11 Fitness Tips That Help At Any Age
Incorporate my favorite fitness tips into your weekly schedule to see better results for your health and well-bring.
Whether you’re new to your fitness journey or a seasoned pro, these tips can help up your game. I have decades of experience training thousands of women, and let me tell you, these are the pieces of advice that can help you look and feel your best!
1. Get at least 150 minutes of weekly exercise
The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.
Break it down to 40 minutes 4 days a week, 30 minutes 5 days a week, or however you’d like. Choose what works best for your lifestyle, whether it’s one of my favorite cardio workouts, a daily yoga practice, a power walking challenge, or anything else that gets your heart rate up.
My beginner’s guide to strength training is a great place to start.
2. Keep a fitness journal
Using a fitness journal will help you stay accountable. Plus, tracking your progress helps you stay connected with yourself during moments of doubt or discouragement. The process will give you time to reflect on your progress thus far and what lies ahead if you remain committed over time.
3. Eat the rainbow
Eat whole foods in a variety of fresh vibrant colors. Try to keep whole foods as close to their original state as possible for the max amount of benefits. Use this list of the best anti-inflammatory foods, and this list of my favorite healthy fats for weight loss as inspiration!
4. Avoid processed foods
Packaged foods typically come with extra unhealthy ingredients to give them a sweeter flavor and a longer shelf life. Unfortunately, these ingredients typically aren’t natural, and they can come with multiple negative side effects.
When shopping, try and remember that the fewer the ingredients, usually the better the food.
If you are buying packaged foods, check out this list of 15 Best Packaged Foods for Clean Eating.
5. Drink more water
Most adults need about two quarts of fluid per day to replace normal water loss or approximately eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Staying hydrated keeps your body healthy, and helps prevent unhealthy cravings by keeping you full.
These are my favorite hacks for drinking more water.
6. Increase Your Protein
You need protein to build muscle and maintain energy levels while exercising. I wrote an entire guide explaining why women need more protein as they age, plus I broke down my favorite protein powders on the market.
Protein powder is a great way to boost your intake through smoothies or other homemade snacks.
7. Find your workout “why”
Finding your “why” for weight loss means identifying your deeper reason for getting healthy. To see the best results, you need to find a way other than the number on your scale. Think beyond the superficial to what weight loss could mean for you life.
Will you be able to spend more time with loved ones? Will you feel more energetic and confident?
8. Find workouts you enjoy
Find a form (or two!) of movement you truly enjoy doing. It’s easier to stick to goals when we look forward to them. Explore the viral cozy cardio trend, and then find something you love!
9. Make strength training a priority
One of the best fitness tips I can give you is to add some muscle-building activities to your workouts. Dumbbells, resistance band exercises, muscle sculpt classes, or using your body weight with push-ups, planks, lunges, and squats can all work!
Incorporating strength training into your workout regimen can improve bone density, increase metabolism, and enhance overall functional fitness. It’s also a great way to target various muscle groups at the same time in an efficient way.
10. Set perfectionism aside
No one is perfect, so if that’s your goal, you are already setting yourself up for failure! In fact, focusing on prefect usually leads to disaster. Set small goals and stair-step your way to success by developing daily healthy habits.
Remember to celebrate your wins, regardless of perfection.
11. Take recovery days
Overtraining is an easy way to end your workout goals. Give yourself one to two days a week for active recovery (especially if soreness has set in).
Rest days should be simple. You can take a walk or do a gentle yoga class. Engage in something less intense that what you do on your other exercise days, and give your body the break it deserves for working hard!
These fitness tips will help you stay on track while moving one step closer to living your healthiest, happiest life.