Fitness is about health and wellness. Not extreme diets and marathon training sessions.
It's much more about consistency than obsession.
In recent years there has been a surge of the extreme results and methods to achieve them. This isn't mainstream and nor should it be.
Exercise and healthy eating should be part of the daily and weekly routine. Not a 4 week crash course before holidays.
As a Hollywood trainer people often ask me how someone can transform their body so quickly. The truth is people don't see what goes on behind the scenes for the weeks, months and years before film projects. I often get asked how I transformed Hugh Jackman's body so quickly. The truth is he had base of training lasting more than a decade. This training history changes everything when it comes to results.
The women and men who are in great shape and people put it down to luck or genetics nearly always have an active lifestyle with consistency of healthy eating and exercise over years. Not months.
Here I will run through five tips on how you can make healthy choices part of your everyday lifestyle.
1. Movement
This may seem pretty obvious but being active is incredibly important for staying healthy and in shape. I suggest doing a combination of low intensity activities like walking and cycling paired with weights and higher intensity cardio training.
Try and keep these activities fun and non gym based. Walk to the train. Cycle to work. Hike with family. Get outdoors and have some fun.
2. Healthy foods
You don't need to eat perfectly every day to stay fit and in shape. What you do need to do is eat healthily most of the time. If you eat well 9 days out of 10 then you will be well on track. Choose naturally non processed foods and make sure you are eating the correct number of calories each day for you and your goals. Plenty of lean protein, vegetables, healthy fats and complex carbs.
Keep your food tasting great to make it easier to stay on track with herbs, spices and healthy flavouring.
3. Resistance
The idea that weight training makes you bulky needs to disappear. And quickly.
Weight training can build muscle (if you lift specifically to do so, are in a calorie surplus and correct anabolic response) but it is also the most effective body composition improving tool. Resistance exercises should be part of every single persons plan. Whether they want to lose fat or run a quicker 10k or Tone up.
4. Sleep
Sleep is often neglected in the modern day. People work longer hours, travel more and have Netflix.
But don't be the person giving up on sleep for another episode of GOT.
Sleep plays a major role in recovery, energy levels and hormone function.
The hormone cortisol is elevated when sleep is reduced. This hormone contributes to fat storage, muscle loss and poor mood/stress.
Try switching off your phone/tv and hour before bed. Read a book instead and give this breathing drill ago before bed to make sure you hit your 8 hours
Instant Cortisol Save breathing technique
Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little. Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little. Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale. Continue for 5-10min and feel the stress melt away. Use this to boost sleep and any time you feel stress kicking in.
If you struggle to fall asleep try supplementing with magnesium. It has an amazing array of benefits, my favourite of which is helping to drop off at night.
5. Have fun
To make something part of your lifestyle every day, every week and every year you have to enjoy it. Health and fitness is a never ending quest. So you have to enjoy the journey.
Make exercise fun by training with your partner, friends or exercise groups. Choose actives you enjoy and know you can keep up.
Your food has to be equally as enjoyable. Don't eat boring repetitive meals. Get some help creating a menu that is enjoyable and also goal focused, they don't have to be mutually exclusive!
Try and incorporate these principle to make fitness your routine nota chore. Once you have made lifestyle changes you will on a journey that won't see another crash diet or extreme training plan ever again
If you need any help crating the perfectly balanced training plan or want someone to create a delicious menu that will have you looking and feeling amazing take a look at my custom plans