3 EASY WAYS TO BUILD FITNESS INTO YOUR LIFE (NO GYM REQUIRED)
If you’re currently training at a gym or fitness facility and not seeing results, then this post is for you.
When we consider the time we devote to our health and fitness, we invariably count the number of hours we go to the gym and mentally ‘check the box’.
If you aren’t getting results from the hours you spend training, its time to shift perspective to hours of the week when you are not.
Here are 3 things you can do to optimise your available time and improve the results of your training.
1. IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP QUALITY
You will know that you need to improve your sleep quality if you wake up feeling tired. Ignore the numerous apps etc. telling you how well you slept, and simply listen to your body.
If you do wake up feeling tired, here are three things you can start doing straight away to improve your quality of sleep:
- No electronics in the bedroom: it’s not the electronic waves that will disrupt your sleep, it’s the notifications that will momentarily disturb you getting into deep sleep, which is when your body rejuvenates itself the most. By removing electronics you remove the potential for disturbance through the evening, and your sleep quality will improve.
- Evening bath with epsom salt: epsom salt contains magnesium, which your body needs to produce melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone released at night to promote sleep, so by bathing with epsom salts your body will absorb more magnesium through your skin, leading to a better night of sleep.
- Limit alcohol intake: the simplest way to improve your sleep quality is to reduce/eliminate alcohol consumption. Alcohol helps induce sleep, but it interferes with restorative REM sleep, thereby decreasing overall sleep quality. In other words, you may fall asleep faster but you won’t achieve the deep restorative sleep your body needs for recovery. (For more information on the effects of alcohol on your body, click here).
2. BATCH COOK MEALS
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” – Benjamin Franklin
Cooking meals in advance is one of the most effective and straightforward ways to improve your fitness results. It will also save you a bucketload of time in the process.
When you are working long hours and have a busy lifestyle, what is within arms-reach is what is consumed. By planning your meals in advance, you are ensuring that when you reach for something, there is a healthy option waiting.
You can do this every morning, every evening for the next day, or even once per week. The point is to plan your meals in advance so you make decisions about what you are eating in advance, not when hunger takes over and rationality goes out of the window.
3. CHANGE YOUR COMMUTE
Changing your daily commute can dramatically improve your results. It takes a bit of advanced planning, but once you get into the new routine you won’t look back.
By car
If you travel by car to work, plan to park your vehicle farther away then you usually do. This will result in additional exercise due to the longer walk, but it will also take you out of your comfort zone and make you more mindful of your journey.
By public transport
Travelling by public transport offers a host of opportunities to improve your fitness and your results. Whether it’s getting off the bus 1-2 stops early, or taking the stairs if you take the tube, you’re building additional exercise into your day.
There will be an additional time investment in the short term, but in the long run the great results you’ll achieve will be worth it.
By implementing these 3 things into your daily and weekly routine, you will feel healthier, happier, and your busy life won’t miss a beat.
Sources
Mann, D.: Alcohol and a Good Night’s Sleep Don’t Mix
Micklethwaite, J: Londoners work an average of just 33.5 hours each week
Davidson, L: Brits get more sleep than most. So why are we so grumpy?
ABOUT JAMES STARING
James Staring is a personal trainer based in Clapham, London. His methods have featured in publications such as Your Fitness, Hello, Healthy, Daily Mail, Closer, and many more. After giving up smoking and entering the fitness industry in 2009, James has focused on his passion to help others transform their health and fitness. However, James is convinced that most people struggle so much more than they need to in an effort to improve their fitness. Through his company, Fit to Last, which he runs with his partner, Ali Page – James has helped hundreds of men and women make small adjustments in their daily habits to transform their fitness and to love how they look and feel.James focuses on building the best version of you and inspiring you to new levels of health and fitness – regardless of your current ability or age. James is always keen to share the tools he uses to assist others in achieving their goals and has featured in publications such as Your Fitness, Healthy and Hello! magazines.
