Fitness is a very broad category and there is always a new fad way to get in shape. Do they work? Sometimes. But most times they end up being complete gimmicks.

Don’t waste your time and energy on something that may or may not help you reach your goals. Instead, keep it simple!

Here are our 5 “evergreen” fitness tips that will always remain true!

 

1) Eat Breakfast

It really is the most important meal of the day! After waking from your overnight fast, your first meal will supply you with energy as well as kick up your metabolism and allow you to efficiently burn calories all day.

WHAT you eat for breakfast is also important. Swap the sugary donuts and greasy eggs for oatmeal and fruit or egg whites and toast. Choosing more nutrient-dense foods over high-fat and high-sugar foods will allow your body to sustain energy longer as well as keep you satisfied for longer.

 

2) Drink Plenty of Water

We all know that water has countless benefits, the obvious one being hydration. When your body is properly hydrated, it will flush out toxins more efficiently, boost your immune system, increase energy and muscle strength, and decrease your appetite.

 

3) Eat Every Couple of Hours

Eating a large breakfast, lunch, and dinner are now a way of the past. Most of us know now that eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day is the key to keep our metabolisms burning. Feeding your body more frequently will allow it to burn through calories more quickly. Fueling your metabolism with healthy foods is like pouring gasoline on a fire; the more times you add gasoline, the longer and stronger the fire will burn.

 

4) Exercise Regularly

Women tend to lean more toward cardio training that weight training. Cardio is a great fitness tool but should be used in conjunction with weight training. Why use weight training if you don’t want to put on muscle mass? Because weight training doesn’t have to be about getting bigger muscles; it can simply be about increasing muscle tone. Muscle is a metabolic booster. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn while at rest. Try adding 3 days of weight training into your fitness routine and see for yourself!

 

4) Limit Processed Foods

What’s the real reason processed foods are frowned upon?

Processed foods take less energy and less time to digest, which means we can eat more of them in a shorter amount of time and we also burn less energy (calories) digesting them than we would if they were unprocessed, whole foods. Most processed foods serve little to no nutritional value and are nothing but “empty calories”. The absence of nutrients leaves the body with “nothing to show for” after digesting. Meaning, the broken down processed foods do not supply adequate nutrients to be transported throughout the body. The only benefit you get from most processed foods is the good taste, which only lasts seconds. And to be honest, are those few seconds of satisfaction really worth it?