while cleaning the bathroom. Plus, washing the tub is a great way to tone your arms and shoulders.
- Half an hour of making your beds allows you to burn 130 calories, roughly what you would burn if you ran on a treadmill for 15 minutes.
Step 5. Walk when talking on the phone
If you spend a lot of time on the phone, you can use these moments to work out a little. If you don't own a headset, buy one so you have your hands free and walk around the room while you talk.
You can download a pedometer application to your smartphone if it has not already been installed by the parent company. Use it to see how many steps you take throughout the day. Try adding a hundred per week to gradually increase physical activity. Decide how long you want to walk and challenge yourself to achieve your goal or beat your records
Step 6. Put on your favorite music and go wild
Dancing is comparable to a high-intensity cardiovascular workout because it speeds up the heart rate and blood circulation. Use slower songs to warm up, then move on to faster dance music tracks.
You can also connect to Vimeo or YouTube to play music videos and try to imitate their dancers. You don't have to be a skilled dancer to enjoy music and improve your fitness
Part 2 of 3: Follow a Healthy Diet
Step 1. Keep a food diary to track your diet
Write down everything you eat throughout the day, then review your diary on the weekend and look for nutritional information about the foods you ate. This way, you have the opportunity to add up the calories consumed each day and understand how to improve your diet to make healthier choices.
You can download a calorie counting application, such as MyFitenssPal, Fat Secret and LifeSun. You will have a large food database that allows you to search for nutritional information and calculate how many calories you eat
Step 2. Eat at least 3 balanced meals a day
This way, you will get all the nutrients you need to keep fit. Choose lean protein sources, whole-grain breads and pasta, not forgetting fruit and vegetables at every meal.
- To make sure you are eating balanced, keep in mind the rainbow of foods. Consume red and blue berries, which are high in antioxidants, to which you can add vegetables like spinach and kale. Complete with a salad made from red and yellow peppers.
- Beans and peas are excellent plant protein sources.
Step 3. Cook on days off
You can eat healthily even if you have little time or energy to cook. On weekends, or as soon as you have a day off, choose simple, nutritious recipes you would like to make and prepare 6-8 servings. Save any that remain for the following week.
- If you don't have much cooking experience, search the Internet for simple recipes or get a beginner's book that recommends dishes and dishes to prepare with only 3 or 4 ingredients. You can always enrich your recipes as you become more familiar. Learn 4 or 5 quick and easy.
- Having a healthy meal always available will help you resist the temptation to order takeaway or eat ready meals when you're hungry and don't feel like cooking.
Step 4. Have healthy snacks available at all times
If you find yourself lazily grabbing a packet of chips or cookies, try cutting up a few cucumbers, carrots, and a stick of celery when you want to munch on something.
- Nuts, raisins, and fruit are also nutritious snacks that relieve hunger between meals.
- If you're in the habit of snacking at midnight, try brushing your teeth after dinner. You may be able to get rid of this temptation by feeling your mouth clean. Also, try stepping away from food, taking a long bath, playing a board game, or cultivating a hobby.
Step 5. Take the stairs when you can
If you have no joint problems, avoid the elevator and take the stairs to reach the higher floors. It is an excellent high-intensity exercise that allows you to burn calories as well as stimulate the cardiovascular system.
Go slow when climbing several flights of stairs so that you don't get to the floor out of breath and sweaty. However, if it is a few steps, try to walk them quickly
Step 6. Consume water instead of fizzy drinks
By drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day, you will keep yourself hydrated, but also healthy and fit. Always keep a bottle of water with you and limit your consumption of coffee and tea as they can have a dehydrating effect.
If you want a fruit juice, choose one with no added sugar
Part 3 of 3: Follow a Healthy Lifestyle
Step 1. Always take the opportunity to walk
If you can, walk instead of taking public transport or driving. If you have taken the car to go somewhere, park far away and walk towards the entrance of the building to take a few more steps.
For example, if you have an appointment for a medical visit, you might be walking around the building instead of sitting in the waiting room flipping through an old magazine. If you notify the secretary that you want to stretch your legs, she will tell you how much time is left
Step 2. Get adequate sleep
7-8 hours of sleep help reduce stress and improve the functioning of the immune system. You may also find that your performance improves during the day because your mental clarity increases and you find it less difficult to concentrate.
During sleep, the brain produces chemicals that affect heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism, and digestion
Step 3. Limit your alcohol and caffeine consumption
Alcohol and caffeine can turn any type of diet and exercise regimen upside down. In addition, they have a diuretic effect that is likely to cause dehydration and other health problems, particularly when consumed in significant quantities and with some frequency.
- If you exercise regularly, eat well, and sleep a lot, you may find that you don't have an extreme need for caffeine to get through the day.
- Sleep offers the body the opportunity to regenerate itself on a systemic level and repair any damage caused during the day.
Step 4. Step away from the screen
Continuous exposure to the monitor adversely affects physical and mental health. Try to stay one day a week without turning on electronic devices or watching television. If you can't do it for a whole day, at least try to unplug for a few hours.
You may even be offline for 30-60 minutes a day. Put on some quiet music and read a book or meditate
Advice
- It's not a problem if you struggle to train. Sometimes, you might even throw in the towel. It's normal. Get back on track as soon as you can.
- Try to move every day, at least for 20-30 minutes in total. If you have important commitments, you can divide physical activity into sessions of 5-10 minutes.
