7 small changes to get fitter, according to a fitness expert

According a YouGov survey, almost 3 in 5 of Britons set a new year’s resolution for 2023
to do more exercise or improve their fitness. However, by the end of February you
might be finding it difficult to stay motivated. The key to a healthy lifestyle is to make
small changes that you can stick to for a long time. These are the sorts of things that
might seem unimportant but can have a big impact in terms of weight loss and overall
health.
In January, most people find motivation by setting new year resolutions—but they often
set goals that are too large, or too fast to be sustainable. They also tend to focus on just
one goal at a time (such as losing weight) instead of looking at all the little things that
add up to create a healthy lifestyle. The key here is finding small tweaks you can make
every day that create long-term habits. Joanna Dase, fitness expert at Curves.eu has
shared the small changes you need to make.

1) Take the stairs
You’d be surprised how your actions become habits. If you enter a shop and you’re
faced with escalators and stairs, you’re more than likely to choose the escalators.
However, taking the stairs will increase your step count and leg power. If there are too
many flights of stairs for you to take, use the lift or escalators for halfway and walk the
rest. Getting used to stair climbing will help you build and maintain healthy bones and
joints.
2) Choose a hilly route
To make a change from ground level, walk uphill. Find a route which includes a higher
elevation, this will increase the resistance and challenges your cardiovascular system.
Whilst downhill might feel like an easy task, it does provide your body with benefits.
Downhill walking trains your body in deceleration and makes use of different muscles
and joints. As people age, downhill walking is important to maintain as it can prevent
falls.
3) Incorporate strength training
It’s not always easy to make time for a full workout. If you’re looking for a way to work
more metabolism-revving muscle into your routine without spending more time at the
gym, try bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups. They’re simple, convenient,
and can be done at home. Bodyweight exercises can help you build muscle and burn
calories at the same time. It’s all about working different muscles throughout your body
(think: upper and lower body moves), so if you do a set of push ups in between sets of
squats, your whole body will be engaged and burning calories while you work out.
4) Eat smart
The best thing for your body is to eat a small meal about two hours before working out.
This gives you time for the food to digest and gives fuel for energy during your exercise
session. Choose foods that are strong in protein and calcium such as oats with eggs.
Don’t skip breakfast, eat regular meals to create a routine, avoid too many high
saturated fats and reduce your alcohol consumption. A consistent healthy diet will set
to you on the path of weight loss but also reduce any risk of weight related health
problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

5) Use low calorie cooking spray
Cutting calories is one of the most tried and tested ways to help you lose weight. But
this doesn’t have to come from your food shop. You can also cut calories by changing
some of your kitchen’s “extras” that you don’t really think about. Switching out regular
oil for a low-calorie spray option can save you up to 100 calories a day. Although it’s not
a huge difference, every little bit helps.
6) Get enough sleep
When you’re sleep deprived, you don’t have the energy to make healthy choices. That’s
why it’s so important to create a sleep schedule that works for you and stick to it. When
you’re tired, you tend to compensate with fatty and sugary foods. Not getting enough
sleep can also take its toll on your mood. All of these things can add up to weight gain
over time, which is why getting at least seven hours of sleep every night is so important.
7) Move your alarm clock
It’s not always easy to get up early to exercise, but getting in a workout before your day
starts is a lot easier than squeezing one in after work. If you need to get up early to
exercise or it just doesn’t happen, try putting your alarm clock across the room instead
of on your nightstand. Once you have got up to turn it off, you might as well keep going!

This piece was brought to you by the experts at curves.eu