As we usher in a new year, many of us are motivated to embark on a fitness journey to prioritize our health and well-being. Whether you’re a seasoned fitness enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of wellness, staying abreast of the latest trends and incorporating effective strategies can make a substantial difference in achieving your fitness goals.
As we navigate the evolving landscape of fitness trends, the key lies in finding a routine that aligns with personal preferences and goals.
Chittrah Kanal, holistic fitness coach who shares fitness content related to her expertise on coto, a social community platform exclusively for women shares how both diet and exercise are important for weight loss.
Also read: Light Physical Exercise May Help Reverse Childhood Obesity: Study
Kanal said, “In my experience, for overall health and better fitness, both diet and exercise are important at an almost equal ratio, even though most people say that diet can contribute to almost 60-80 percent of overall well-being. Staying in the zone and being pushed to choose healthy, anti-inflammatory foods comes alongside working out. This is because your metabolism increases along with your blood circulation, and your muscles are heated up. In that kind of state, if you eat unhealthy, spicy meals, you may end up worsening the situation.”
So, if you’re planning on finally achieving your fitness goals in 2024, these tips will help you stay on track.
Exercises and beginner-friendly that you can do at home to begin your fitness journey in 2024:
1. Go for a walk: Going for a walk post-meals can help digestion and keep bloating and other issues away. Make it a habit, and this easy, simple exercise will help you feel healthier from within.
2. Functional training or body weight workouts: I post a lot of workouts on my coto community and other social media channels, but I feel that if you can, hire a personal trainer for the first two-three months to correct your form. If you can’t go to a trainer personally or get one to come over, opt for an online trainer or very carefully watch and understand the form in the fitness videos you watch. If you don’t have the correct form, you won’t be able to engage the right muscles and this won’t show you the required results.
Lifestyle changes that one should make to be fitter this new year:
1. Take baby steps towards fitness, don’t try to do everything in one go: Although fitness is a lifestyle, it’s probably the toughest part to stick to given that for most of us, eating healthy feels like deprivation and exercising sounds like punishment. Thus, taking baby steps towards fitness is the best way to make it part of your lifestyle. For example, if you’re huge on parties and alcohol, cut down the number of days that you drink and/or the number of drinks you have in each session. Pair this with healthy snacks that will help you feel fuller.
2. Intermittent Fasting: Intermittent Fasting, even if you do just the 12-hour fasting window, can be beneficial. This is especially good for you after those long party nights. Intermittent Fasting can easily be adapted into a lifestyle habit and slowly be intensified by increasing the fasting period. This lifestyle practice boasts of a tonne of
health benefits, including weight management (and potentially weight loss), blood sugar regulation, improved gut health, better brain function and more.
3. Work out at least thrice a week: If intense workouts are not possible thrice a week, opt for walks or surya namaskars to increase flexibility and increase movement of the body.
Nutrition and lifestyle changes that can help you stay healthier in 2024:
1. Eat freshly cooked meals: Eating freshly-cooked, homemade food is not only nutritious, but it also aids digestion and keeps bloating and acidity away. This simple practice can help you stick to your fitness goals better.
2. Avoid processed foods: Things like store-bought bread, refined sugar and even packaged milk should be avoided as they usually have lots of additives. Start reading in-between the lines and pay attention to labels. Even if avoiding such food completely is tough, take the step to educate yourself and be mindful of what you eat on most days of the year.