The document outlines a comprehensive guide to getting fit, emphasizing the importance of developing a positive mindset and making sustainable lifestyle changes rather than seeking quick fixes. It includes practical advice on integrating exercise into daily routines, adopting a balanced diet rich in whole foods, and tracking progress through 'fit journaling.' Additionally, it encourages the formation of support systems and highlights the significance of hydration and adequate rest for overall health.

1. How to Get Fit
Co-authored by Laila Ajani
Last Updated: November 17, 2020 References Approved
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The thought of getting fit may seem daunting, but the payoff is worth it. We've laid out the steps
you should take to get yourself onto the path that leads to the fitter, healthier you.
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Part
1 Developing the Right Mindset
Develop the right attitude. The mind may not be a muscle, but it's still incredibly
strong, and can make the difference between succeeding and failing at your goal.
Being fit is a marathon, not a sprint, and it requires making changes to your entire
lifestyle. Don't give up when you're not getting what you're heading for...
Don't approach this with the mindset that you can abandon the changes you make
as soon as you reach your ideal fitness goal or you risk slipping into your bad habits
again. Being fit should mean incorporating things into your life that you can
eventually do by habit.
Keep track of your progress and be proud of minor improvements. It is a good
idea to start a 'fit journal' so that you can keep track of when you work out, what
you do, and for how long. You can also log what you eat each day. You may find that
when you have to write down whether you snacked or not you may be less inclined to
snack.
Don't think that just because you have one setback, you may as well scrap it all and
give up for the day. Don't be discouraged if you stop losing weight or stop gaining
muscle; remember that plateaus are normal but overall you've put yourself on an
upward trajectory and that's definitely something to be proud of.
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Create a commitment contract with yourself. These contracts are otherwise
known as a reward system. Set a goal for yourself and then decide upon a reward
for yourself. Pick an item that you really want or something that you really want to do.
For instance, make a contract with yourself that states that if you go on a run for 30
minutes every day you can buy that cute shirt or new golf clubs you have had your
eye on for weeks now.
Get someone else to get fit with you. It is much easier to reach your goals when
you have someone to share the pain and the gain. Create a schedule that you can
both commit to and keep each other on track.
You could even get a group of people in on the 'get fit' schedule. Have everyone put
$10 into a pot and the person who works out the most during the set amount of time
wins the money.
Keep at it, and don't get discouraged too soon. According to certified personal
trainer, Michele Dolan, "You can significantly improve your fitness in 4-8 weeks by
exercising daily for 30-60 minutes."
MICHELE DOLAN
Certified Fitness Trainer
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Part
2 Exercising to Get Fit
Incorporate more physical exercise into your daily routine. By regularly
challenging yourself you keep your physical self "tuned up". If getting fit means
losing weight, this will help the pounds melt away—and stay away! If you're training for
endurance, this is the way to ensure steady improvement.Consistent daily exercise is
very important factor.You must not skip days.
Take the subway or bike to work or school instead of driving. If that's not possible,
park several blocks away from your office building to force yourself into two 15-
minute walks every day. When you go to the grocery store, hardware store, movies,
or mall, park at the end of the lot instead of wrangling for a spot near the front door.
Walk the dog more often—both your body and your pup will thank you.
Clean your house vigorously. You'd be surprised how physically taxing housework
is: dusting your shelves, cleaning your toilets, doing the dishes, mowing the lawn,
pulling weeds, vacuuming and sweeping, picking up the house, and cleaning the
garage will definitely give you a workout. Making yourself and your family clean
parts of your house on a regular basis will not only create a better environment for
you to live in, but also make burning calories, staying flexible, and keeping in shape
a much simpler process.
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Exercise at the office. Believe it or not, it’s completely possible to make sitting at
your computer into a calorie-burning activity. You can stretch and workout your
muscles by doing leg lifts, oblique reaches, and lower back reaches, among
others.Give breaks and stand and hear some music or walk for 5 minutes and get
back to work.
Start an exercise regimen and stick to it. A proper fitness program has five
components: a warm-up, an aerobic workout, strength-building exercises,
stretching (flexibility), and a cool-down.
A good warm-up is a steady walk outside or on the treadmill, a slow pedal on a
stationary bike, or a few rounds on the stair master. You want to exercise just
enough to get your blood flowing and put your joints through their full range of
motion so that your muscles warm up. Exercising without a warm up could lead to
pulling or straining a muscle.
Cardio workouts improve circulation and endurance. This could include going on a
run, biking at a high resistance, or doing an increased speed on a stair crunching
machine. You want to work up a sweat and get your blood pumping. Good
cardiovascular health is not only good for heart health and blood pressure, it has
even been linked to a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. Doing interval training
(i.e. alternating between low-intensity and high-intensity activity) has been shown to
be an especially fast and effective way to improve heart health and endurance, and
an efficient way to burn fat.
Building muscle through strength-training will not only increase your strength and
tone, but will also increase your metabolism, as muscular people have been shown
to burn more calories even when they’re at rest. You could work with weights, do
squats, push ups, or crunches, among many other exercises. If going to the
gym isn’t for you, try strength-training at home.
Stretching during or after a workout increases your flexibility. It can also relieve
muscle and joint stiffness. Stretch your legs, arms, back, any muscles that you
used while working out (which should generally be all of them.)
A cool-down is very similar to a warm-up. You should perform some sort of cardio
exercise at a very low level. Cooling down allows your muscles to relax while the
blood is still flowing through them at a slightly increased rate.
Note: anyone over the age of 60 or who has heart disease, high blood pressure, or
arthritis should consult a doctor before attempting interval training.
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EXPERT TIP
Focus on working your whole body. When you're first getting started exercising,
try to take a balanced approach. Do pushing and pulling exercises, work your core,
and try to incorporate dumbbells to help you improve your strength.
LAILA AJANI
Fitness Trainer

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Switch things up. Any physical activity that takes a bit of effort will help you get fit,
but it's important to remember that variety is the spice of life—and of physical
fitness! More importantly, as your body gets comfortable performing a certain activity, it
learns to do it more efficiently, making it easy for you to plateau in your workouts. Keep
both your body and your mind guessing by enjoying a diversity of activities and having
fun.
Dance. Anything from ballet dance to breakdancing or even jump style will increase
your fitness if you stick with it. Enroll in a Zumba or hip-hop class. You’ll be
surprised by how many calories you burn while having fun.
Go swimming. It doesn't matter if you're treading water, dog paddling, or mastering
the butterfly stroke. Swimming is a good form of exercise that can be fun, too.
Do yoga. Yoga is a healthy exercise that keeps both your mind and body fit. Pick
one day a week to let your body indulge in some serious stretching, rather than
doing your normal workout. Yoga will help you maintain your flexibility, but is also a
great way to tone your muscles.
Join extracurricular activities like playing sports! Being with other people helps
motivate you to keep going. For example, you're doing track. Your teammates
motivate you to keep going (and possibly the fact you don't want to be last), unlike
when you're at home on the treadmill by yourself when you can easily press a button
and you're done.
1
Part
3 Eating and Drinking Right
Give your body the fuel it needs. As you become more active, you'll need more
food, but not just any food—you need healthy, energy-laden food that will jump-
start the next phase of your day, not weigh it down. Learn how to eat healthfully and
drink more water.
Switch to whole grains. It's healthy and delicious. It might not be what you're used
to, but you'll enjoy the richer, nuttier flavors. If you don't want to switch entirely to
whole grain, try to make half of the grains you eat whole grain. Who knows—you
may find that you like whole grain more and more each day.
Cut out unhealthy snacks and replace them with fruits and vegetables. The high
fiber and water content will make you feel full, and the high vitamin and mineral
content will nourish and transform your body naturally. Try to make meals that are
half fruits and half veggies.
Eat lean protein foods. Try to buy meat that is lean (which means that it has a lower
fat percentage). Eat beans, eggs, and seeds to boost your protein intake without
the fat that comes with meat. Eat seafood at least once a week. Seafood contains
protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids (which is the heart-healthy kind of fat).
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Cut back on solid fats. These include items made with butter or shortening such as
cookies, cakes, and other desserts. They are also found in processed meat like
sausage and bacon, as well as in ice cream and pizza. Solid fat is the kind that
results in you hitting the gym a lot more.
Eat foods with a low glycemic index. These are foods that take longer for your body
to digest and convert into energy, so you will feel fuller throughout the day with a
smaller number of calories. Moreover, you avoid the "sugar rush" that comes as a
result of eating foods with a high glycemic index, getting a nice boost of sustained
energy throughout the day instead. This will keep you uplifted whether you're doing
work or exercising.
Keep your house stocked with the right food. Purchase the healthy fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, soups etc. that you want yourself to eat, and keep the
junk out of your cupboards so you won't be tempted. It's not bad to indulge once in a
while, but it's too easy to do so if you keep your house full of unhealthy treats. Instead,
the best litmus test for your true desire to indulge is if you're willing to make the trip to
the bakery or supermarket to purchase it. (Even better, make that trip on foot or by bike,
if possible).
Before you indulge, drink two 8oz (250 ml) glasses of water. If you still want the
treat after that, go for it. Sometimes our brain confuses our hunger or cravings for
food with thirst. Water is one of the best cures for cravings.
Drink 1.5~2 liters (0.5 US gal) of water each day. Water keeps you hydrated and
promotes optimal metabolic activity. Moreover, water takes up a great volume
in your stomach, so you will feel fuller without having consumed many snacks or meals.
This is a great tool to keep off the excessive calories that you don't really need but
consume due to psychological eating or not knowing your satiety levels.
Carry a reusable water bottle around with you at all times. You'll be surprised how
easy it is to get in your recommended 1.5~2 liters (0.5 US gal) of water each day.
It's also cheaper than purchasing drinks whenever you get thirsty and better for the
environment.
Drink water instead of sugary drinks like soda. If you feel less compelled to drink
water because of its lack of taste, try infusing your water with your favorite fruits,
like strawberries, blueberries, lemons, oranges, and limes.
Let your body rest. When you're giving your body a run for its money with varied
physical activities, you also need to let it recover by getting a sufficient amount of
sleep. Determine how many hours of sleep you need in order to feel refreshed in the
morning, then discipline yourself to wake up and go to bed at the same times on a daily
basis.
Not getting enough sleep also comes at a huge expense to your immune system.
You're much more likely to get sick if you don't give your body the energy or time to
fight against infectious viruses and bacteria, and you'll take longer to recover from
common conditions like a cold.
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6. Question
How can you get fit in a week?
Question
Is it okay to have a small snack after a workout?
Question
Will this help if I am younger than 14?
Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Expert Answer
You cannot get fit in a week, but you can make a start at getting more fit by going for aYou cannot get fit in a week, but you can make a start at getting more fit by going for a
walk or jog, for a total of 150-300 minutes each week.walk or jog, for a total of 150-300 minutes each week.
Community Answer
Yes, but avoid as many processed foods as possible. A healthy snack such as an
apple or a healthy protein is a good choice.
Community Answer
Yes but you must not pressure yourself. Do little by little until you get hang of it.
Tips
Start with something simple, like jogging 5 minutes everyday. The next week, go 10
minutes a day. Continue increasing your output until you establish a solid routine.
Once you have gotten to your desired fitness, continue the steps that got you there.
Wellness is a lifestyle, not a prize.
When changing up your diet, don't take away food. Replace it with better food. So for
an example if your diet contains apples, milk, and chicken nuggets. Don't take away the
chicken nuggets. Replace them with a chicken salad instead.
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7. Try out some workout apps on your phone. It helps if you're new and don't know what
exercise to do. There are apps for certain body parts, running tracker and challenges.
Sprinting is better than running for hours. It is quick, you work harder, and you'll get fit
much quicker if you sprint.
Eat fresh, healthy and organic food. Consider buying groceries locally.
Try going out on a bike ride with family or friends.
Have someone who you're around all the time (for example, someone you live with) to
remind you that you shouldn't be eating a specific food, or you should begin your
workout. Some thing like a personal trainer.
Consider limiting the amount of processed and junk food you eat, such as fast food,
soda, fried items and other foods high in fats, sodium, and sugars.
Go with a friend or family member. It makes it more fun and enjoyable.
Warnings
Know your limitations when it comes to weights and endurance. When engaging in
strength training, always use a spotter and avoid straining your muscles with
excessively heavy loads. When doing aerobic exercise, slow down your pace if you
begin to feel pain in your chest or joints.
Contact a physician before starting a workout regime. Make sure your body is able to
handle prolonged physical exertion. Be extra cautious if you have health issues, like
heart disease, high or low blood pressure, or asthma.
References
1. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/workout-motivation-3?cat=22867
2. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/workout-motivation-3?cat=22867
3. New York Times on interval training
4. Mayo Clinic on the metabolism
5. http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/stretching-feels-good-10515.html
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8. 6. http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/no-gym-required-how-to-get-fit-at-home
7. Mayo Clinic on energy density
8. http://www.fitness.gov/eat-healthy/how-to-eat-healthy/
9. http://www.fitness.gov/eat-healthy/how-to-eat-healthy/
10. Mayo Clinic on water
11. NY Times on sleep and weight