It’s 2018 Fitties and New Year’s resolutions are in full force. Health companies are rubbing their hands together at the thought of everyone spending their hard-earned cash on some ridiculous detox teas, weight loss pills or possibly the worst I’ve come across so far – a fat burning vest! Apparently just wearing it aids fat loss and tones your muscles, go figure?!
Well it got me laughing though so I guess that’s healthy. However, let me be clear on ONE thing just in case you find yourself curious about any of these products. ALL of them – that’s right, every single one of them – is simply a fad with no real evidence to show it actually works. You’re simply wasting your time and money.
The good news is there are in fact plenty of practical and highly effective things you can do to aid your fat loss journey whilst improving your health that don’t cost a penny. That’s right, they’re completely free.
Check them out:
1) Get More Sleep
I know, I know this is easier said than done, especially when their are little people involved or if you’re a shift worker, but you can still give it your best shot and improve your sleep quality with the following:
- Get to bed EARLIER: nothing drastic but if you’re honest with yourself you could easily hit the sack 15-30 minutes earlier each night. I often find myself faffing around on my phone or mindlessly watching TV when what I really need is SLEEP. Switching off technology helps here and remember an extra 30 minutes each night is a whooping three and half hours extra each week.
- Reduce caffeine consumption: Caffeine stays in the system longer than you think, potentially around 7-15 hours, so don’t go crazy on the stuff and try to limit your intake to before noon.
- Create a relaxing environment: Dim the lights, perhaps even light some candles in the evening to create a cosy and relaxing space and reduce the brightness on your phone. This is a great way to help you unwind and lets your body know it’s time for some quality zzzzzz.
- Avoid anything that has the potential to wind you up: if needs be stay off social media, email and limit phone use if it might trigger you. It’s not easy and I can be nightmare for just checking subconsciously before bed which more often than not leaves me unsettled or feeling a bit negative…..sort it out Matt!
2) Chew Your Food Properly
Ok technically speaking you would have to purchase food in order to chew it, so maybe this one costs something but you can see where I’m going 😉 Simply taking your time to chew your food properly is essential for both fat loss and health. Not only does chewing kickstart and aid the digestive process, increasing your bodies ability to absorb more nutrients, it also reduces bloating, digestive discomfort and supports healthy appetite regulation and blood sugar regulation. Therefore not only will you feel more energised and satiated after eating you’re also less likely to make a lot of noises with your bum so worth noting if that happens a lot!
3) Walk Daily
We’re huge fans of walking for many reasons, although we no longer have a choice since getting our dog Hamish! Walking is massively underrated and not only does it increase your calorie output. it’s also a great way to clear your mind, gather your thoughts and aid your workout recovery. Daily movement is such an underrated aspect of physical activity and easy to increase across your day just by making a little extra effort to walk more, don’t be lazy when faced with choices, take the stairs and walk part of your commute or during your lunch break. It all adds up to a lifestyle of positive change, plus you get the additional benefit of being outside more and breathing in plenty of fresh air which is fantastic for your mood.
4) Do a Quick Bodyweight Workout
You know those days when you’re crazy busy and no longer have time to go to the gym as planned?
Well fear not because a quick bodyweight workout at home, in the garden or in the park wills suffice. Workouts like this are highly effective and do not cost you a thing – no gym membership, no equipment cost, nada!
All of my private clients have some quick full body bodyweight workouts at their disposal for situations just like this or to follow when travelling with work. It’s amazing what you can achieve in a short space of time when you know how!
Here are a few examples of effective bodyweight workouts that are super short but oh so sweet:
Disclaimer: These workouts are simply suggestions and I highly recommend a thorough warm up beforehand, just because you’re pushed for time don’t be tempted to dive straight into an intense workout!
Descending Pyramid
Perform the following exercises back to back and complete 3-5 rounds (depending on ability level) with as little rest as possible. Feel free to reduce or increase the reps based on your ability level and also add weight if you have access to some dumbbells to progress the exercises.
A1) 20 squats
A2) 15 step back lunges each leg
A3) 10 push ups
A4) 5 knee to opposite elbow each side
15-20 Minute Blast
Perform each exercise at max effort for 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds between each and complete 3-4 rounds.
A1) High knee to sprawl combo (do 6 high knees then 1 sprawl and repeat)
A2) Bulgarian split squat right leg
A3) Bulgarian split squat left leg
A4) V sit ups
A5) Plank ups
16 Minute Full body Blitz
Perform the following exercises as a circuit, perform each at max effort for 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds between exercises and complete 4 rounds for 16 minutes total.
A1) Sumo jump squats
A2) Plank ups
A3) Sprawls
A4) Russian twists
Go For a Run
After a quick warm up you could just get out for a run, if really pushed for time increase your pace over a short distance.
5) Spend More Time With People You Actually Like
Sounds like an obvious one yet something many people forget to do!
This comes off the back of having had an amazing time with family over Christmas and enjoying good food, conversation, games, lots of laughter, creating happy memories and capturing them with great photos. Every time we do this we think “that was amazing, we should do it more often!”
How will this help you lose fat and improve your health? Quite simply when you’re happy and enjoying yourself you seek less external reward, i.e. less sugar, booze, caffeine, etc., etc., you get the picture. Social interaction, with the right people, is an essential component of health.
So there you have it, 5 things you can implement immediately that won’t cost you anything,
Now remember these quick free tips are a great place start, but there are some health and fat loss plans and services that DO get great results, we’ve seen it first hand with our Fitter 16 our Lifestyle Transformation Plan. So if you are ready to take things up a gear and invest in creating lasting, positive change then we highly recommend you check it out, PLUS it’s never been more cost effective to sign up and make a change as for a limited time you can get access to all 16 weeks for just £97, so there’s never been a better time to join us as we work together to help you achieve the results you deserve on Fitter 16.
If you’re determined that 2018 is the year you finally commit to your own health and well being and want to achieve great results by eating awesome food, following a structured training plan with education and support every step of the way then it’s the right investment for you.
One final thing, whatever you do in 2018 it’s also vital that you put your own health and wellbeing first on the agenda. In fact Keris wrote an amazing blog about this recently which you should definitely check out if you haven’t already!
