Trained Sports Blog

7 Tips for Keeping Fit

by Christopher Toal on May 19, 2021

7 Tips for Keeping Fit

If you want to get fit and healthy, sadly there are no short cuts or magic pills you can take which will get you to where you want to be quickly. Getting fit and healthy takes a lot of time, hard work, dedication and discipline. One thing that is for certain however, is that in the end, it will all be worth it.

Every journey has to begin with that first step, and that is especially true when talking about getting in shape. We know that getting fit, and indeed, keeping fit, is difficult but once you make the decision and get started, every day will become that little bit easier.

One of the main reasons why people struggle to get fit and keep fit is because there is so much conflicting information out there regarding getting in shape. Head over to one fitness blog or YouTube channel and they’ll tell you to do one thing, and yet if you head over to another they’ll tell you to do the complete opposite, so where do you begin? Well, that’s where we come in.

If you wish to get fit and stay fit, here are several tried and tested tips for keeping fit.

Find exercises you actually enjoy doing

Notice how we said exercise, rather than exercise? When getting in shape, it’s always wise to switch things up and try different things. When trying different things however, try to look for exercises that you enjoy doing, or that you think you’ll enjoy doing.

If you enjoy the exercises you’re doing, the thought of working out won’t demotivate you and leave you full of dread and despair. In reality, it will do the exact opposite as you’ll be motivated instead.

We can’t tell you which exercises to do because we have no idea what you enjoy doing, and what you don’t. As long as it is physically active, it raises your heart rate, and it burns calories however, it’s going to be beneficial so find activities you enjoy doing.

Set yourself small goals

If you want to get fit, or keep fit, goal setting is hugely important. Without any goals, you will have nothing to aim for and you will therefore likely not work as hard as you could and should.

If you want to get super fit for example, your ultimate goal could be to run a marathon or a10k. Before you get to your end goal however, you’ll need to set smaller achievable goals on the way.

Sticking with the marathon theme, if you are doing a lot of running, set yourself a target distance to run each workout, and don’t stop until you’ve achieved it. The next time, your goal could be to run a little further, or to run the same distance but in a quicker time.

Always, always warm up

Whether you’re a fitness newbie, or a professional athlete, you should always, always warm up before any physical exercise.

Warming up before you exercise will not only reduce your risk of an injury such as a muscle pull or tear, but it will also increase your core temperature, boost blood flow and oxygen transportation, and help increase your energy levels during the workout.

Focus on nutrition

When people make a decision to get fit, often they’ll focus solely on what they’re doing in the gym, athletics track, or anywhere else, rather than what they’re eating and drinking.

Don’t get us wrong, exercise is crucial when getting/keeping fit, but so too is a healthy diet and good nutrition. If you’re eating the wrong foods, drinking too much sugar and/or alcohol, and not getting enough nutrients, it doesn’t matter how much exercise you do, your fitness levels won’t improve as much as they should.

Focus on plenty of lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and nutrient rich foods like fruits and vegetables. Instead of sugary beverages or alcohol, drink plenty of water, and try to keep unhealthy meals to a minimum, perhaps as a treat meal(meal, not day) once per week.

Be consistent

Consistency, both in the gym and the kitchen, is vital if you’re serious about getting fit and keeping fit.

When exercising, don’t just exercise when you feel like it and try to squeeze a workout in here and there, instead set aside a number of days each week which are dedicated fitness days where you will exercise.

Ideally, a good starting figure is 3 – 4 days each week whereby you will exercise, though as you do get fitter and healthier, you may want to increase this to 5 and possibly even 6 days.

As for your diet, 99.9% of the time you need to be healthy if you want to make any real progress ,so as mentioned before, keep those treat meals to a maximum of once per week.

Don’t forget to rest

Despite the fact that exercise is of course essential for anybody trying to get fit and keep fit, people often underestimate the importance of rest, and then wonder why they aren’t progressing as fast as they should be.

Rest days are equally as important as training days when it comes to health and fitness, in fact, some would argue they’re more important. If you’re training 7 days per week, or are going to the gym.