MARCH 2 0 2 1 T3 5In association with
Before you get startedissue is not the act of sitting, but the lack of
movement. Standing up from time to time
is important. Be more NEAT. NEAT is short
for ‘Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis’
and although this sounds a very complex
something, it really isn’t.(^1) BE PATIENT
The important thing first of all
is easing yourself into your new habits.
Despite what many actors and fitness
influencers on Instagram would like you
to believe, changes to your physique and
health don’t happen overnight. No one
can build 10kg of lean muscle in three
months who never worked out before,
nor can you lose all the weight and keep
it off in just 30 days.
Being healthy is more important
than a before/after post on social media.
Gradual changes and sustaining a healthy
lifestyle will have long term benefits, as
opposed to adopting the most punishing
workouts right away and finding the
impossible to keep up.
Apply small changes first and scale up
the efforts gradually to ensure the lifestyle
shift won’t come as shock to your body.
We all react to exercise differently and
paying attention to your body is
paramount if you seek long term results.
(^2) CHALLENGE YOURSELF
A good way to kickstart a new,
healthier year is by setting up a challenge
for yourself. This doesn’t have to be
anything difficult: you can just pick up
a fitness wearable and do a 30-day step
challenge. Every day, you must hit
10,000 steps, no matter what.
This is a great way to keep you going,
even on those days when you really can’t
be bothered to do a more complicated
exercise routine. Even if you miss a day,
that’s fine: do as many days as possible
within the month. Every step you take
will bring you closer to a healthier you.
(^3) GET MOBILE
We sit too much. And we all know
that sitting for too long is not healthy. The
(^4) CREATE A WORKOUT SPACE
Thanks to the pandemic and the
subsequent lockdown, many of us re-
evaluated their fitness efforts and came to
the conclusion that you can workout and
get fit at home. Home workouts are not
without caveats but they are by far the most
convenient and cost-effective way to get fit.
We recommend finding your own space
and time for the workouts (if you can); you
can do yoga while your significant other is
watching the telly next to you, but having
a dedicated area and time where you can
focus on yourself helps getting in the
right mindset.
(^5) WEAR THE RIGHT GEAR
Put on your gym kit. The right
clothes can make us feel the part. Just
because you’re at home, it doesn’t mean
you can’t dress for the occasion. Comfy,
stretchy activewear and trainers are easier
to move around in too. Let’s face it: lunging
in skinny jeans is going to be tricky!
(^6) STICK ON SOME TUNES
Put on some music. Listening to
music while exercising doesn’t just relieve
boredom, it can help improve the quality of
your workout too, by increasing your
stamina and putting you in a better mood.
The lyrics or catchy rhythm of motivational
music will inspire you to exercise longer or
work harder during your exercise routine.
(^7) DRINK MORE WATER
Another obvious thing to do if
you want to kickstart your metabolism is
to drink plenty of... water. Not fizzy drinks,
not coffee/tea: water. Having enough water
in your system will help your cells to
regenerate quicker, toxins to be emptied
out of your system more efficiently, and
just in general, for you to be more healthy.
“Despite what
many influencers
on Instagram
would like you to
believe, changes
to your physique
and health
don’t happen
overnight”
NEAT happens when you aren’t
stationary. NEAT is your body exercising
when you aren’t actually exercising. NEAT
is using small amount of energy often. How
can you include more NEATness in your
life? Stand up from your desk and get some
water more often. Take the stairs instead
of getting the elevator.
Being more NEAT means you burn
calories without having to sweat through
a HIIT workout. You should do both if you
can but including more NEAT in your day
can help you in a lot of ways in itself.