Follow these 5 tips on how to stay fit and healthy the easy way on National Fitness Day
How to maintain a fit healthy lifestyle the easy way
With an estimated one in four adults obese* or overweight in the UK, it’s become more essential than ever to know how to live a fit and healthy lifestyle. From fad diets to miracle pills, there are many confusing and dangerous methods out there, making it difficult to understand exactly what needs to be done.
To help get the nation get active this National Fitness Day (Wednesday 27th September) personal trainer and Cellucor athlete Andy Ward, shares his top five tips to live a fit and healthy life.
Andy Ward commented: “Staying fit and healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or daunting when you incorporate a mixture of regular exercise, a balanced nutritional plan, and a solid sleep routine. Combining these three steps is easy to do, sometimes it’s just knowing how best to implement these into our daily routines so following my five top tips is a great way to ease yourself into a new healthier routine.”
Take it step by step
Sitting at a desk all day and working through lunch breaks often means that many of us spend more time sat down than we do moving, meaning the number of daily steps we take remains low. Using a fitness tracker to monitor your daily movement will be a step in the right direction, so make sure that you hit a minimum of 10,000 steps per day to help burn an additional 3.5k calories extra a week!
2. Workout wonders!
As the dark mornings and early evenings set in, it can leaves us feeling tired and drained by 5pm, with little energy left to hit the gym. Sometimes all that’s needed is an energy boost to heighten focus and increase the urge to tackle your workout. Using a pre-workout supplement such as C4 Original (available from Dolphin Fitness RRP: £25.99 for 195g, £35.49 for 390g) is a great way to awaken the muscles and give you an instant energy hit.
3. Let’s talk H2O
Hydration is key to maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle. Whether it’s helping your digestive system function correctly, or assisting nutrient absorption and chemical reactions in the body, water really is your body’s best friend. Aim to drink 2 litres of water per day to not only stay hydrated, but also to help your body metabolise stored fat and reduce fatty deposits – making it easier to keep off the lbs!
4. Pillow talk
Most of us don’t need any excuse to spend more time in bed, but if you do, this tip is just the ticket! Making sure that you sleep for around 7-8 hours per night will not only help repair muscle tissue – making results from the gym show more quickly – but will also help increase concentration and productivity – helping you stay focused in the gym! Getting a bad night’s sleep can also be linked to weight gain* with those who sleep for 6 hours or less showing a waistline 1.2 inches larger than those who consistently get 7-8 hours sleep.
5. Snack safely!
Snacking on naughty treats can throw a good diet plan out of the window and cancel out all of the hard work spent meal-prepping and exercising. Being sensible with the snacks we pick up on-the-go will help you stay on track, so keep cravings at bay with a healthy high protein snack such as a chopped apple with a dollop of peanut butter, Skyr yoghurt, or a protein bar such as FitJoy (available from discountsupplements.co.uk, £2.49 each) – all are healthy, convenient snack options, high in protein and low in sugar.
*Figures taken from NHS Choices
** Figures taken from the National Diet & Nutrition Survey
