There’s
no doubt one of the best things you can do for your overall
health is to make
fitness a regular part of your life. In fact, studies have shown
that even moderate levels of exercise can increase
energy and reduce fatigue, improve
your focus and decision-making, and increase
your creative potential.
Here’s
how to keep yourself motivated and make workouts work for you:
1.
Follow a consistent workout routine. Research suggests
that an early
morning workout is best for establishing — and sticking to — an
exercise routine. But don’t sweat it if you’re not
a morning person. Your body can adapt
to training at any time of day as long as you’re consistent.
2.
Go to the gym at off-peak times. Try to avoid hitting the gym
at its busiest times when everyone else is using your favorite machines and
weights. Exercising during off-peak hours means less waiting, less traffic, and
a more efficient workout. (Bonus points if you go midday to boost
your productivity at work!)
3.
Use your own weight for resistance instead. No gym? No
problem. Bodyweight
exercises involve using your own mass as resistance in a
workout. They’re convenient because they require no equipment and can be done almost
anywhere. They’re also terrific at building your body’s foundation and can be
easily tailored to your personal needs based on the exercise and number of
repetitions. Bodyweight exercises are among my favorite, most underrated ways
to get a workout in.
4.
Find solutions to work out while traveling. “I’m too busy
traveling” and “I can’t find a gym on the road” are other common cop-outs for
skipping a workout. Apps like Gymsurfing (only
available in San Francisco
5.
Try Tabata. Izumi
Tabata (my second-favorite inventor of a popular workout after Royal
H. Burpee) created the Tabata Protocol, which calls for intense
bursts of activity followed by short rests (and then more
brief, intense activity). In some cases, its results may equal other training
programs of much longer duration. It’s one of my favorite ways to cut down on
time and boost efficiency.
6.
Take a group class. Don’t like going it alone? We can
all use some support when trying to start (and stick with) a new training
regimen. Exercising as part of a group brings you together with others who are
facing the same challenges and can understand your struggles. Try taking a yoga, spinning,
or Japanese samurai
sword-fighting class. Having a set time to exercise will help keep
you on track, and the class and instructor will provide a built-in support
system.
7.
Listen
to music. Believe it or not, music
isn’t only a cure for boredom; it’s also a way to improve
performance, increase motivation, and reduce distraction. The most
important aspects of a workout playlist are the tempo and “rhythm response,” or
how much a song makes you want to move. Runners tend to prefer music that’s
about 160 beats per minute, but the motivational effects seem to level out at
145 beats per minute. To start off, here are the
top 10 workout songs (according to Spotify, at least).
8.
Walk and stand more at work. Research
continues to show that prolonged
periods of sitting increase obesity, poor
posture, and chronic pain. A standing
desk at work can help reduce the amount of time you spend
seated. If you have weekly meetings, try to conduct them while walking to
improve blood pressure and stress (among other awesomeness).
9.
Get a workout buddy. Just like going to a class, having a
friend or co-worker who’s doing the same fitness program can add
accountability, encouragement, and fun. One
investigation indicated that training with someone who’s more
fit than you pays even bigger dividends. Another
studyfound that even a virtual training partner can be beneficial
for participants.
10. Hire a trainer. Do you have
a hard time pushing yourself in the gym? Research shows working out with a
trainer can help increase your motivation and intensity during workouts. One study
suggests that working with a trainer helps clients increase
activity while also improving their attitude. Trainers aren’t always easy to
afford, but if you’re committed to the splurge, don’t forget to make
sure the trainer is worth the money.
11. Put your money where your mouth
is. Would
you be more likely to work out if your money were on the line? That’s the
promise of the Pact app,
which helps keep you motivated to accomplish your fitness, health, or eating
goals by putting up a small amount of cash to bet on yourself. If you don’t
stick to your pact, you’ll be paying other app users who do achieve their
goals. A similar community is DietBet,
where you commit money and join a larger pool to stick to your weight loss
goals.
12. Swear a metric sh*t-ton. Strange as
it may sound, researchers explored whether swearing
when in pain improved pain tolerance. It actually benefited
some of the subjects — largely because it induced the “fight or flight”
instinct and accompanying physical reactions. Channel your anger into positive
goals like reaching new personal records in the gym, but don’t assume it’s
healthier to have a potty mouth. A follow-up
examination revealed that the more you curse, the smaller the
effect it has in reducing pain. So maybe not a “metric sh*t-ton,” but a “U.S.-based
short sh*t-ton.”
13. Visualize the exercise. Research
suggests that simply imagining powering through that final set
or finishing that last half-mile can help prepare the body to actually do it.
It sounds crazy, but it’s true. Done properly, visualization can help
you practice the execution of specific motor movements, improve
performance, and even strengthen your intrinsic motivation.
14. Enter a race. Signing up
for a fun run is effective for establishing a fitness routine because it gives
you a concrete goal to work toward and a deadline for achieving it. Check out Active to
browse local races. The
Color Run is one of my favorites!
15. Try the Seinfeld
method. Famous comedian Jerry Seinfeld once revealed the secret he
used to become a better comic. Every day he wrote new material, he would make a
satisfying red “X” on the calendar. After a while, the chain of Xs was
something he felt compelled to continue. Every day that you make it to the gym
(or any other habit you’re trying to pick up), make a large red “X” on your
calendar to hold yourself accountable and stay motivated.
16. Download NudgeMail. It’s
probably my all-time favorite free
email reminder service that will notify you to train (or
anything else, really) whenever you want it to. It’s essentially like sending
yourself an email, but you control its future delivery. I use it for everything
from paying bills to giving myself a motivation boost every morning.
17. Buy an extra pair of underwear
to keep at work. Taking the time upfront to think through reasons you don’t
follow through with healthy activities will pay off later. In my experience,
buying a set of workout clothes to keep at the office, making sure you have a
light gym bag, duplicating your toiletries, finding shampoo and deodorant you
actually look forward to using, and addressing any other random (but important)
excuses now rather than later make a small difference that adds up big time.
Diet Hacks
If you’re trying
to lose weight, the truth is that dietary
changes almost always have an even bigger impact than exercise.
You don’t have to become a vegan or swear off carbs forever to see positive
effects, though.
Instead, here are
a few simple tricks for eating better:
18. Log the food you eat. Studies
show that keeping
track of your food intake can help you lose weight and keep it
off. Tracking
calories may be flawed, but it can work. Apps such as MyFitnessPal and Lose
It! make it easy. Withings also
sells a variety of products to monitor activity, vital signs, and sleep
patterns.
19. Throw out the junk. Stop
everything you’re doing and ditch anything you don’t really want (or need) to
eat. If it’s in front of me, I know I’m probably going to eat it. So get that
stuff far, far away and instead opt for fresh fruits, veggies, and other
nutrient-dense foods.
20. Don’t drink your calories. Many
beverages have sugars, dyes, and flavorings your
body doesn’t need. Even worse, it’s super easy
to pour on the pounds by choosing soda, juice, milk, alcohol,
and other options over water. Even beverages sweetened in other ways (“zero
calories”) are increasingly
linked to weight gain. Quitting soda is one of the easiest ways to
improve nutrition.
21. Substitute cinnamon in your
coffee. Rather than cream and sugar, try
cinnamon for a flavorful kick to your coffee. Every Starbucks has
some. Not only does it have fewer calories than your typical cream, but
cinnamon also has numerous health benefits: It can reduce triglycerides, LDL
(i.e., bad) cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. It also contains antioxidants
to boost the immune system and may even improve brain function. I started
putting cinnamon in my coffee years ago and never looked back. #CinnamonLife
22. Choose a smaller plate. Science
shows that the plate you
choose to eat from influences how
much you put on it. Switch to a smaller plate, and you could reduce your
calorie intake by 20 percent!
23. Choose fresh or frozen over
canned. Vegetables, soups, and beans in cans contain higher
levels of sodium. In addition, canned fruits are often packed full
of excess sugar — negating most health benefits. Frozen fruits and vegetables
maintain more of their nutritional value. This can help you get your smoothie,
egg scramble, or snack without always shopping immediately.
24. Turn off the TV and step away
from your computer when eating. Watching TV (and movies or TV shows on
your computer) while eating is associated
with overeating and poorer food choices. And the unhealthy food and
drink commercials don’t help either! So step away, and focus on your meal when
you can.
25. Replace desserts with
fruit. Fruit is generally a much better way to satisfy your sweet tooth
than traditional desserts. As an added bonus, fruits can provide fiber and
antioxidants, and they can help you avoid the dreaded after-meal sugar crash.
It’s also awesome and almost always available as an option when dining out.
26. Pace yourself. When we eat
quickly, our bodies may
not realize how full they are, which causes overeating. Most
foods take at
least 20 minutes to digest. So enjoy what you have, slow
down, pause before you grab seconds, and stop eating when you feel
full.
27. Stay hydrated. Drinking
plenty of water has a surprising amount of scientifically proven benefits.
It promotes weight loss by lowering your total energy intake and improving
metabolism. An interesting study of
soccer players showed those who drank hydrogen-rich water before heavy exercise
also had more energy due to lower blood lactate levels, so you can think of this
as a fitness strategy, too.
28. Fine yourself for bad behavior. Tell your
friends to politely confront you when you indulge in bad habits, and pay
them a dollar when you’re caught. Your wallet will thank you for
working out, laying off alcohol, and eliminating other behaviors you want to
change.
Happiness Hacks
Research
shows that your mental state can influence your health
incredibly. Negative feelings like stress can actually suppress your immune
system. When you’re looking to improve your health, don’t ignore how your brain
could be affecting the rest of your body.
Here are some
ways to make that easier:
29. Write it down. Research
suggests that writing
down our thoughts and emotions can reduce day-to-day stress. If
they’re tough memories, writing
them down can lessen their hold. If they’re positive, documenting
them can make
you feel more grateful. So break out that Moleskine!
30. Hit the shower before bed. A warm
shower before bedtime can lower body temperature, slowing
down metabolic functions such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion.
It can even help
you sleep thanks to a drop in body temperature. (It’s also a
great place to let your mind wander and come
up with ideas.)
31. Have some dark chocolate or
chewing gum. Dark chocolate helps regulate the
stress hormone cortisol and stabilize your metabolism. Chewing
gum can also reduce cortisol levels. Just thinking about these
makes me happier!
32. Spend time outside (or at least
look at pictures of nature). Besides the sunlight exposure
(which has all sorts of benefits), stepping outside for
15 minutes a day has been
linked to better mental health. Even just looking at photos can
increase positivity, happiness, and emotional stability.
33. Meditate. It’s
incredible how much research supports
meditation’s health benefits, but don’t be intimidated like I once
was. It’s super simple to start with popular apps like Headspace and Calm.com.
And then, when it’s time, there are also tons of unexpected
ways to go deeper.
34. Do a crossword puzzle. Games that
require concentration such as crosswords, Sudoku puzzles, or Lumosity’s
programs help take
your mind off stress and improve
focus.
35. Savor the aroma. It’s true:
The simple act of smelling your
morning coffee can help lower stress.
36. Complain some. Don’t like the
morning coffee smell? Then whine a bit. Voicing concerns effectively can help
your mental health, especially
if it leads to results.
37. Sleep
better. Some scientists say sleep is the single
most important health behavior. In fact, skimping on sleep has
been linked to everything from obesity
to heart disease. It’s easy to overlook, so any little thing that improves
the quality of your sleep helps.
38. Drink less (or at least drink
smarter). Science says boozing can disrupt sleep by preventing
chemical interactions that take place during deeper stages of your sleep cycle.
In other words, you may fall asleep after a long night out, but the quality of
sleep isn’t the same. Similarly, people
who sleep less tend to drink more. It’s a vicious cycle. You don’t
have to give up drinking completely, but being smart about it could have a huge
impact on your sleep.
39. Cut off caffeine after 2 p.m. It takes a
normal person longer
than you’d thinkto digest caffeine. So try to lay
off the java, soda, or energy drinks after lunch, or you’ll
have an unexpected bedtime boost.
40. Avoid screens before bed. Your phone,
television, and computer all have screens that emit artificial or blue light.
Since we spend 90
percent of our waking hours staring at “glowing rectangles,” that’s
definitely a problem. This light suppresses
the release of melatonin, which helps you fall asleep. Use a
program like f.lux to
change your computer’s harsh glow, or plan a time in the evening to put your
cell phone to bed.
41. Skip the snooze button. I used to
be a dedicated snoozer, but then I heard that hitting the snooze button likely disrupts
deep REM sleep, leading
to less restful sleep and basically making the extra 10 minutes
of snoozing anti-productive. If hitting snooze makes me feel more sluggish,
count me out.
42. Distance yourself from the
alarm. If you can’t resist hitting snooze, try moving the alarm
clock across the room so you’re forced to get out of bed to turn it off. There
are also all kinds of creative, wacky alarm clocks that will fly
away, roll
around the room, or even force
you to put a puzzle together before they stop blaring.
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