Getting into shape is one of the deepest desires of many adults. In an increasingly obese society, however, a lot of wires have been crossed about how to lose weight and get fit in a healthy way. Sites that tout fitness tips are often full of get skinny quick gimmicks that don’t work and aren’t healthy. Real health and fitness tips use the physiology of the human body. In reality, health and fitness can be very simple, as long as you’re willing to do the work.
The first component to any health and fitness regiment is diet. Though thousands of gimmicky diet books hit the shelves yearly, the basics of eating healthy are really not very complicated. The body requires a certain amount of caloric intake in a day in order to function. A good rule of thumb is that your body needs ten calories for every pound. So, if you weigh 130 pounds, your body needs 1300 calories just to maintain itself. Any gross calorie intake less than 1300 calories is likely to kick your body’s metabolism into low gear, sometimes called starvation mode. When the body isn’t getting enough food, it starts holding onto it a little too tightly, making it harder for the body to burn calories and stalling weight loss efforts. Also, the body cannot burn muscle when it’s working at a calorie deficit, so eating too little could reverse any efforts in strength training. The body also burns a certain amount of calories just during day to day activities. For most humans, that amount is between 400 and 600 calories without additional exercise. Therefore, for a 130 pound person who needs at least 1300 calories to subsist, a good maximum daily caloric intake would be roughly 1900. Anything more than that will be stored as excess fat. In order to lose weight, something in the 1300 to 1700 calorie neighborhood would probably do the trick. Just counting calories isn’t really enough, though. 1300 calories of cupcakes daily won’t give your body the fuel it needs to run efficiently. Vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins should make up the majority of your diet, as they provide high test fuel for your body. Starchy, carb laden bread products and sugary treats are occasionally okay, but they won’t get you results.
Health tips alone aren’t going to get you from doughy to toned, however. Fitness tips are necessary to get your body moving in a productive way. Those looking to get fit are going to have to commit to daily exercise. A good exercise regimen incorporates cardio and strength training with cardio working the heart and burning fat and strength training building muscles. While many feel that cardio alone is enough for weight loss, a cardio only workout plan can actually cause a plateau. Though you may see an initial burst of weight loss, you will eventually slow to a stop if you aren’t building muscle mass. With greater strength comes harder workouts and better runs, helping the body to continue its fitness journey. Though running and weight lifting represent a popular fitness regimen, there are other options for both cardio and strength training. You can get your heart rate up with bicycling, dance, kickboxing, swimming, or competitive sports, and strength training can mean yoga or pilates.
Real health tips and fitness tips take into account the physiology of the body and the time tested methods of human fitness. Next time you’re thinking about making a change to become more fit, forget about fat flushes and body wraps and think about treating your body right. That’s the best fitness tip available.