MEGA LIST: 25 Fitness Tips for Successful Weight Loss

Whether you’re in a hurry, aren’t that experience with fitness and working out, or are just looking to get back into your fitness routine, these 25 simple tips will help you get there:

1. Something is better than nothing - If you only have 10 minutes, do 10 minutes of something, if you have an hour, do an hour. Whatever you can manage is better than doing nothing at all!
2. If you are short on time, opt for high intensity and short bursts of hard effort – This is the most effective type of workout in terms of getting maximum gain in minimum time. Think things like Tabata, interval and HIIT.
3. Take rest days – Your fitness performance is only as good as your body’s ability to perform, and that hinges on proper repair and recovery between workouts. Don’t underestimate their importance and skip your rest day!
4. Garbage in = garbage out – don’t downplay the role of good food in fuelling your workouts and helping you reach success. Pay attention to what you eat and you will get the results to show for it.
5. Find something you love, don’t just do what everyone else is doing – If you are going a type of fitness that you love, you will be more likely to stick with it and it will be something you look forward to, not just a task.
6. If you miss a day, or fall off track, don’t beat yourself up - It happens to all of us. Instead, just start back tomorrow and get on track!
7. Prepare everything the night before – If you are going to do a morning workout, set yourself up for success by getting your workout clothes ready, your breakfast ready, the coffee all set to go and then figuring out what you will wear for the day and getting it all laid out.
8. Incorporate variety - Your body is smart and after doing the same exercise for long enough, it gets more efficient and you burn fewer calories. Regularly add variety to your workout to prevent this from happening and stalking your weight loss.
9. Get a buddy - Sometimes we need someone else to help hold us accountable or keep us on track. Find a buddy who you can work out with and help each other out.
10. Have backups - Don't let the reason you miss your workout be because the gym is closed, or the weather is bad. Have back up exercise plans up your sleeve in case your main choice fails.
11. Get the right gear – You will enjoy your workout much more when you are in clothes that perform for you so that you can continue to perform. Invest in moisture wicking clothes and proper footwear.
12. Buy some at home equipment - If you are trying to get fit on a budget, it is totally doable, and forgoing a gym membership will save you big bucks.  Invest in some simple home equipment, like a yoga mat, some Dumbbells and a skipping rope.
13. Don't disregard body weight exercises - squats, push ups, triceps dips, lunges and planks are all great exercises which will challenge you, give you results and can be done anywhere! Here are 6 easy at-home workouts to try.
14. Have a schedule - Treat your workout time like an appointment: schedule it in, show up on time and don't miss it!
15. Listen to your body, but don't listen to excuses – Learn to tell the difference between a genuine “I shouldn’t push this farther” soreness, and just soreness from a solid workout the day before. And don’t let excuses cloud your judgment.
16. Train your inner voice – That one that tells you to quit or not, the one that tells you to stay on the couch, or walk out the door, and the one that tells you you are doing great and kicking butt. Train that voice to be a motivator, not a de-motivator.
17. Set challenges and goals – Fitness is much more rewarding when you can see and track your progress. One way to do this is to set specific, measureable goals and challenges for yourself with a clear way of seeing when you have achieved them.
18. Try something new – Don’t be afraid to mix things up and try new things. It will prevent you from getting bored, and you may even find something new that you really love!
19. Prepare for the weather - Mother Nature is unpredictable, but dot let this put a damper on your workout. Be prepared with proper rainwear/cold weather gear and head out anyways, or use your backups! (See above)
20. Add 5 minutes – At the end of every workout, go for 5 minutes longer than you were planning to. It’s not long at the time, but at the end of the week, if you’ve worked out for 6 days, that’s an extra 30 minutes!
21. Do push-ups every day – If you can’t do pushups, this will teach you how, and if you can, it will develop some great upper body strength for you. Start with just 5 and keep adding them on! Here's how to do a perfect push up.
22. Sleep in your workout clothes – My personal favourite for when I know I will have a hard time getting out the door, or if I have to get up super early to do my workout.
23. Stay hydrated – Sounds simple, but drinking adequate water all day long – not just during and after your workout - is important for making sure it is a success
24. Make your own snacks and take them with you – There’s nothing to put a damper on your workout plans like being really hungry, or worse yet, grabbing a sugary processed snack after you’ve worked out because you didn’t bring a healthy one. Prevent these by making your own healthy snacks and taking them with you wherever you go!
25. Avoid sports recovery drinks – The classic sports recovery drinks like Gatorade are filled with sugar and will just put back in a lot of the calories you just burnt off. Instead, opt for coconut water, or simply plain water if you haven’t done a high intensity activity for an extended period of time where you lost a lot of electrolytes.

By: Laura Peill – (Check out her blog Chronicles of Passion & Facebook)