Do you want to improve your overall health and fitness by focusing on getting lean and fit? It’s a goal that many people have, but it’s also one that can be daunting to achieve. Sure, it’s great to imagine being in healthier shape, but realistically, how do you get there? What are the steps you need to take, what are the kinds of results you can expect, and just how quickly can you make them happen?
The best advice for those looking to get lean and fit is to just get started. It will always seem a bit scary, there will always be questions, and there is no guarantee you will hit your goals as quickly or smoothly as you hoped. But the fact is that if you don’t jump right in and start, then those goals will never be successful. So, in the spirit of just jumping in and getting started, here are some basic ways you can get lean and fit starting now.
Document Your Starting Point and Track Progress
Here’s a tip that is absolutely essential in your journey to better health. You need to document your starting point and then track your progress along the way. This is the very best way to shine a light on how successful your efforts are so that you can also know when you need to make adjustments to what you’re doing.
This means taking measurements of your waist, hips, thighs, chest/bust, and arms; weighing yourself, and calculating your starting lean body mass which identifies your total body fat. Each of these measurements will be needed to paint a complete picture of your current physical health.
Experts often recommend using a fitness app to input all your measurements, and then track them moving forward. Ideally, you’ll want to take these measurements every four weeks to show how much progress you have made. This can identify when you’re hitting your short-term goals, if you have reached a plateau, or if you are actually sliding backward and not getting the results that you’re after.
All Exercise is Good Exercise
It’s also time to address your mindset. If you’re of the belief that only a hardcore hour-long workout at the gym five days a week will do it, it’s time to think again. The simple fact is that at the end of the day, all exercise counts. Every time you are physically active, you are doing your body well. So, that means there is no need to come up with excuses about not hitting the gym, as there are so many exercises you can do at home that will accomplish the same results.
Sometimes it can be helpful to see exercise in a broader term too. Although weight lifting and using the cardio machines is wonderful, there are other ways you can work out that don’t actually feel like you’re doing a workout. These can include:
- Biking
- Hiking
- Walking
- Swimming
- Dance classes
- Skateboarding
- Yoga
- Household chores
- Trampolining
- Skating
- Rock climbing
- Tennis
The list truly goes on and on. There are so many activities that will get you up and moving that don’t feel like traditional exercise. These can prove to be a lot more fun and engaging, which can motivate you to work out more often.
What You Eat Plays a Huge Role
While it’s impossible to get lean and fit if you’re not exercising on a regular basis, your diet will also play a huge role in your success. This doesn’t mean you need to go on a crash diet, but it does mean you need to be mindful of what you eat. Focusing on a healthy well-balanced diet is a simple way to look at it. This means making sure you don’t eat more than the recommended calories per day, making sure you get lots of lean protein, eating plenty of fresh vegetables, and cutting back on fats and sugars that don’t help your body.
You can find all kinds of basic meal plans online that will address such things as weight loss, building lean muscle, toning up, and so forth. Just pick the ones that line up with your goals, and that feature foods and recipes that are easily accessible for you.
It’s Simple but True
These tips can come off as overly simple, especially when you factor in how much time it can take to get lean and fit. The fact is that the very core of getting in shape is simple
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