Getting in shape is hard work, and it can often seem like you’re putting in hours at the gym but not seeing results. If you feel like you’re always exercising but your body isn’t responding, then you may need to adjust your daily routine.
Sometimes making a few minor modifications to your diet and fitness plan is all it takes to transform your body.
Practice Meal Prep.
Physical trainers will tell you that healthy eating is the backbone of any fitness program. Your body uses food as fuel, and if you don’t supply it with what it needs, your training will suffer. While many people know they need to eat a well-balanced diet of carbohydrates, fat, and protein for optimal performance, it’s challenging to do. It takes time and planning to prepare three well-balanced meals every day, and it can be hard to squeeze in prep and cook time with everything else you have competing for your attention.
If you have trouble finding time to plan and prepare your meals, start practicing meal prep. Setting aside a few hours every week to plan your menu, shop for groceries, and prepare fruits and vegetables can make a significant difference in your diet. When it’s time to eat, simply check your calendar and get the ingredients you need out of your refrigerator or pantry. If everything is already washed and chopped, you can spend less time cooking and more time enjoying your meals.
Use a Fitness Tracker to Measure Your Progress.
Wearing a fitness tracker can help you push past a fitness plateau by allowing you to set goals, monitor your progress, and track various physiological statistics. To get a more precise measurement of your calories burned and activity level, enter your age, height, and weight into the tracker. This information will enable the device to more effectively monitor your fitness data.
Strap your fitness tracker to your nondominant arm for more accurate results; wearing it on your dominant arm may cause the device to overestimate your activity level. To get the most out of the information your fitness tracker provides, compare your daily results to the previous day, week, and month when evaluating your progress.
Pick a Fitness Challenge.
For some people, vowing to get in shape isn’t enough to achieve results. Sometimes you need to set a measurable goal to see success. For example, consider setting a goal to run in a 5K or complete a triathlon. If you don’t want to commit to a race, you could vow to master five yoga poses, do 25 pushups, or swim for 30 minutes without stopping. Once you’ve completed your goal, set another one.
If you’re not seeing the results you want even though you’re training regularly, it’s time to make some changes. All you need is a few minor adjustments to your daily routine to start seeing big improvements. Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting the right training gear. Try implementing one modification every month. With consistency, you should start seeing positive changes in your energy level, body composition, and overall health.
