Top 23 Exercise Hacks

Top 23 Exercise Hacks

These hacks will make you healthier, slimmer and sexier. Just to note, I’m not a certified trainer. These tips have worked for me, so perhaps for you not. Try it.

1. Start slow. The biggest mistake that people make when starting an exercise plan is starting too fast or too hard.

2. Increase but gradually. After getting used to a certain level of exercise, you’ll want to increase it.

3 . Crank it up. Once you’ve gotten used to exercise, you’ll want to do some higher intensity ones for better fitness and fat-burning. For example, instead of running slowly and steadily, for a long time, try doing shorter bursts of fast running, with periods of rest in between.

4. Make it a habit. If you can do exercise at the same time, every single day for a month, you are more likely to make it a habit.

5. Forget about weight loss. Yeah, many of us would like to lose some weight. But if you’re motivated solely by weight loss, exercise will be a tough proposition.

6. Forget the gym. The gym can be horribly convenient, but it can also be intimidating for beginners, and confusing if you don’t know how to use the equipment.

7. Do a 30-day Challenge. Challenge yourself, and see if you can rise to the occasion. Do it with a group or your significant other.

8. Join an online group. One of the best motivators is having to report successes and failures to a group of people. Check out some online groups.

9. Post your results on your blog. There’s nothing more motivating than positive public pressure (short of a gun to your head). Step it up by making a promise to your blog readers that you will commit to this goal for a month, and post your results every day.

10. Do a journal. If you don’t post your results on your blog, write it in a journal, either online or on paper.

11. Hydrate. Also an hour or two before you workout. Water is best. Use a sports drink during your workout (and after) only if you’re going to go an hour or more.

12. Get good clothes. Actually, you don’t need anything fancy to get started. But once you do start working out, it’s nice to get yourself some nice workout clothes, with breathable and comfortable fabrics, ones that look good on you. It’s motivating, and pleasurable.

13. Put a cover model on your fridge. Not literally, of course, as that may be illegal, but find a good magazine photo of a model with the body you want, and post it up somewhere visible. You may never look like that model but it’s motivating.

14. Do it early in the morning. My favorite time to work out is between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m.

15. A little and often. You don’t need to work out long, and you certainly don’t need to be a weekend warrior. Just 20-30 minutes every day.

16. Get good gear. As a reward, get yourself some nice little gadgets — a sports mp3 player, a Polar heart rate monitor, a pedometer, a scale, a bike computer, whatever.

17. The 10 percent rule. Don’t increase your workout time or distance by more than 10 percent a week. This is a very conservative rule, and it can be broken by the best of the best, who know what they’re doing, but for the rest of us, stick with this to prevent burnout or injury.

18. Hard, then easy. If you do a hard workout today, rest or go easy tomorrow. Don’t do two hard workouts in a row.

19. Listen to your body. This is extremely important — if you feel like you’re overdoing it, you probably are.

20. Set goals. What are you trying to get out of your exercise? It’s good to know if you’re trying to build muscle or burn fat — because these are two competing goals.

21. Take photos of yourself. Before and after photos. The best way to see your progress over time.

22. Workout first, diet later. If you’re just starting a workout plan, it’s best not to start a diet at the same time. Well, I don’t like diets in the first place, but still — one thing at a time.

23. No pain. Forget the old rule of “no pain, no gain”. You don’t need pain to get in shape. Just take it easy, progress gradually, and enjoy yourself.

Make it fun! Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore.

Inspirated from www.zenhabit.com

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