By: Julia Lette
As the warmer weather begins to set, it becomes slightly easier to work out and get your body ready for summer. However, it’s still easy to lose motivation and neglect your health and fitness regime. Listed below are top tips for staying fit and healthy.
Pick your time right
Exercising first thing in the morning is ideal because it will prevent you from skipping it later in the day when other activities may pop up. If you’re unable to exercise before work, plan your day and pack your exercise gear so that you can exercise before you return home after work. It’s really difficult to leave the house once you’re comfortable.
Stretch and warm up
The last thing you want is to be sidelined from working out from from injuries.
Always warm up sufficiently before your workout and stretch properly afterwards to ensure you stay injury free.
Make the most of every moment
Sometimes it can be impossible to set aside a block of time for a workout but this doesn’t mean you have to forgo exercise altogether. Look for ways to integrate exercise into your day. Rather than driving to work, leave a little bit earlier and walk some or all of the way instead. At lunchtime, grab a scarf and go for a vigorous 20-minute walk or try a lunchtime boxing or yoga class.
Supercharge Your Immune System
In order to strengthen your defenses and achieve your weight goal, supercharge your immune system by incorporating immune boosting foods into your diet. Plant foods are rich sources of all the essential nutrients that your immune system needs to function effectively. Green leafy vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and seeds are all nutritional powerhouses and are rich sources of vitamin E, vitamin C and zinc.
Don’t let a cold ruin your routine
Regardless of how often you exercise and how well you eat, illness is sometimes unavoidable, even in the warmer weather. If a cold does catch you, there’s no need to stop exercising altogether. Instead, try gentler activities such as walking and stretching to maintain good habits. Keeping your routine will make it easier to get back into your regular regime when you’re back to feeling 100 per cent.