We know your health is important to you, so periodically we’ll bring you special offers from our health and fitness partners. For our friends across Europe & Australia, enjoy this offer from Gymshark – a complimentary 6-month MyFitnessPal Premium membership with a qualifying Gymshark purchase and using MYFITNESSPAL at checkout. Hurry, limited time offer runs through March 31st, 2023. See Gymshark for offer details [available in the following markets: UK, Australia, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway].
If the last few months have challenged your motivation to train or eat healthily, this time of year is a great time to refresh your exercise routine – so we’ve teamed up with Gymshark with an exciting Offer to help you stay motivated.
Here are some tips to achieve your goals, increase your fitness, and boost your nutrition.
1
SET NEW (BITE-SIZE) GOALS
Setting new fitness and nutrition goals can be a great way to keep yourself motivated. Whether it’s running a 5K, lifting heavier weights, or trying 1-2 new healthy recipes each week, having clear (but realistic) goals, gives you something to work towards and keeps you focused.
How? Many fitness trainers and experts use SMART Fitness goals to help people focus, and ensure the goals being set can be achieved. Answer these questions to get started:
- Specific: Is your goal clear and defined?
- Measurable: Can it be tracked? How will you know if you’re making progress?
- Attainable: Is your goal challenging yet doable?
- Realistic: Is your goal relevant to your life purpose?
- Time Bound: Can you assign a date to hold yourself more accountable?
The Benefits: Research has shown that goal setting has been linked to boosting self-confidence, motivation, self-esteem and driving a higher success rate.
2
TRY SOMETHING NEW AND MIX IT UP
Doing the same workout can quickly become boring. Spring is a perfect time to try a new workout or activity. Consider signing up for a tennis or golf lesson, taking a martial arts class, or trying a new fitness app like the Gymshark Training App. Not only will you challenge your body in new ways, but you may also discover a new passion.
How?
- Get outside: after a long winter indoors, it’s refreshing to get outside, get fresh air and take your workout outside. Whether a walk, run, bike ride, or full body HIIT workout in the park.
- Find a workout partner: make exercise more enjoyable and keep you accountable. Ask a friend or family member to join you for workouts, or join a fitness class or group to meet new people who share your interests.
- Research New Activities: search local activity centers, gyms, climbing walls, swimming pools, fitness apps and see what resources are available (and close to you). Find something that interests you!
The Benefits: A study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that trying new activities can help to increase adherence to exercise over time. Individuals who engaged in a variety of activities over a 12-week period were more likely to continue exercising six months later compared to those who stuck to a single activity.
3
CONSIDER FOODS TO HELP FUEL YOUR WORKOUTS
What you eat can help or hinder your workout. There is no one-size fits all approach, but the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found a positive impact of consuming a meal 1-2 hours before training, to maximize training performance. In general, it is best to take in a larger meal about 2-3 hours before working out while adding in any smaller snacks closer to your training time.
How? To fuel your workouts, here are some tips:
- Use MyFitnessPal to check your that you’re hitting your nutrition goals, such as keto or low carb, and plan ahead for a snack
- Understand your daily eating habits. If you’re a late night binger, something like intermittent fasting may help give you ground rules
- The exercise you’ve got planned for the day – is it going to be a yoga class or a high intensity interval workout? How long are you going to workout for? Are you going for a 3 hour hike, or a 45 min spin class? Depending on the intensity and duration, you may need to fuel pre- or post-workout
- Choosing a good combination for your pre-workout snack can give you immediate and lasting energy. Combining quality carbohydrate snacks such as bananas or oats with a small portion of fats can help keep you feeling satiated for longer.
- Oats
- Fresh fruits; banana, apple, orange, etc.
- Whole Grains, such as bread or bagels
- Smoothie (made up of low-fat, moderate carbohydrates)
- Trail mix (small portion)
- Low-fat yogurt with toppings
- Nut butter (small portion)
- Protein shake
The Benefits: to get the most out of your training, studies support the idea that pre-exercise carbohydrate intake can help maximize your training performance. To read more about pre- and post-workout snacks, our friends at Gymshark have a great blog post with further tips and information.
Ready to take the next step? MyFitnessPal Premium users are 65% more likely to reach their weight loss goals! For our friends across Europe & Australia, enjoy this offer from Gymshark – a complimentary 6-month MyFitnessPal Premium membership with a qualifying Gymshark purchase and using MYFITNESSPAL at checkout. Hurry, limited time offer runs through March 31st, 2023. See Gymshark for offer details [available in the following markets: UK, Australia, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway].
