BY MICHEAL MARK FITNESS

SPORTS BRA | ACTIVE KNEE LEGGINGS  | PINK RUNNING SHOES

It’s time to invest in yourself

It’s that time of year again. Time to take a critical look at our current situation and where we see ourselves, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years from now. We make investments in stocks and bonds, stockpile money in retirement savings accounts and other financial vehicles but how many people actually make an investment in the most important thing of all, your health? You can have all of the money in the world but you probably will not enjoy it if you aren’t healthy enough to experience all that life truly has to offer. We tend to make excuses about time and other commitments but what is really more important than your health? If someone said they would pay you a thousand dollars for every day you went to the gym, I am pretty sure you would find the time to go. That being said, while no one is probably going to give you money to go to the gym, you actually need to realize that every time you go to the gym, eat a healthy meal or read a book you are paying yourself, making an investment in your future and giving the body what it needs.

Easy holiday fitness tips for a better you!

So as you prepare for the holidays and a new year here are three tips to kickstart a new healthy you:

1. Portion Control

Portion control. This has to be the biggest problem that I see with my clients. Society has morphed into a “eat as much as you can” mentality, when in actuality we don’t need nearly as much as we are served. Simple way to measure your meals. In general if you are a women, Look at your hand and for each meal you should aim for a palm sized serving of a protein, a fist size serving of veggies, a cupped hand serving of carbohydrates and a thumb sized serving of a healthy fat. If you are male, look at your hand and for each meal you should aim for 2 palm sized servings of protein, 2 fist sized servings of veggies, 2 cupped handfuls of carbohydrates and 2 thumb sized servings of a healthy fat.

2. Eat Healthy

Cut down on the processed foods and in that vein, cut down on eating out. There is so much unwanted calories in processed foods and taking the time to eat a nice healthy home cooked meal will do wonders for not just your mood and waistline but also your pocket. Try cooking 3 or 4 meals at once, refrigerate them to eat throughout the week and you will be shocked how much money you have saved.

3.

Start some sort of physical activity. Whether it be going to your local gym, daily walks, bike rides or quick jogs start something where you are elevating your heart rate for a period of time. Make sure to check with your physician to confirm that you are in good enough shape to start and when you do, ease your way into it. Too often enough I see someone in their first day at the gym trying to do the most elaborate exercise. Start small, build up not just your strength but also your confidence in what you are doing!

Following these steps and you will see gradual changes which will morph into bigger ones and before your know it, a whole new you!

THIS ARTICLE WAS CREATED BY MICHEAL MARK FITNESS. MICHEAL IS A FITNESS INSTRUCTOR BASED IN TORONTO CANADA. FOR MORE TIPS CONTACT MICHEAL: Michaelmarkfitness@gmail.com