4 things you need to be doing to get results with your fitness + nutrition
If I had a dollar for every time a client asked me “what do I need to do to get the results I want? “ I would have a lot of dollars!
The fact of the matter is, is that in order to achieve your fitness & nutrition goals, there are 4 key principles you need to adhere to (lucky for you, I’ve included them in this blog for you).
These are the 4 most important things you need to be doing to get the results you’re looking for.
1. Take care of your emotional health
Emotional health is the foundation by which all great physical changes & results are achieved. Are you being mindful about the behaviours you’re doing day in & day out? Are you feeling overwhelmed or distracted because what you’re trying to do is too much?
As a woman, we carry a significant emotional load, constantly! Check in with yourself regularly and asses, is what I’m doing working? Can I change anything up to better serve me? For instance, if you’re trying to change too much with your fitness + nutrition too soon, you’re sure to be feeling overwhelmed. Instead, do one thing & one change at a time.
2. Increase your general movement & incidental activity
Incidental activity includes activities such as walking to the office from the car or climbing a flight of stairs to get to the next level of your house with a basket full of laundry. Increasing the ‘incidental activity’ we do each day not only increases our daily step count, but also improves our baseline health.
In Australia, the average step count for men & women is 5,000 steps and the recommended step count is 10,000. Make a conscious effort to add incidental activity into your day to day routine. For instance, you can park further away from your office or the shops so you can walk more, walk at lunchtime in your lunch break, do 10 minutes of yoga or Pilates upon waking up. Whatever you do, walk & move more!
3. Get your 8 hours of sleep!
Now, this is not ground breaking, so I won’t spend a long time on this subject, but please, ensure you’re getting enough rest, recovery and sleep as part of your weekly routine!
As a human being, we require 7-8 hours of sleep a night so our body can refresh & re-energise for the day ahead, as well, give our muscles a chance to regenerate after a workout.
Prioritise your sleep, turn off your devices at least 30 minutes before sleeping and, on the same token, when your body feels like it needs a rest day, take one! Your body always knows best.
4. Balance out your nutrition
‘Good nutrition’ looks like having a balance of carbohydrates, good fats & proteins included at every meal- breakfast, lunch & dinner. However, in order to be sustainable in the long-run, we need to be mindful that we need to actually be enjoying what we’re eating.
I always tell my clients, enjoy the foods you love in ‘moderation’. Allow yourself to eat the chocolate after dinner, ensure you eat all meals of the day (no skipping meals!) and don’t feel the need to count your calories if that doesn’t serve you for where you’re at on your fitness journey, just because you thought you ‘have to’.
Overall, great results form your fitness & nutrition come from finding your balance, getting enough movement in your day & making conscious decisions & choices such as to get the right amount of sleep and put the right fuel into our bodies. Take these points on board & apply them to where you’re at in your fitness journey.
If you want support or have any questions at all, our Limitless Fitness & Nutrition Facebook community has a number of tips, tricks, recipes, resources & practical advice to help you along your fitness journey. Come & join us!