Maximum Gain, Minimum effort: How To Make 2020 Your Easiest Yet
Whether you’re getting fit or staying fit, we want to help you make 2020 your easiest year yet. You wouldn’t believe how much a few tweaks to your usual routine can affect your performance and motivation. Here are five of our top tips to make the process easier.
What are you wearing?
Activewear is about more than just aesthetics; it needs to support movement and protect against injury. It’s no exaggeration to say that good sports bra is foundational to success. If you have a large chest, you’ll already know the discomfort of trying to do anything vigorous while wearing the wrong bra. Even if you have small breasts, the extra strain brought on by exercise can take its toll on your shoulders and back. Invest in a good sports bra and feel the difference for yourself. High compression leggings will keep those wobbly bits in control too.
Appropriate footwear, please!
Your trainers need to match the exercise you’re doing otherwise you can permanently damage the bones in your feet. Your flexibility, cushion and shock absorption requirements will all depend on your frame and activity level, so the best course of action is to go to a specialist shoe shop and get tailored advice from an assistant. Don’t want to buy a new pair of trainers? Ask for sports insoles instead.
Get the kids involved
It’s true that having a gym buddy helps keep your motivation up; however, finding someone who can sync with your schedule is easier said than done. Instead of going with a friend, get the kids involved. Lots of gyms offer youth classes that combine exercise with play. While they do that, you can grab some workout time – and some peace!
Pump up the tunes!
It’s amazing what a good playlist can do for your motivation. Studies have shown that listening to energetic tunes while performing cardio and strength exercises can help you to push yourself further and make the session feel as if it’s passing faster. There are countless playlists available on music apps, often curated to complement a specific activity, so get your headphones on and crank up the volume.
Snack happy
One of the biggest diet pitfalls is trying to choose something to eat while hungry. Your brain is hardwired to reach for foods that provide an instantaneous energy boost, i.e. those that are high in fat or sugar. To get around this, plan a snack time between meals so that your hunger doesn’t build up. You should also pre-prepare what you’re going to eat. For example, instead of taking a bag of nuts to work, put a handful in a container and only bring this. Doing so will remove the temptation to overeat.