I love talking about health & fitness. In fact, I noticed that when the topic was brought up at a digital marketing conference earlier this week, I immediately become more animated! Talking about fitness often leads to questions about what I do and what I recommend. One of the more common questions I hear from all types of people is…
What is the Best Way to Get Fit?
Can you guess what my answer is? I’ll give you a hint…it is NOT running, triathlon, or lifting.
The answer?
Anything that gets you moving & you enjoy!!
What that means for me might be different from what that means for you. I have friends who enjoy tennis, but that is not a fun sport to me. I just don’t get it and I would dread heading to the court for a tennis match. Those same friends think I’m a little crazy when I talk about my plans to compete in another bikini competition.
And that’s okay!
What’s important is that you’re moving a little more and (probably) eating a little less. You want to find a way to move that you look forward to most of the time! Something fun that gets your heart rate going is something you are much more likely to stick with for the long run. If you don’t enjoy running, will you really stick with it a year from now? If you’re stubborn (like me) you might, but maybe that’s not the right fit for you.
There are so many different ways to get out and get moving! I asked for suggestions on Facebook yesterday to help me build out this list:
- Walking
- Running
- Road Cycling
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Weightlifting
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Kickboxing
- Dance
- Mountain Biking
- Crossfit
- Kettlebells
- Plyo
- Golf (no cart)
It’s very possible to do some of these activities at a casual pace that doesn’t raise your heart rate too much, so think about your effort level (or heart rate). You can make any of these activities more challenging by moving at a faster pace, adding an incline, or increasing the resistance.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend least 2.5 hours (150 minute) of moderate-aerobic exercise (plus 2 days of strength exercise), which means you need to put a little more effort into it. By getting active, you will improve your heart health, weight control, prevent disease, improve your mood, reduce tension, and improve your sleep quality. Plus you will look better and feel better. Those two alone are enough for me!
Now you know that there’s no RIGHT way to get in shape. So it’s time to get started (or recommited) today. Don’t wait for Monday. Or the first of the month. Or whatever other time you have in mind. Start right now – there will never be a perfect time.
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Questions for you:
- What’s YOUR favorite way to get fit?
- Is there an activity you’ve always wanted to try?