10 Steps to Ultimate Fitness
From drinking more water to managing your meals and working out, here are the 10 best steps to achieve ultimate fitness:
1. Drink Water.
2. Eat Small Regular Meals at least 5 times a day.
3. Do Resistance Training. It’s a MUST!
4. Run. Jog. Skip. Do Stairs. Do Something to elevate your heart rate!
5. Set Goals.
6. Write Everything Down.
7. Seek Expertise from a Fitness Professional
8. Become a Self-Manager.
9. Find a Fitness Partner.
10. Do Everything you do for YOU.
And now, the details.
1. Drink Water.
Your body is composed of above 70% water. People regularly consume beverages with caffeine and alcohol that are diuretics (resulting in water being flushed from your system). Your joints are surrounded by synovial fluid to minimize friction during movement. That fluid is made of mainly water. Dehydration results in that fluid getting tacky (such as when you don’t change the oil in your car) which increases friction in your joints. This can also result in joint pain.
Water also aids in digestion, transportation of vitamins and nutrients, removal of waste and toxins, and fat burning.
2. Eat Small Regular Meals at least 5 times a day.
Your body needs a small regular intake of fuel throughout the day to function optimally. This helps to regulate insulin (an important hormone in metabolism and carbohydrate regulation). Irregular food consumption results in an insulin spike, followed quickly by a crash (and also results in carbohydrates being stored in fat cells).
3. Do Resistance Training. It’s a MUST!
By adding muscle tissue to your frame, whether it’s big bulky muscle, or small lean muscle, your metabolism immediately boosts. Your body must work harder to feed the new muscle, therefore resulting in an increase in the number of calories you need to consume daily.
4. Run. Jog. Skip. Do Stairs. Do Something to elevate your heart rate!
Your heart is the life-force that supplies your body with everything essential for life. The only way to exercise this very important muscle is by doing exercise that elevates your heart rate for an extended period of time (1/2 hr three times per week is a BARE MINIMUM).
5. Set Goals.
The fastest way to make gains is by setting goals. It has been proven that by making small attainable goals and writing them down, you will achieve your desired level of fitness quicker. Make sure you can measure your progress. Simply saying that weight loss is a goal isn’t enough. Start with a weight loss goal of 10 pounds, at a rate of 2 pounds per week.
6. Write Everything Down.
Record everything from what you eat to when you exercised and exactly what you did. That way, not only are you able to mark your progress, but if you are not working towards your goals as quickly as you like, a fitness professional will be able to tell you where to make changes by examining your fitness log.
7. Seek Expertise from a Fitness Professional
You see a doctor when you’re sick, you take your car to a mechanic, and you see a dentist for teeth cleaning. Why? Because they are all experts in their field. So when it comes to your body, you need to seek the advice of a qualified fitness professional. They should be University or College educated in a health-related program, as well as being certified in a personal training course and in first aid and CPR. Be picky when choosing a personal trainer. Ask to see their credentials. Also try to look for a personality match. Keep in mind this is someone you want to ‘mesh’ with.
8. Become a Self-Manager.
Ultimately, you are responsible for you. Make promises to yourself to exercise and keep them! Plan your meals and cook them ahead of time. Plan ‘cheat meals’ once per week, but only reward yourself if you have stuck to your meal plan throughout the week. Self-Managers determine their own goals, objectives and expectations. They evaluate their performance of the activity, and evaluate the results. They also seek resources for self-improvement and development (1). Take action in what you do and be proud for being proactive!
9. Find a Fitness Partner.
It is much easier to keep a promise you make to someone else than to keep one you make to yourself. Planning workouts over the week with a partner is a great way to stay committed. Also, on those days you don’t have energy or feel like pushing yourself, a good training partner can be there to push you.
10. Do Everything you do for YOU.
You should ask yourself WHY am I doing this? Why am I exercising? Why am I eating healthy? Many people have different motivational factors, but ultimately you should want to do everything for yourself. It will give you a much higher sense of satisfaction when you start achieving the goals YOU set.
Footnotes:
(1) The Principles of Self-Management. John C. Marshall, Bob McHardy. 1999, Selection Testing Consultants International Ltd.
