This is the time of year when many people want to get into the best shape they can before holiday. Here are my top 5 tips to help get you there.
1. Make a short term plan and start today
There is no perfect time to get started. We all procrastinate on many things, but when it comes to health and fitness having a good plan and taking action straight away is a sure way to start feeling better and achieving incredible goals. The plan doesn’t have to be perfect but starting and sticking to it for at least 3 weeks are a step further than most get. I would recommend a shorter more intense plan for 6 weeks to get the ball rolling.
2. Hire a coach to get you there
Although I may be making a blatant pitch at those who may be thinking about getting in shape this summer, hiring a coach could be the best choice you make. Exercise and nutrition is hard to get right even without the distraction of a career, family and kids. Outsource the hard work to a good coach who will do all the planning for you. All you need to do is turn up and make a good effort.
Blatant pitch here- http://www.leaner-uk.com/personal-training/
3. Clean up your Diet
If you decide to go it alone then its good for you to know that 80% of your "get into shape plan" will come from nutrition. Eat whole foods consistently (as in a minimum of 2 weeks without a hiccup) and you will start to notice a difference physically and mentally.
Food preparation can be challenging, repetitive and boring. It is absolutely essential to get it right for the best results, so my recommendation would be to outsource it to a professional food catering company. The two I recommend are https://www.freshfitnessfood.com/ or https://detoxkitchen.co.uk/.
4. Sleep like the dead
Most people are hugely sleep deprived. There have been countless scientific studies on sleep and one found that sleeping less than 8 hours a night lead to a sleep debt which drastically affected mental and physical performance, but the patients were unaware in their drop of performance! Get yourself to bed one hour earlier tonight and try scaling it back until you get a minimum of 8 hours a night. You will thank me later. (You can do this and still have a life, I promise!)
5. Bring friends
As I mention in many newsletters, accountability is a huge influencer on peoples success. Choosing a couple of friends and holding each other accountable will get you further than if you try it on your own. (providing you choose the correct ones). Going to classes together or working in a semi private setting with a trainer can make the training experience much more fun, and if its fun you will likely stick at it a lot longer.
My last note I would like to add is consistency. Being consistent can be really tough, so make it as easy as possible for yourself to succeed. If you can stay consistent long enough you will reap the rewards of a better summer body and some.
Your in Health
Patrick Fallis
PS I read this blog and would love to share it with you. It takes about 7 minutes to read. http://www.precisionnutrition.com/how-to-do-anything