Staying in shape isn’t only about looking your best, it’s also about feeling your best. Maintaining your health and fitness doesn’t have to be difficult. Try these 10 easy habits to stay in shape all year round and improve your overall wellness.
#1 FIND A FORM OF EXERCISE YOU ENJOY
The first way to stay in shape all year round is to find a form of exercise you enjoy. This is one of the most important steps to always stay fit.
Finding a form of movement you enjoy will help you stay motivated to move your body each day and stick to your exercise routine.
Once you find a form of exercise you like, make sure to prioritize comfort with a sweat wicking workout set, stretchy leggings, or biker shorts with adequate compression that will suit your chosen fitness routine.
Whether you like to run, bike, lift weights, or try different low-impact at-home workouts, pick a form of exercise that excites you. That way you can stay consistent and you can look forward to exercising rather than resent it.
#2 MAKE EXERCISE A PART OF YOUR ROUTINE
The next way to stay in shape all year round is to make exercise a part of your routine. People who are always in shape prioritize exercise and stay consistent.
Staying consistent is essential to experience the benefits of working out and improving your long-term health. You can easily include exercise in your daily routine using a fitness planner.
If you want to stay in shape, you need to hold yourself accountable each day and stay disciplined to reap the benefits of your workouts. Exercise becomes easier when you simply make it a part of your day-to-day life.
#3 REDUCE STRESS
Stress is often overlooked when it comes to staying fit all year long.
Stress wreaks havoc on your overall health. It can decrease your immune system function and negatively impact muscle recovery and mental health.
Reducing stress is vitally important to stay in shape. Too much stress can put your body into fight or flight mode, causing your body to hold onto unwanted fat and make it more difficult to lose weight.
Stress can also make it extremely difficult to stay accountable with your exercise routine and stay motivated, which can hinder your results
You can easily reduce stress and calm your nervous system using mindfulness techniques, stress-relieving activities, relaxing scents or lotions, or a calming journal.
#4 SET FITNESS GOALS
Another important step to staying fit is to set goals for yourself. Set fitness goals such as completing a certain number of workouts in a given month or attending a select number of workout classes.
You could also make a goal to eat a couple of servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Choose goals that promote a healthy lifestyle and write them down.
You can use a goal-setting journal to help you stay accountable and make you more likely to achieve your fitness goals. Setting realistic fitness goals can increase your motivation to exercise.
It’ll also help you stay consistent with making healthy choices and keep you accountable for your health all year long.
#5 CHANGE YOUR MINDSET AROUND FOOD
Another habit to stay fit throughout the year is to change your mindset around food. People who are always in shape have a healthy mindset around food. They know that food is fuel.
If you exercise daily and lead an active lifestyle to stay in shape, food is essential to muscle recovery and overall health.
That said, healthy people make conscious decisions surrounding food and make healthy diet choices. They don’t label food as good or bad or restrict entire food groups to maintain their physique. Fad diets are also a big no, no.
Instead, they prioritize a balanced diet. This includes healthy and whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, protein, and complex carbohydrates.
The bulk of their diet consists of unprocessed foods. However, they aren’t afraid to indulge in a few treats. They practice food freedom and don’t restrict themselves with their food choices.
When it comes to a diet that’ll help you stay in shape, balance is key.
#6 ADAPT YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE TO THE SEASONS
If you want to stay fit all year long, it’s important to adapt your exercise routine to the changing seasons. Find a form of exercise you can enjoy during every season.
While you may love biking or golfing during summer, skiing and indoor or at-home workouts may be more suitable for winter. Be open to trying new forms of exercise as the weather changes.
You might discover a workout or form of exercise you love when you remain open to trying new ways of moving your body.
Finding workouts you can enjoy all year long will help you stay consistent with your exercise routine and remain accountable with your workouts, regardless of the season.
#7 REMEMBER TO REST
A crucial, yet often neglected step to stay in shape all year round is rest.
While exercise will help you build muscle and improve overall fitness, to reap the full benefits of your workouts, you need to let your body rest.
When you rest after exercise and include a couple of rest days a week into your routine, your body can properly recover.
You can improve muscle recovery in many ways while letting your body rest. Some strategies include using a foam roller, thumper or massage gun, a heating pad, or stretching.
Muscle recovery happens during rest, which is why it’s important to include it in your weekly routine. Rest is equally as important as your workouts to improve your health and fitness long-term.
#8 DON’T OVERDO IT
This step to stay fit goes hand in hand with rest. When attempting to get in shape, remember not to overdo it.
While you should make exercise a part of your routine, overexerting yourself can lead to increased fatigue and muscle soreness. Balance is key to staying fit.
Doing high-intensity workouts seven days a week can put too much stress on your body, causing extreme muscle soreness and increased fatigue. Instead, mix up your workouts, incorporating both high and low-intensity workouts into your exercise routine.
Remember, don’t neglect rest. When you overdo exercise, especially high-intensity workouts, you increase your risk for injury.
Overexerting yourself day in and day out without rest may even lead to poorer health outcomes as your body tries to keep up and recover.
#9 LEAD AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
Another way to maintain your fitness and have a toned physique year-round is to lead an active lifestyle. Staying in shape isn’t only about exercise and diet, it’s about leading an active lifestyle.
Movement comes in many forms and it’s important to incorporate movement into your everyday life, not just while you’re working out. There are ways to burn calories with little effort, without completing high-intensity workouts every day.
Sometimes life becomes busy and you may not be able to get to the gym or exercise as often as you’d like. That’s okay. Prioritizing movement throughout your day and engaging in activities that promote movement can help you stay fit even when you can’t make it to the gym as much.
Leading an active lifestyle will also improve muscle recovery, burn calories, and maintain your overall fitness long-term.
#10 LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
The last habit to stay in shape all year round is to listen to your body. Maintaining your fitness is all about being in tune with how your body feels.
Listen to how your body feels after different forms of exercise and after fueling your body with different foods. You’ll also want to tune into your stress levels and mood since that can impact your motivation to stay consistent with your healthy lifestyle.
If your body craves rest, listen to it. If your body feels energized after high-intensity workouts, do those.
On the other hand, maybe you feel exhausted, fatigued, or have extreme muscle soreness after a couple of days of heavy weightlifting or running long distances. In that case, take a step back and try another form of movement such as low-impact exercises including yoga or pilates.
Staying fit isn’t all about looks. It’s about feeling good on the inside too. Listen to how your body feels to maintain optimal health and to look and feel your best all year round.
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