10 Second Tip : Walk Faster without Trying
Sometimes the simplest tips can make a difference to your fitness levels and they are so easy to implement.
One for today ….
Whenever you walk anywhere by yourself why not listen to some up beat fast music you love?
You’ll naturally walk faster – your steps will keep up with the fast beat of the music and you’ll enjoy your walk more too. Extra cardio exercise in your day without trying!
Of course, all this depends on being able to hear your music above the traffic without deafening yourself – not always an option in the rush hour around here but ok most of the time 
Fitness Tip 7 : Monitor Only Your Own Progress
You can see the insecure gym-goers a mile off – taking more notice of what everyone else is doing, how much weight they are shifting, how fast they are going on the treadmill, rather than focusing on getting on with their workout.
But the thing is, bodies are all different so there’s no point comparing yourself to others even if you are doing the same routines or trying to achieve the same goal.
The only thing which counts is that you are making a consistent effort with your workouts. If you make the effort and follow a good program you will see progress in your body – you will be getting fitter, leaner, stronger and more flexible day after day.
It takes motivation to keep going when the going gets tough – to turn up and “just do it” as the saying goes when you are tired or busy or just don’t feel like it.
The best way to keep up your motivation is by monitoring your progress. Make notes on every workout and what you achieved in a fitness log and you’ll see that your consistent effort is giving you results. The very worst way to keep motivated is to continually check your progress against Mr or Mrs Universe at the gym.
There will always be someone better (or worse) than you, but any comparison other than a comparison of last week’s, last month’s or last year’s with today is totally worthless to you.
Fitness Tip 6: Don’t Rely Only on Machines
You know fitness is for real bodies which have to do real tasks The machines at the gym are created to help you but they are rarely as effective as doing things under your own steam.
Anyone who has ever run a 5K or 10K distance outside will tell you that it’s a very different experience from going the same distance on a treadmill – even if you use a program designed to add variety.
Outside you have to contend with the weather, uneven road surfaces, hills, pedestrians, dogs and traffic so an indoor run is often more appealing.But the very fact that you are dealing with all those things gives you a better, more natural workout.
Fair enough, don’t run in conditions or areas which are actually dangerous but whenever you can safely do so, take your workout outside the gym and experience the real thing. There’s no workout like it.
And the same goes for weights at the gym.
Don’t always use those machines which are designed to isolate one muscle group – you know the kind that are meant for those of us who can’t be trusted to deal with real weights – the kind with stacked weights and a pin that varies the amount of resistance.
You get much better exercise which will make you fitter for the world we live in by doing real movements such as squats and lunges for your lower body and barbell or dumbbell presses for your upper body. With these kinds of movements you develop better functional strength and stability in your key muscles and that helps prevent injury during sport and everyday life.
Fitness Tip 5 : All Things Equal
Everyone has the exercises they like doing and ones they don’t. And most people have a stronger side and a weaker side.
Whatever you do, don’t neglect to do the exercises you don’t like doing or do more reps on the side that’s stronger or more flexible.
You’ll end up out of balance. (Think Charles Atlas shoulders and Mr Bean legs!)
You have to strengthen and stretch all muscle groups on both sides to get a balanced symmetrical physique.
Working to make all parts of your body in balance will also help prevent the poor posture, tears and muscle strains caused by having some body parts weaker than others.
It will be enough for most of us just to remember not to neglect the areas we don’t like working on.
For those looking to get closer to perfection, get a program which trains for every range and angle of movement in every part of your body and which balances the various movements in equal measure.
Fitness Tip 4 : Every Workout Counts
Creating a great body takes a lot of self discipline. If you have the attitude that it doesn’t matter if you can’t be bothered to do your scheduled workout one day, you’ll quickly find that another time a day becomes a week and a week a month.
You see, you’re either disciplined and determined or you’re not.
Every missed workout feeds your self image with the idea that you’re someone who can’t stick to a simple program, even a program that will benefit you so much.
On the other hand, every time you keep to your workout schedule your self image and esteem gets a boost – you are someone who can be relied on.
Sticking to your program helps reinforce all those good feelings you get from working out. It becomes a positive cycle of reinforcement leading to more discipline and more of the results you are seeking from exercise – all of which will continue to keep you motivated for the long haul.
Muscle movement by muscle movement, step by step, workout by workout you will be reaching your goals.
So try not to miss even one workout unless you have no choice whatsoever. It’s those “Can’t be bothered” “Too busy” “Don’t have time” excuses which will eat up your motivation and self-esteem not the “I had to take my sick child to hospital so I couldn’t get to the gym” type real reasons for missing a session.
For all this to make any difference at all you actually have to have a fitness program to follow (see Fitness Tip 1 : Have a Plan) – otherwise you’re just drifting and then it really doesn’t matter whether you turn up or not.
Fitness Success Tip 3 : Eat to Burn Fat
If you’re exercising hard you need fuel for your workout but as many of you are hoping to lose weight and burn fat as a result of all your hard work, what do you do then? It’s no good working out at the gym and then rewarding yourself with a double cheeseburger but don’t go to the other extreme either.
You see, to burn fat you do have to have a calorie deficit – you need to use more calories than you eat.
But the important thing is not to overdo it.
If you eat too few calories your body will go into starvation mode
- your metabolism will slow down
- you will lose muscle
- you will not have the energy to exercise effectively
- you will burn fat slower
You think you are doing the right thing by eating less than you need but you are just making things harder for yourself for no reason.
The best strategy is to eat a little less and exercise a little more if you want to burn fat.
And, if you’re counting calories, never have a deficit of more than 500 calories a day if you want to keep your metabolism buzzing.
Result : A steady fat loss of 1lb a week AND a fitter, leaner, slimmer, toned healthy body without starving yourself!
Fitness Success Tip 2 : Challenge Yourself
Has your workout become just a tad boring? Are you finding your 20 minute daily run easier than you used to?
Surely that’s a good thing?
Well, actually, it isn’t.
The thing is, to improve any aspect of your fitness you need to exercise consistently and regularly on an ongoing basis – that means you need to show up regularly (3 or more times a week) and do the work.
But it’s not enough to carry out the same old routine day after day or week after week because you will not get any fitter (or stronger) from that.
Bodies need to be challenged to make any kind of improvement – a workout which you do repeatedly will get easier over time but your body won’t bother to take you to the next level because it knows it can cope with the work it is having to do just as it is.
So when a workout gets too familiar then you don’t get the full benefit from the time you spend exercising.
Stamina and strength increase when you make new demands on your body – your body is designed to respond so that it can handle the new level of work you are asking of it.
Best results are obtained not by switching exercises excessively but by doing the same types of exercise for a period of time while constantly increasing the effort required.
Not in a big way, you understand, but in tiny increments. This means things like running a little faster, adding a minute on the treadmill or a steeper incline, adding one more rep, a little more weight and so on.
This is called progressive overload and it will bring continuous improvement in its wake rather than the stagnation you can expect if you just do the same old, same old routine.
So don’t let yourself get bored. Make sure you challenge your body every workout, every day, every week for maximum benefit in minimum time.
27 Ways to Get Fit for FREE
If you’d love to get fit but don’t have any funds just now to join a gym or buy the latest fitness equipment, don’t despair – you can get fit without spending money at all.
(For those with a little cash to splash out on a few bits and pieces take a look at our $100 home gym project page where we review some of the best equipment for getting in shape that you can get for very little indeed. )
Cardio Fitness
1. Walk
Actually save money by walking everywhere within a reasonable distance. You save wear and tear on your car. And you’ll save gas costs and parking charges and/or cab, bus or subway fares. All you need are comfortable shoes (take your dressier shoes with you if necessary) and walk, walk, walk.
Pick up the pace as you get fitter to make those short journeys even quicker and smile at all the traffic travelling bumper to bumper in the rush hour. If there’s nowhere suitable to walk in your area try mall walking (but don’t get tempted to buy stuff!)
2. Cycle
If you have a little further to go and access to a bike, try cycling – it’s a great way to get about – just make sure you have all the safety gear you need and take care on the road.
Of course, if you have to buy a bike and safety gear this one isn’t free for you but how many of us have these things at home and rarely use them?
If you use a bike instead of forking out for transport costs then you might find this way of getting fit actually works out as better than free – it will save you money. (Might even be worth buying a reasonably priced or used bike for those savings)
3. Run
If you already have good running shoes you can start a running program – you’ll find a great free program to take you right from beginner level over at Cool Running. I used this one to train for a 5K race from a standing start this year. If you don’t have (or can’t afford) good shoes, give this one a miss as you’ll damage your joints running without them.
4. Play
Take the kids to run around in the park (or a game of football or baseball) and JOIN IN instead of watching them. If you don’t have any kids then you probably know a parent or two who would welcome a break while you take their kids to run off steam. Flying a kite is great fun too and good exercise especially if you climb a hill to reach the best spot.
You’ll find more active play ideas over at this site such as Obstacle courses, Den building, Apple bobbing, Leap frog, Puddle jumping, treasure hunts and welly wanging.
Of course if you are lucky enough to have snow in winter the possibilities for play are endless.
5. Man’s (and Woman’s) Best Friend
Take the dog out for exercise twice a day and run about too instead of just throwing a ball to fetch. If you don’t have a dog offer to walk your neighbor’s dog for free. For more great activities you can enjoy with your dog, take a look at this Dog Play website. Who knew Fido could offer all these opportunities for exercise?
6. Step it Up
Use the bottom stair of a flight of stairs in your house as a step and step up and down to music. Or run up and down the whole flight. You can try this in an appartment or office building too (as long as your neighbors/coworkers don’t mind). For more about using stairs for free exercise take a look at this article on Fit Sugar.
7. Fitness DVD
Borrow a selection of fitness DVDs from you local library or a friend and follow them at home (or get out those you have lurking in the closet, basement or garage from the days when leg warmers were in fashion the first time). If you’re already a member of one of those DVD clubs you can always choose a fitness DVD as one of your selections and change it each month when you get bored with it.
8. Skip
Jump rope in your lounge or back yard using an old piece of rope or clothesline. For inspiration take a look at this rope jumping video on You Tube by a Ford Fitness model
You can also get a free rope jumping workout at ivillage.
9. Dance
Play music and dance the night (or day) away – around your bedroom – you can try out your best moves with nobody watching and pretend you’re Madonna.
10. Clean Up
Clean your place from top to bottom once a week for a vigorous workout. In fact you can burn 50,000 calories a year (that’s 14lbs of fat) just from cleaning up according to this article
11. Dig for Victory
If you have a yard get your garden in shape while you get in shape yourself. Here is a whole free plan for using your garden to get fit at Gardenfitness.com
12. Community
Get fit while making a contribution – you’ll feel great in more ways than one. Join a conservation project where there are usually plenty of activities to get involved in such as cleaning beaches, clearing overgrown beauty spots, planting trees, building walls etc Or join a volunteer project for a disadvantaged group where there’s always something to be done. A great way of making friends too. Do a search on Google for volunteering in your local area.
Strength Training
13. Isometric Exercises
You can tone up and build strength without any equipment at all – just using the weight of your body. Here is a whole series of exercises you can print for free (select those which don’t require any equipment)
And here is a complete 15 minute multi-sequence routine you can print out and use anywhere without equipment
14. Callanetics
Callanetics has been around a long time though it is not that well known but I know it works! It tones up your muscles at a very deep level using tiny ultra-slow motion pulsing movements without using equipment (other than a chair or makeshift barre). See if you can borrow one of these Callanetics books or DVDs
15. Pilates
Pilates is another great exercise system which you can do without equipment to tone and strengthen your muscles and which is highly respected. You might have more luck with getting your hands on information about this because it is a bit better known and there are free sources of information about this on the web.
Here is a FREE Pilates ebook to download. (Right click on the link and choose “Save target as” or “Save Link as). The accompanying Easy Vigour site is also useful.
And here is a series of free beginners pilates videos
16. From the Kitchen
Use the equipment you already have at home as small hand-weights. You can use soup cans (still with contents intact!) or water bottles (filled with water or sand). You can use these for any exercises where you would usually use small hand weights.
If you use water bottles start with water and then as you get stronger you can progress to sand and then maybe to small pebbles or coins. Another alternative for kitchen hand-weights are those plastic milk or orange juice jugs filled with water. They are great because they have a handle to hold.
17. Improve your Grip
Don’t buy an expensive hand grip trainer – squeeze a rubber ball or tennis ball as hard as you can instead.
Flexibility
18. Yoga
Borrow a yoga DVD from your library or use information available for free online and practice the movements every day. You’ll build strength along with getting more flexible. Download a free 73 minute yoga DVD from yoga.org.nz to get started.
19. Simple Stretching
If you prefer classic stretching exercises, you’ll find a selection of simple stretching exercises (along with some to build strength) in this illustrated stretching guide.
General
20. Make Exercise Your Entertainment
Although not exactly free it’s often cheaper (and therefore free in a way) than meeting a friend for a coffee or a meal. Why not meet up and go swimming or ice skating instead? Or take a class together such as belly dancing or tai-chi?
21. Use Local Facilities
Make use of what you can find locally and save travel costs too. You can walk in local beauty spots such as hills and beaches – you’ll often find nature trails already marked out for you. And some local authorities offer free classes and program to help promote health in the local community.
22. Free Gym
Take advantage of open days at local gyms – as long as you’re strong willed enough (or poor enough) to avoid signing up for membership.
23. Websites
You will often get a free selection of exercises of every type at membership sites which provide online fitness guidance. For example, the Workout Pass site which offers specific training suited for every kind of sport and situation imaginable offers a sample of 15 exercises you can download without joining the site including the best 4 exercises for a rock-solid abs, a fat-blasting workout and a 15 minute workout you can do anywhere.
You could build up a whole routine with a little searching.
Also check out government advice on the websites such as http://www.healthierus.gov/. Though the information is generally targeted at beginners you might find a suitable routine.
24. TV
You’ll find many exercise programs on TV these days – find a few that suit your schedule in the listings – or record for later use.
25. Charity
Charities often use fun activities (and sometimes really tough ones) as fund-raisers. Although it normally costs money to join you may be able persuade a whole lot of people to sponsor you and cover your entry fee for a good cause.
26. Freecycle
If you ask or keep an eye out you may find exercise equipment or a set of weights that someone is glad to get rid of on Freecycle.org – they are the kind of things which people buy with high hopes and then the the equipment lies around gathering dust ready for you to happilly take it off their hands.
27. Become an Opportunist
Find opportunities for exercise throughout your day. Use the stairs instead of the elevator (“That old chestnut”, you say, but do you do it?). Park a little further away than you normally would. Stretch at your desk. Hold your tummy in when waiting in line. It all counts. Do whatever you can to be more active wherever you are. It costs nothing.
28. Flat Abs fast – 5 Easy Ways to a Washboard Stomach
Bonus No 28 just added – my easy abs exercises course – no crunches required. Pick up Flat Abs Fast for free.
If you can think of more ways then please share here in the comments. Thanks
Fitness Success Tip 1 : Have a Plan
A lot of people turn up at the gym regularly and just do whatever they feel like that day. One day they’ll work on their arms and “have a go” on the elliptical. Another they’ll “do a bit of leg work” and see if the treadmill is free. Others go for a run when the weather’s fine but “can’t be bothered” when rain sets in. Then there are the weekend exercisers who are just never going to get anywhere fast.
I have to say that some action is better than none but if you are winging it like this you could be doing so much better for yourself and making a good deal more of the precious time you spend exercising.
Besides, without a plan you stand to get demotivated fast because you are unlikely to see the kind of results you might be hoping for even after a considerable time.
So follow a chosen fitness and/or strength program consistently
Or create a program for yourself taking into account
- Where you are now on your fitness path – you may want to get a fitness assessment with a personal trainer or gym to get a true picture of your current fitness levels
- What you really want to achieve - Are you going for stamina, strength, weight-loss, flexibility or a balance of different forms of fitness? Are you training for a particular sport or event? What do you need for that? What level of fitness or strength training are you going for - competition level or a general improvement to improve your everyday quality of life?
- What will best fit into your lifestyle – What can you commit to on a consistent basis? What facilities and equipment do you have access to? (Don’t discount buying equipment if it makes life easier – a treadmill at home may be cheaper than a gym membership never used).
Once you have your program, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS log your sessions and measure results so that you can see progress along the way This is a huge motivation factor in any successful exercise program.
So Fitness Tip 1 in a nutshell : Failing to plan, is planning to fail as they say so make sure you have a water-tight plan for your fitness goals and follow that plan!
-
CLICK ON THE IMAGE above
for your FREE course -
