ActiveGet fit 2024: T3’s ultimate workout and diet tips to help you get in shape this yearQuick and easy tips to lose weight, get healthy and stay on track with your health and fitness routine in 2024When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveGet fit 2024: T3’s ultimate workout and diet tips to help you get in shape this yearQuick and easy tips to lose weight, get healthy and stay on track with your health and fitness routine in 2024When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Quick and easy tips to lose weight, get healthy and stay on track with your health and fitness routine in 2024
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Jump to category:Fitness tipsDieting tipsBest exercises for beginners
Jump to category:Fitness tipsDieting tipsBest exercises for beginners
Getting fit in 2024 is easier than ever before, thanks to the acceptance and popularity of physical exercise and healthier lifestyle choices. 10 years ago, it might have been harder to find like-minded people to work out with, but in 2024, everyone seems to be talking about health and fitness, which is excellent news for all of us.
However, instead of going cold turkey and starting to exercise and diet like there is no tomorrow on the first day of January, we recommend following a more sensible approach. It’s paramount to remember that significant lifestyle changes take time to implement.
As cheesy as it sounds, a 1,000-mile journey starts with a single step, and the same applies to getting fit, too. You can’t drop 50 pounds in a day, nor can you build a body likeHenry CavillorChris Hemsworthovernight.
Probably the most important thing to remember is that fitness is not a goal, it’s a lifestyle choice. Sure, people canlose weightandbuild musclein 12 weeks, but if diet and exercise fall off a cliff after they reach their goal, the changes won’t be permanent. Do your future self a favour and stick to your new, healthier lifestyle in 2024.
It’s also worth remembering that being healthy doesn’t mean a body fat percentage below 10%, visible abs, toned arms and so on. Healthy bodies come in many shapes and sizes; they are resilient and strong and don’t restrict you from doing the things you want to do.
Fitness tips to get you in shape in 2024
“I’m going to exercise more” is the most common New Year’s resolution in the world (definitely in theUS/UK). As people finish their month (year?) of overindulging, the pressure to do something about the ever-increasing waistline is mounting. The good news is that you can do a lot to combat weight gain.
Exercise is an excellent place to start, but instead of forcing yourself to do a10,000 kettlebell swings challengeor100 pull-ups a dayfor a week, you should try something more achievable to improve your health, likeruckingorice baths. Below are T3’s finest workout and motivation tips to get you started!
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1. Be patient
Despite what many actors and fitness influencers on Instagram would like you to believe, changes to your physique and health don’t happen overnight. No one can build 10 kilos of lean muscle in three months, nor can you lose lots of weight quickly and keep it off.
Gradual changes and sustainable lifestyle choices can affect your well-being positively in the long run, unlike dangerous calorie-restricted diets that hurt your metabolism and weaken you. Don’t do it for social media; do it for yourself.
Health and Wellness groupDavid Lloydpredicts 2024 will see the rise of slow-building fitness habits, including doing things at your own pace and exploring an accessible, gentler, more mindful approach to fitness, wellness and exercise.
2. Challenge yourself
This is a great way to keep you going, even when you can’t be bothered to do anything. Even if you miss a day, that’s fine: do as many days as possible within the month. Every step you take will bring you closer to a healthier you. Not to mention, brisk walking is a great way toboost metabolism.
3. Get mobile
How can you include more NEATness in your life? Stand up from your desk and get some water more often. Take the stairs instead of using the elevator. Being more NEAT can help you burn calories without sweating through HIIT workouts or gruelling indoor bike sessions. We aren’t suggesting you stop exercising altogether but being more NEAT every day can help you achieve your weight loss goals quicker. Find out more about being NEAT here:How to get fit when you’re lazy.
4. Set SMARTer goals
You need to turn your new fitness effort into a habit, which is the hardest part. Until it becomes second nature to take the stairs or head out for a walk when you have some free time, you need to consciously make an effort to do these things. Setting a realistic goal can help you turn your efforts into habits.
5. Partner up
Keeping to a new fitness routine is easier when you do it with other people. Group exercise provides social pressure and accountability, which can help motivate you not to give up prematurely. And it’s not just us saying this;research suggeststhat a “person who makes a healthy behaviour change has a larger impact on others’ positive health behaviours than one whose behaviour is consistently healthy.” So, buddy up and get fit faster!
6. Try resistance training
Running is the most accessible sport to get into: all you have to do is put on yourbest running shoesand start moving your legs. Until recently, cardio exercises such as running or cycling have been touted as the best way to lose belly fat. However, without resistance training, long-term weight loss is not possible. Intense cardio training and a healthy diet will help you lose weight, but as soon as you start running/cycling, the weight will go back up.
7. Go hybrid
Gyms still have their place in the broader fitness ecosystem, as even the best iFit classes won’t recreate the sensation of working out with like-minded people. Not to mention, using the correct technique is paramount when building muscle, so periodically checking in with your PT, who can evaluate your progress, is still a good idea.
We recommend finding your own space and time for home workouts (if you can); you can do yoga while your significant other is watching the telly next to you, but having a dedicated area and time where you can focus on yourself helps you get in the right mindset.
8. Bundle temptation
Temptation bundling sounds obvious once you think about it, but scientists have only recently started paying more attention to the topic.Researchsuggests it’s extremely useful in boosting workout motivation.
9. Measure fitness differently
In-depth:7 exercises to test and improve your fitness
Most people measure fitness in arm circumference and body fat percentage, which isverywrong. Muscular, lean people can be the unhealthiest people, despite looking ‘fit’. Not to mention, maintaining an ‘Instagram physique’ often requires the consumption of banned substances and PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs).
10. Optimise habits for better fitness performance
During our recentinterview with Polar CEO Sander Werring, he said, “In the past, sports were an enabler for good health. Nowadays, health is an enabler to perform better at sports."
It’s never been easier to optimise health, thanks tosmartwatchesand smart rings like theUltrahuman Ring Air. These handy devices can help improve sleep, lower stress levels, and aid recovery for better performance on the track or bicycle.
Dieting tips to get you in shape in 2024
The second most popular New Year’s resolution (after ‘exercise more’) islosing weightand/orlosing belly fat. And just like with exercise, most people will go completely over-the-top with dieting in the new year and replace their deep-fried potato-based diet with lettuce and lemon water from one day to another. We recommend applying small changes and gradually scaling up the efforts to ensure the lifestyle shift won’t shock your body. We all react to specific diets differently, so paying attention to our bodies is paramount for long-term results.
1. Set realistic goals
Setting goals can help you stay on track with your new fitness goals, and the same applies to dieting, too. It’s possible to lose weight quickly, but often, that’s only the result of your body losing water, not fat. Reducing body fat levels requires a lot of patience, planning, and resilience. Set a goal that doesn’t include your dream body fat percentage; instead, make an effort to reduce alcohol consumption, snacking, and processed food.
2. Forget calorie-counting
In-depth:What are macronutrients?
A calorie is not always a calorie. A calorie from a chocolate bar will fuel you differently than a calorie from brown rice, for example. From a health perspective, it’s more beneficial to keep track of macros. ‘Macro’ is short for macronutrients, of which there are three: carbohydrates, protein and fat. Tracking macro intake is better for long-term weight loss. There is a myriad of free apps to read the barcodes of products that can add macros up for you.
3. Let tech help you
Some devices, such asLumen, can track metabolism and recommend a diet based on macronutrients and fitness goals, while others monitor sugar (glucose) levels in your blood. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) platforms such asSuperSapiensandLevelscan help better understand how food affects blood sugar levels so that you can avoid energy slumps in the afternoons.Smart bathroom scalesare also a valuable ally, whether you’re trying the keto diet or a new exercise regime or are already in good shape and want to monitor or care about that fact.
4. Drink more water
In-depth:I stopped drinking 2 litres of water a day for a week to see what would happen
Another obvious thing to do if you want to kickstart your metabolism is to drink more… water. Not fizzy drinks, not coffee/tea, water. Having enough water in your system will help your cells regenerate quicker, emptying toxins out of your system more efficiently, and just in general, for you to be more healthy. You don’t have to guzzle five litres of water every day, but having a big glass of water with your main meals can help you feel fuller and pass stool easier.
4. Drink less alcohol
In-depth:Cut alcohol for better weight loss results
If you want to lose weight – or at least not put on too much extra weight – there is one thing you can do that is almost certain to help. That’s right: cutting alcohol for weight loss is inevitable. It is self-evident when you think about it, and arguably not that easy, but it will give positive results, and perhaps it might not have occurred to you before. Alcohol is very calorific, bad for your metabolism and heart health, and just not necessary. Cut back on booze and feel better instantly.
5. Be mindful of snacking
Where most diet plans fail is snacking. People don’t like planning their snacks, which often results in hunger pangs at the wrong moments. The result? ‘Bad’ snacks are added to the otherwise ‘clean’ diet. Therefore, having some food on you that’s healthy and not too calorific is a great idea.
Another terrible idea is to start cooking when you’re hungry. Most often, you’ll start snacking during cooking, which again will result in sneaking 100-200 calories into your diet (per meal) on top of the actual meal you’re about to cook. Start cooking sooner, and do your meal prep to avoid unnecessary snacking.
6. Meal prep
Speaking of meal prep, bodybuilders are famous for carrying food around in small containers, but if you’re on a diet, you should consider doing the same. Prepping your meal in advance saves you money and ensures that there is good, healthy food around when you’re hungry. Most offices have kitchen areas and microwaves if you prefer not to eat at your desk, or you can do what we do and have it cold at your desk.
7. Avoid hidden calories
What are hidden calories? People don’t often consider calories from drinks, oils and the like. Lattes and other flavoured hot drinks contain a small meal’s worth of calories, which seldom get accounted for. Another culprit is the oils you use for cooking. Oils and fats are highly energy-dense foods (one gram of dietary fat contains nine calories, whereas one gram of protein or carbohydrate is just four calories), and they get soaked in the food you cook. Be mindful of these to avoid not seeing weight loss results.
8. (Re)move temptation
It’s also helpful if you frequently move the snacks around or out of the kitchen. If you replace ‘bad’ snacks in the drawer with ‘clean’ nibbles, you remind yourself you shouldn’t eat them when you check for a quick bite. Moving snacks to a hard-to-reach area could also help reduce temptation. Fancy a chocolate bar? Why don’t you go and collect it from the attic/garage?
9. Avoid calorific rewards
Using sweet treats as motivation for exercise works well, especially since our caveman’s brain loves energy-dense food. Most runners and cyclists like to have a big meal after their sessions to replenish lost calories and top up carbohydrate levels. This is all well; however, there is a big difference between sportspeople fuelling their training and you trying to lose weight with exercise.
To burn through fat reserves, you need to maintain a calorie deficit, which isn’t possible if you keep replenishing them after your endurance sessions. Worse still, most people will have snacks instead of real food due to the lack of meal prep (see above). Your best option to curb hunger after workouts are to have a proper meal ready for consumption when needed and eat treats in moderation.
10. Try fasting
In-depth:Did science just find the best fasting method for weight loss?
11. Try LCHF diet
In-depth:Keto vs low-carb diet
Keto has its place in the diet ecosystem and can be a useful tool to reset insulin levels when done correctly. However, it’s not without side effects, and it’s also quite restrictive, which makes it harder to adhere to.
Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) diet might not have the same effect on your body as keto and might be a healthier option if your primary aim is to reduce blood sugar levels and improve gut microbiome.
Either way, consult a medical professional before making drastic changes to your diet, to avoid any unwanted health problems.
Best exercises for beginners
Wall push-up
Muscles worked: pecs (chest muscles), arms (mainly triceps), delts (primarily the front shoulders)
Wall push-ups are excellent alternatives to regular push-ups and put less stress on your joints and muscles. As you get more comfortable with the exercise (and your muscles get more potent), you can gradually take on a more horizontal position and eventually do full-fledgedpush-ups.
To perform a wall push-up, stand completely upright, arm-length distance from the wall, legs shoulder-width apart. Place your palms on the wall, then slowly bend your elbows so your head gets closer to the wall. Go forward as much as it feels comfortable, then push yourself back to the starting position. Be careful not to lose balance as you extend your arms.
One thing to be mindful of as you do wall push-ups is to keep your back straight. Treat wall push-ups like regular push-ups, and don’t let your hip sag, either forward or backwards.
Squat/squat hold
Muscles worked: glutes (the most significant muscle in your body), quads (thighs), abs/core.
Squats are great because they work the entirety of the lower body. And your lower body needs all the love it can get, if for no other reason because it houses the biggest muscle on your body, the gluteus maximum, the muscles responsible for keeping your body upright as you stand.
As with side lunges, ensure you don’t go too deep with the squat; you don’t want to put too much pressure on your knees. For added muscle activation, you can try squat holds, where you stop and hold the halfway point in the squat for a couple of seconds. This will help tremendously, even without extra weights, to add resistance to your training.
Brisk walking
Even better, you don’t even have to go out of your way to start walking; you only need to swap some of your car sessions to walking sessions instead. So, you can walk to the city centre to do a little window shopping and then walk back home, and burn calories. No need for any gear in particular either. Wins all around.
Of course, you can get a nice pair ofwalking shoesif you want to treat yourself, but it’s not essential.
Rucking
In-depth:What’s rucking?
According toWhoop’s 2023 Year in Review, rucking is having a moment. And if you don’t know what rucking is, you should definitely give it a try in 2024.
Rucking is actually a staple in military training to build strength and endurance, as well as being a great cardio workout, incorporating some weight into the mix makes it a great way to build muscle and strengthen your core, too.
It’s literally walking with a weighted rucksack (or backpack). You may think this sounds familiar to hiking, but hiking is rucking that’s done specifically in the mountains, whereas rucking is anywhere else but there.
The weight on your back helps strengthen your core and adds some extra resistance to your workouts, which helps burn more calories. You can use any weight for rucking, which makes it more accessible than, let’s say, bench presses.
Farmer’s carry
In-depth:what’s farmer’s carry?
Somewhat similar to rucking, farmer’s carry is basically walking around while holding some weights in your hands. It’s not just an amazing exercise to strengthen your whole body, but it seriously improves grip and core strength. Farmer’s carry may not sound as skilful as doing the plank, but don’t be fooled – the exercise works your muscles well!
This feature is part of T3’sGet Fit 2024campaign. We’ll be bringing you a wealth of guides, features, deals and news to help you get healthy, fit and ready for anything the new year can throw at you. Whether you’re a newcomer to fitness or someone with a passion for it, we’ll bring you all the best workouts, diet advice and gear to set you on the right track.
This feature is part of T3’sGet Fit 2024campaign. We’ll be bringing you a wealth of guides, features, deals and news to help you get healthy, fit and ready for anything the new year can throw at you. Whether you’re a newcomer to fitness or someone with a passion for it, we’ll bring you all the best workouts, diet advice and gear to set you on the right track.
This feature is part of T3’sGet Fit 2024campaign. We’ll be bringing you a wealth of guides, features, deals and news to help you get healthy, fit and ready for anything the new year can throw at you. Whether you’re a newcomer to fitness or someone with a passion for it, we’ll bring you all the best workouts, diet advice and gear to set you on the right track.
This feature is part of T3’sGet Fit 2024campaign. We’ll be bringing you a wealth of guides, features, deals and news to help you get healthy, fit and ready for anything the new year can throw at you. Whether you’re a newcomer to fitness or someone with a passion for it, we’ll bring you all the best workouts, diet advice and gear to set you on the right track.
This feature is part of T3’sGet Fit 2024campaign. We’ll be bringing you a wealth of guides, features, deals and news to help you get healthy, fit and ready for anything the new year can throw at you. Whether you’re a newcomer to fitness or someone with a passion for it, we’ll bring you all the best workouts, diet advice and gear to set you on the right track.
This feature is part of T3’sGet Fit 2024campaign. We’ll be bringing you a wealth of guides, features, deals and news to help you get healthy, fit and ready for anything the new year can throw at you. Whether you’re a newcomer to fitness or someone with a passion for it, we’ll bring you all the best workouts, diet advice and gear to set you on the right track.
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