FEATURE | fitness January 2022 25 www.bahrainthismonth.com 1. Exercise daily Perhaps the most obvious one! Exercise daily for at least an hour. You do not have to kill yourself from running, jogging, cycling and more, but you should have some sort of moderate physical activity in your everyday life. If you're looking to shed a few pounds fast, do a higher-level intensity workout. For example, go on a walk at a brisk pace for an hour. Or, you can jog and set certain intervals to sprint during that hour. Be sure to stay hydrated, stretch and eat foods with a decent amount of protein after each workout. The protein will help keep your muscles, not fat, rebuilding. 2. Eat the right foods and portion each meal No matter how bad your stomach is telling you to go for sugary snacks over healthy food, try to stay away from sweets. Sugar will not help you get in shape. Even if it's just a single chocolate bar, one will eventually lead to another. Fruits and vegetables are the best thing to eat when getting into shape. Apples, for example, do a good job at making the stomach feel full for up to three to four hours. Green vegetables such as green beans and broccoli keep the digestive system clean and running. Also, stick to lean meats like turkey and chicken. These foods are full of protein and healthy nutrients to help keep muscles fit and ready for workouts. In addition, be sure to portion what you eat. Having a good metabolism comes from portioning meals. Try to plan out eating six times a day and setting smaller portions, rather than having three large meals throughout the day. 3. Keep track of calories and food intake per day Keeping track of how many calories you eat in a day will be helpful in planning out your physical exercising. Ever wonder why body builders' body masses are so big? That's because they plan out their meals and take in more (healthy) calories than the average person. On the other hand, losing weight and striving for a skinnier physique will involve more physical exercise than calories you ingest. 4. Be Sure to Get Sleep Even though most of us have eight-hour jobs during the day or night, it is crucial to get enough sleep to recharge the body's batteries. Six to eight hours of sleep will keep the body going throughout the day, but if you happen to feel tired at any point after coming home from work, by all means take a small nap before exercising. You should only nap for about a half hour. This will prevent you from staying up later in the night. 5. Stay Motivated An important key to being in shape is to set goals and keep a positive mindset. If you stay positive, you will be able to push yourself to get that fit body you've always wanted. is a phrase often uttered by people looking to make a change as the first of January rolls around. For some people that means resolutions to shift certain habits for the better, but those changes can be hard to stick to. People often put too much pressure on themselves to begin these changes in January and come up with big plans for resolutions. Instead, it’s simpler and healthier to think of more long-term goals so that new habits stick longer. Here are our top five tips to help you get there: NEW YEAR, NEW ME “ “
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