10 Tips To Get Fit Fast in a Week

Fitness and health have become significant issues as the nation's obesity levels continue to climb. Yet for many of us, the idea of spending hours in a gym running on a treadmill can be less than appealing, but it doesn't have to be that way with smart exercises and healthy living that can get you the fitness results you want, quicker.

The key is to exercise and live smartly and healthily to maximize your body's work out results. Below are ten tips that you can use to improve your fitness and attitude to exercising and lifestyle.

10 Tips for Getting Fit Fast

Set Goals

Exercising and fitness have to be more than merely going to the gym when you feel like it. People work better when there is an end goal in sight, and fitness is no different. Many people aim to lose weight. While this is the aim, it's not a goal, and you will lose motivation quickly if you are trying to 'lose weight.'

Instead, set yourself mini targets. Start with how much you want to lose all up, then decide on what amount of time you want to lose it in. It would help if you tried to have these numbers as relatively even as most personal trainers and fitness experts' recommended, only losing 1 to 2 kilos per week for healthy weight loss. By doing this, you will have given yourself a schedule to operate within and a way to monitor your progress.

As a side note, it is always helpful to have some outfit that you are aiming to fit into. This can act as an even more excellent motivator that the scales as it will accurately reflect how your body is changing.

Mix Up Your Exercise Routine

When taking on an exercise regimen, it is essential to continually change your routine to give your different muscles time to recover and keep yourself from getting bored. Exercise should cover all the different areas of the body, but not necessarily within the one training session.

A weekly exercise program should involve:

• cardiovascular - aerobics, running, brisk walking, stepping, skipping rope, rowing
• resistance training - weights or using body weight such as push-ups
• flexibility - stretching

Fitness Tip: In resistance training, if you want to build big muscles, then train with heavyweights combined with low repetitions. However, if you wish to lean muscles, use lighter weights combined with high repetitions.

Stick to a Regular Work out Schedule

When you start your fitness regime, it is essential to have consistency. This means completing several training sessions per week. Ideally, most people would do between two and five exercising sessions depending on how fast they want results. When discussing a training session, this means anywhere from 30 mins to an hour.

Many people don't know that the body does not move into a fat-burning zone until 30 minutes into a session. When exercising, the first thirty minutes will see energy taken from both muscles and fat at about a 50-50 ratio. Once you move beyond 30 mins, power is now made from fat more than muscle, at approximately 75-25 ratio.

Try New Exercises

Trying to get fit doesn't mean going to the gym lifting weights and using a treadmill. You can make it fun and enjoyable through several options. First, try new exercise classes. Most gyms offer a range of courses that are great for burning calories and can be a lot of fun too. Many popular courses include spin class, Pilates, yoga, boxing, and aerobics. All these classes target different areas of the body for all-over fitness results. Do forget, the ultimate fitness is the sport itself. Join a tennis team or start swimming, add a competitive element to your workouts to motivate you.

Hire a Personal Trainer

Personal trainers are great motivators and can show you how to get the best results in the shortest amount of time for your body type. Personal trainers are equipped to work out an exercise schedule just for you for maximum benefit. They are ideal for when you are commencing a fitness schedule or for when you have lost your motivation and need a kick start.

Learn to Exercise Everywhere

Getting your ideal fitness level does not have to depend on the gym. Many people feel too uncomfortable going to the gym and working out in front of others, whereas others cannot afford it. Instead, learn to use yourself and your surroundings as your gym. You can do anything from lunges, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, and stretches. This means that there is no excuse not to exercise, whether it be on holiday, at work or simply too lazy to go out.

Fitness Tip: Stretching is one of the most important aspects of a good exercise regime as stretching will help you to get long, lean and healthy muscles and avoid your muscles from shortening and cramping up. Stretching is not only ideal after exercise but also throughout the day, especially if you are sitting most of the time.

Find a Work out Buddy

Motivation is one of the critical factors in maintaining a person's fitness regime; if there is no will, there is no way. Find yourself a fitness buddy, a friend you exercise with, who will keep you motivated and on track to complete your session and the next.

Eat a Balanced Diet

The right diet can make you reach your fitness goals even faster as the right nutrients and vitamins will give you energy and burn up any calories quickly. There are hundreds of crazy diets out there that are meant to be quick fixes, but the core of fitness and health is pure, eat right. Eat a balanced diet, and you will not only feel better but look better.

Eliminate Temptation

The downfall of most people's fitness programs are laziness and splurging. Now the occasional slip-up is okay, but for your own sake, you should create a healthy environment for yourself. Avoid junk food or coffee breaks with cookies or treats. Fill your drawers at work and home with healthy snacks, and don't let temptations surround yourself.

Change Your Life for the Long Term

Fitness is not a crash diet. It is not a short term, a hardcore regime that is impossible to maintain, as this will only ever result in a relapse. Make fitness a part of your life. It doesn't have to be extreme, work within your routine. Walk instead of driving; take the stairs instead of the elevator, start walking the dog more, take the kids to the park. There are many activities that you can do that will improve your fitness without you even knowing, and you will find yourself leading a healthier and fulfilling life.