30 Days to Better Health

Did you know that complimenting your sessions with your Trainer with activities that get your heart rate up and nutritional food you fuel your body with, will compliment your training and get you to your goals quicker!

Try adding these “active” ideas each day to boost your success:

Pedometer – measure how many steps you take each day. 10,000 steps each day is a great target, if you’re not quite at that yet, how many steps you do today is your baseline, and then add from there.

Add 500 more steps than yesterday.

On your walk today, pick out a marker, telegraph pole, shop, house and if you didn’t get there yesterday keep your eye on the target and reach it, it’s amazing how kickstarting your brain to think about where it is going and focusing on the target will get you there and seem shorter amount of time that it really was.

Motivation Day – whilst walking, think about your motivation, reflect on why you are doing this, how it makes you feel, how you feel afterwards, think about your SMART Goals and your action plan, think about “why” am I doing this – write them out or type them up and put them on your fridge with a picture of what the Goal is and use it for motivation each morning.

Core – strong, activated core means preventing backaches. In a 5 minute break do some bird dog, one arm/one leg core exercises for stability and activation at the end of your walk.

Power Walk around the shopping centre – if it’s too hot or too wet to exercise – go shopping – window shopping that is – track your steps around the shopping centre you’d be amazed how many steps you can accumulate – meanwhile check out the fashions and the sales!

Add 1,000 more steps to your baseline number from Day 1.

Increase the pace of your walk – there are some great apps on your phone you can match your pace with your stride/run so use the music to inspire you – make your own playlist up and get moving

Be prepared every night! Place your shoes/socks and exercise gear ready for you to put on for your walk!

Step Boost! Add 1,500 steps to your baseline number from Day 1.This is your new step count daily target.

Add a new song to your playlist you’ve heard recently – play it loud and of course you can sing your way through it whilst walking!

Intervals – incorporate different intervals into your walk will do amazing things for your metabolism, heart rate and muscles! Keep them guessing by incorporating a fast 1 minute walk (breathing but not gasping for air), followed by 2 minutes easy pace, repeat at least 4 times through. Once comfortable with this, you can then increase the fast pace time and lessen the recovery phase to 1.30mins or 1 minute.

Desk Job – Do a couple of laps of the floor whilst on toilet break. Incorporate chair squats, desk tricep dips, chest stretches, jump on the spot, jog on the spot every 20/30 minutes or circle your office.

After dinner walk – include the family and pets – this will help with digestion, incorporate darkness and calm you for a relaxing night sleep – minus all the technology!

Technology Switch Off – try a new rule of no Technology after dinner time – this will relax the mind and not restimulate it for bed time.

Aim for 7-9 hours’ sleep every night! Use a reminder to go to bed, and use a soft alarm sound to walk you up instead of an annoying buzzing which you no doubt will hit the snooze button. The snooze button is your worst enemy – it will make you frustrated in the morning whereby you should be leaping out of bed ready for the day!

Add 2,000 steps to your baseline step count!

On the phone for work or at home - use that time to walk around – at the office, ask HR for a Headset this will not only help with a crooked neck but release you from the desk so you can get active – no one will know your walking around the office, doing some squats or desk pushups – unless its open office planning – but hey you might inspire someone else whilst your there!

Choose a walking track you’ve never used or have been recommended, include family and friends.

Park your car at the grocery further away than usual, return the shopping cart to the furthest shopping trolley bay,

Add 2,500 more steps to your baseline number!

Watching TV – every add break walk around the house, use the stairs until your show comes back on.

Invite a friend to join you on your walks – they might need as much motivation as you!

Listen to a book whilst you walk or Ted Talk – something inspirational – amazing what is out there!

Add 3,500 steps to your baseline today.

Take stairs instead of escalators, add 2 minutes of stair climbing into your day

If you live close to the shops, parks or pools – walk there, or hop on a bike!

Add 4,000 steps to your baseline today.

Try a 5 km walk today – Put a month’s worth of hard work to the test. If you walk at a moderate pace you will power through in about 1 hr – these are perfect to schedule for the weekend!

Reflect on how far you’ve come in 30 days – have you ticked most things off the list, or are you ready to go another 30 days and tick everything off the list!