​Genetics make up a small percentage of it, mainly because they determine your body composition from birth, which means some individuals are naturally more efficient at burning and storing energy. However, it’s not just genetics that determine whether you find it easy or difficult to stick to an exercise routine. Another influence is your external environment, for example your working schedule. 

The most important factor to be aware of is your psychology. This is because, even in circumstances where every factor is in favour of exercise, your mindset can be a stubborn hurdle that you’ll find hard to get over. In this article, we will explore how to build a fitness routine you’ll stick to, so you can feel your best.

​Read: How to Rebuild Your Health and Fitness Routine After Moving Abroad

Add Variety Into Your Routine

One of the most common reasons why people struggle to stick to a fitness routine comes down to tedium – in other words, boredom. Although similarity and consistency are important when it comes to building a routine, if you’re following a routine that has no variety, it’s likely you’ll get fed up quickly. Variety and change encourage excitement, and they also make sure your routine doesn’t feel too predictable.

On top of this, variation is not only beneficial for our attitudes towards exercise, but also for our physical health too. When you partake in a range of different exercises, you work your body and muscles in lots of different ways, improving a mixture of different metabolic processes.

Lighting jogging is always a good addition to any fitness routine, as it’s not very strenuous and it can improve your aerobic energy system. Anyone can do this, as opposed to long-distance running or sprinting, which takes out more on your body. Weight training can also be beneficial for improving strength while getting your muscular endurance back to a desired level.

Fuel Your Body With The Right Food

Without food, exercise is pointless. You can’t expect to reach your fitness goals and stick to a routine if you’re not eating enough food – but more importantly, the right foods. Different forms of physical activity favour different types and quantities of food, but in general, it’s recommended to eat a balanced diet filled with protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats and fibre.

Most professional athletes will focus on eating meat to get more amino acids into their diet, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. This doesn’t mean that people following certain diets, such as vegetarianism or veganism, can’t reach their protein goals for muscle growth. Plant-based proteins can be found in beans and nuts, so you can get them into your diet very easily. In addition to choosing the right foods, it’s also important to eat at appropriate times relative to your exercise schedule.

So that you feel energised before working out, you should consume easy-to-digest carbohydrates like bananas and toast, and this should be ideally 1 to 3 hours before exercising. Following physical activity, choose a meal that’s high in carbohydrates and protein, and within 60 minutes of finishing exercising.

Some good examples of post-exercise meals include Greek yoghurt with berries, a fruit smoothie with protein powder, or turkey slices on whole grain bread. If you eat a large meal too close to exercising, you may experience stomach cramps or feel lethargic. Equally, if you leave it beyond 60 minutes to eat following exercise, you may slow your recovery by delaying the nutrients your body needs for growth and repair.

Tailor Exercise To Your Needs

Everyone’s exercise routine looks completely different—and it should! Exercise shouldn’t overhaul your everyday life; instead, it should be integrated into it so that you can continue enjoying your other activities without making unnecessary sacrifices. While there are physical exercise guidelines outlining the recommended activity levels for different age groups, any amount of movement you can fit in is certainly more beneficial than none at all.

This won’t work for everyone, as some people will not want to workout in the morning. If this option isn’t for you, adapting your routine is always an option. Some people enjoy preparing for the morning the night before, which can be done by packing your back with everything you need for the next day, including a hairbrush and lip gloss. Don’t sacrifice the parts of your routine that you can’t do without, so if you only enjoy a small amount of exercise that’s absolutely fine.

The post How to Build a Fitness Routine You’ll Stick To appeared first on Health Diet Guru.

Continue reading if you’ve recently moved to a new country and are looking to get your health and fitness back on track. We’ll provide you with some tips and tricks to help you settle into your new routine.

Rebuilding Your Health and Fitness in a New Country

Find a Local GP

In the UK, you should register with a General Practitioner (GP) for free regardless of your immigration status, as this will give you a local doctor to visit if you are worried about your health. The NHS website has Find a GP, which finds surgeries or doctors in your local area so that you can contact them and apply for a place. This can save you a lot of money in the long run, as the NHS is free and helps you to avoid paying the high fees of private hospitals.

Your local GP can give you insight into any illnesses you might have, or recommend you to professionals who can look into your health and fitness.

Read: Why Your Morning Routine Matters More Than You Think

Social Prescribing

If you need help finding local community sports, walking groups or mental health support, ask your local GP about social prescribing. This helps to connect new residents to non-clinical activities that boost wellbeing and promote a healthy lifestyle. It’s also a good way to begin fitting into your new community, as you get the chance to chat with local people and form new friendships. If you meet people in a mental health support group, you can find like-minded people who will all be willing to help each other with their problems.

Moving to a new country can be difficult, so interacting with more people will help you to feel comfortable with your area and can support your wellbeing.

Green Spaces

Have a walk around your local area or use Google Maps to scout out some green areas that you can use for exercise. You can find local trails for running or outdoor bodyweight workouts in your immediate vicinity, as working out in nature is proven to be better for you than doing it in an enclosed space. If you live in a city centre, it can be difficult to find a large open space for workouts, but there is likely some on the outskirts to enjoy.

If you’re moving to the UK, there’s many places where you can move to that have some wonderful green spaces. Yorkshire is often touted as being the best county for green spaces.

Local Cuisine

Eating local produce is a great way to take care of your health in a new country. You can embrace local ingredients, but balance your diet by locating supermarkets to stock up on familiar lean proteins and whole foods that can give you that sense of being at home when you’re not. Go to local fishmongers to purchase locally caught fish, which will be much better for you than buying frozen food.

Finding your ideal balanced diet from local cuisine will be your best friend. Make sure to shop from independent stores to support your local economy too.

Start Exercise Slowly

Once you’ve moved to a new country, you’ll be tempted to get started right away with intense training to get you back into the swing of things. However, if you’ve travelled a long way, this can take a lot out of your body and make you feel even worse. Begin with 20-minute daily walks or simple, at-home mobility stretches to readjust to your timezone and environment. This can help you get into the right type of mindset for regular exercising.

You can introduce a schedule that helps you get back into your flow. Set yourself a date for when you feel like you’ll be able to exercise properly and slowly build up to it.

Join a Run Club

Run clubs are all the range at the moment with many like-minded people grouping up to run together through a town or city. Not only is it great for boosting your physical health, but it can also benefit your mental health as you can meet new people and begin to fit into your new environment. It can also be good at helping you find a new pace for your workout, as you can run alongside other people.

Before you focus on obtaining indefinite leave to remain in your new country, your health should be the number one so always put yourself and your body first.

The post How to Rebuild Your Health and Fitness Routine After Moving Abroad appeared first on Health Diet Guru.