Happy New Year
Here are some simple, easy-to-follow tips that will make you fitter and healthier in 2013 than you were in 2012.
Sit less.
Sitting for more than six hours a day increases mortality risk by 37 per cent in women and 18 per cent in men figures that remain constant regardless of your level of physical activity. And for chronic sitters who never exercise, the risk of mortality increases by 94 per cent in women and 48 per cent in men.
Be more consistent.
If you’re a weekend warrior or one of those exercisers who works out like mad for several days in a row and then ignores the gym for days or weeks, it’s time to make exercise a regular part of your routine.
Keep track.
Charting your progress, your workouts, your distance and/or time keeps you engaged in every workout. Use a watch, a notebook, a cool fitness app or a calendar to record your workout stats, which can be as simple as the number of minutes you spent working up a sweat, the number of pounds you lifted at the gym or the number of calories you burned while on the run.
Get stronger.
What do the hard-core runner and the dedicated couch potato have in common? They both lose muscle mass as they age. The slow loss of lean muscle affects everyone who doesn’t spend time doing some kind of muscular conditioning. That means lifting weights, tugging on exercise bands or lifting and lowering your own body weight.
Find balance.
Stop doing the same thing day in and day out. Not only does repetition breed boredom, it can lead to overuse injuries and muscular imbalances that hamper performance. Starting in January, add or change one element of your exercise routine each and every month. If change isn’t your friend, begin with subtle adjustments like altering your running route (even if it’s as simple as doing the same route backwards) or the order in which you hit the weight machines.
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