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A balanced workout, wholesome nutrition, a superior hydration program – these are all the elements of a fit, healthy lifestyle. But what does a balanced workout really look like? For the best results for your overall fitness, a routine that includes strength training, cardio, and balance and flexibility is the way to go. Today, we’ll focus on one aspect – cardio – and some of the best options that give you the best cardio workout. Cardio is any aerobic exercise, not just running. Whenever an exercise makes you breathe harder and increase your heart rate, and this action metabolizes carbohydrates into energy. The number of exercises that create this effect is almost limitless and can be anything from jogging to HIIT workouts to dancing – even circuit training, which includes some weight training components. Anything that both raises your heart rate and breathing rates qualifies. Cardio helps you burn calories and fat, strengthen your cardiovascular system, sleep better, and reduce stress. Most experts agree that everyone needs to do a cardio workout at least three times per week. The trick to sticking with cardio is choosing an exercise that you enjoy. Some people love their daily run, but for others it’s a chore, so if running’s not your thing, choose something else, such as: Cycling. Biking is one of the more “traditional” cardio workouts, but it has the advantage of being an enjoyable activity that gets you outside and lets you soak in the scenery. If you have a bike trail nearby, biking may be the perfect choice for you. If you live in a cold climate, an indoor stationary bike is a good substitute. Swimming. Swimming is another sport that most people think of when they think of cardio training, and for good reason. It’s fun, challenging, and really gets your lungs and heart going. Getting out to swim regularly requires the right environment – warm weather, a nearby pool or lake, or an indoor pool. Team sports. Basketball, football, soccer – if you have access to a neighborhood team or can round up some friends for a game a few times a week, team sports can really give you that needed cardio workout. The bonus is that it’s fun and you get the benefit of spending time with friends. Work around the house. Yes, gardening, yard work, and cleaning the house all qualify as cardio if you do them with enough intensity. The trick is being sure your heart rate and breathing rate increase enough to give you all the benefits of cardio. HIIT. High-intensity interval training has gotten a lot of attention in the fitness world lately, and it’s well deserved. HIIT is any exercise that varies bursts of intense effort with lower intensity recovery periods. For example, you might run as fast as you can for two minutes, then slow to a brisk but less demanding pace for 5 minutes, then repeat. Group fitness programs . If you love working out with other people, a great cardio choice is a class like dance, step, group stationary cycling, and more. Groups let you socialize while getting the cardio workout you need, and they also keep you accountable for getting regular workouts. With plenty of options available for cardio training, there’s something for everyone from beginners to elite athletes. The best cardio exercise for your fitness routine is one that you enjoy enough to schedule time for it at least three times a week. As always, be sure to remember to stay well hydrated before, during, and after your workout. We designed TotalFit Premium Water™ to give you the best hydration possible so you get the most out of your workout. It’s enhanced with essential minerals and electrolytes, pH balanced at 9+, purified with our patented IonV₃ filtration system, and micro-clustered for optimal absorption. Grab a case of TotalFit Premium Water™ today and experience the difference of superior hydration for your workout. To find TotalFit, shop online or find a store near you today. For valuable promotions, fitness tips and more, text “totalfit” to 95577 and BE FIT today!

It’s the time of year when just about everyone is working on their New Year’s resolutions – more exercise, clean eating, staying hydrated , and getting enough sleep. Unfortunately, many resolutions only last until about mid-January, so they don’t have the sticking power to help most people reach their goals. For athletes, as well as anyone dedicated to living a healthy, active lifestyle, it may be better to focus on building good habits that can last a lifetime instead of a few weeks. Stay positive. A positive mental attitude is a must for sports performance. It’s about appreciating the time you have in which to play your favorite sport as well as viewing difficult milestones as challenges, not obstacles. Forming this habit can be as easy as changing your language – instead of thinking of workouts and practice as something you “have to” do, think of them as something you “get to” do. A positive mindset can make all the difference and can even make those challenges easier to achieve. Help others. It’s easy to get caught up in the goals we make for ourselves but encouraging others to reach their goals contributes to your sense of well-being. This is especially important for team sports, where struggling teammates can overcome challenges with your help, but also for individual sports where sharing your knowledge can help your sport maintain its positive reputation – and helping others succeed feels good, too. Get enough rest. For decades, people have put sleep on the back burning in favor of getting it all done. But recent research has highlighted the importance of a good night’s sleep for your health. Getting at least seven hours of rest each night helps keep stress under control and significantly lowers your risk of serious diseases. There are even more benefits for athletes. Proper sleep helps your body recover from the day’s exercise, helps keep your mind sharp for split-second in-game decisions, and prevents fatigue so you can perform at peak levels. Prioritize warm-ups. If you regularly skip warm-ups so you can get right to the game, make it a priority going forward to do those important warm-ups first. Warm-ups not only enhance your athletic performance, but they also can help prevent injury and muscle soreness. Work on your overall fitness. It’s easy to spend more time fine-tuning your sport-specific skills and let the rest go by the wayside, but other aspects of your overall fitness are also important to achieve peak performance, like balance, agility, core strength, and coordination. Improved overall fitness can help you perform better even at sport-specific tasks. Stay hydrated. Hydration is a must for everyone, but for athletes and people who exercise regularly, good hydration can make all the difference. Poor hydration can make you lightheaded and fatigued or increase your heart rate. Good hydration means improved muscle function and better circulation and blood pressure so that your muscles and organs work properly. Choose a hydrating drink like TotalFit Premium Water™ with optimized absorption to ensure superior hydration for your workout. Resolutions are fine if we can stick to them. For some, it’s easier to think of our goals as new habits to form, then work on them in small steps throughout the year. Good habits are important to perform at your best, including good hydration before, during, and after your workout. We created TotalFit Premium Water™ especially for you, to give you everything you need to keep your body functioning well to keep you in the game. It’s electrolyte-enhanced as well as purified, pH balanced and micro-clustered for optimal absorption. Get a case of TotalFit Premium Water™ so you can experience the difference of superior hydration for your overall fitness. TotalFit by shopping online or finding a store near you today. For valuable promotions, fitness tips and more, text “totalfit” to 95577 and BE FIT today!

You’ve got your fitness plan together: weight training, cardio, nutrition, and hydration . Have you included flexibility in your fitness routine? Flexibility training is an important part of the five basic components of an exercise routine along with cardio, muscle strength, muscle endurance, body composition. Flexibility means being able to move a joint through its entire range of motion. Flexibility is important for most movements, even the simple things we do every day like standing up and lifting everyday objects. It’s especially important for athletes and people with active, healthy lifestyles because improved flexibility helps prevent injuries and makes it easier to move without pain. An optimal range of motion lets us perform movement smoothly, which is crucial for athletes whose sports require fluid movements. Adding flexibility training to your routine will improve exercise, sports, and daily activity performance, better joint health, fewer injuries overall, especially to your lower back, fewer aches, pains, and muscle cramps due to exercising, less stress on your body overall, and better posture and balance. Some factors of flexibility are hereditary, but the things we can control that help us be more flexible are our muscle elasticity and length and our nervous system health. Flexibility training targets these components to help you get the best range of motion you can have, and it’s an important part of your overall fitness routine. There are two types of flexibility: static and dynamic. Static flexibility improves joint mobility and muscle elasticity to help you become more flexible overall. Dynamic flexibility means stretching muscles throughout their full range of motion. Dynamic flexibility training is an important aspect for athletes and people who live active, healthy lifestyles. Flexibility training should be a part of your routine three to five days per week. The training involves stretching exercises, but they shouldn’t be done without a warm-up. Even just a few minutes with a jump rope or jogging should do the trick. The idea is to get your body moving. Flexibility training stretches shouldn’t be painful, but they should be intense enough to cause some mild discomfort, and this level varies by individual. Some examples of dynamic flexibility training stretches include lunges with a twist, arm circles, and hip circles. The exact dynamic stretches you need vary for each sport, so get advice from a professional trainer about incorporating dynamic flexibility training into your customized workout. If you live in or near McDonough, Georgia, give the TotalFit Lifestyle professional gym a try. You’ll get your own personal TotalFit Lifestyle Coach who can help you decide on the right flexibility exercises for you. As always, be sure to stay hydrated as you exercise to be sure your body can perform at peak levels. that’s why we designed TotalFit Premium Water™ to supply you with everything you need to keep your body moving. It’s electrolyte-enhanced, purified, pH balanced and micro-clustered for optimal absorption. Grab a case of TotalFit Premium Water™ today to experience the difference of superior hydration for your workouts. To find TotalFit, shop online or find a store near you today. For fun, valuable promotions, fitness tips and more, text “totalfit” to 95577 and BE FIT today!

As the days grow shorter and the weather gets colder, we have a new challenge for staying fit: outdoor workouts in cold weather. During the winter months, it’s even more important to stick with a healthy diet, optimal hydration , and a workout that addresses your fitness goals. But for those of us who enjoy outdoor sports, the workout can be a challenge. Here are some of the top tips from the pros for safe outdoor workouts. Stay informed. Know the forecast and time your workouts accordingly. Cold fronts in winter can happen any time of day, so be aware of possible temperature drops that will affect your workout time. Watch for wind chills. While air temperatures may be above freezing, wind chills can quickly bring danger of frostbite. At air temperatures below 5 F (-15 C) or wind chills below -18 F (-28 C), exposed skin can get frostbite in 30 minutes or less. If possible, opt for an indoor workout at the gym if conditions reach these thresholds. Know the danger signs of frostbite and hypothermia . Frostbite happens primarily on exposed skin like your face. Numbness, stinging, or a loss of feeling are early warning signals to immediately move indoors and warm up slowly – avoid rubbing infected areas because that can damage skin. Hypothermia means abnormally low body temperature and exercising in extreme cold can increase your risk. Symptoms include fatigue, loss of coordination, slurred speech, and intense shivering. If you suspect you have hypothermia or have symptoms of frostbite that won’t go away, get emergency medical help right away. Dress in waterproof layers. Choose synthetic fiber clothes for the first layer, which will draw moisture away from your skin. Use polar fleece as the middle layer if it’s particularly cold, then choose a waterproof windbreaker or heavy jacket, depending on the temperature, for your outer layer. As you warm up, remove layers and tie them around your waist so you can put them back on if you get cold again later. Start with a good warm-up. Warm-ups are important to prevent injury any time of year, but during the colder months, they are especially helpful because they increase blood flow and warm up the body. Unlike stretching, which should be done after the workout, warm-ups are a more active body movement similar to what you will be doing on your workout, like lunges for runners. Use the right shoes. Good traction is especially important where there are icy, slick roadways or if you exercise off the beaten path in muddy conditions. Equip yourself with a good pair of high-traction shoes for your workout and avoid icy areas that can cause injury. Stay hydrated. You may not feel as thirsty when it’s cold, but your body needs hydration even more when you workout in the cold. Even in colder temperatures, your body still loses fluids when you sweat – and even when you breathe. Take along a bottle of TotalFit Premium Water™ to sip on regularly throughout your workout to stay hydrated, and follow up your workout with more water to replenish everything you lost. TotalFit Premium Water™ is electrolyte-enhanced to replenish nutrients your body loses during exercise. It’s also purified, pH balanced at 9+, and micro-clustered for optimal absorption. Grab your case of TotalFit Premium Water™ today for superior hydration to enhance your workouts regardless of the weather outside. To find TotalFit, shop online or find a store near you today. For valuable promotions, fitness tips and more, text “totalfit” to 95577 and BE FIT today!

These days, top performance in your sport means more than practicing the basics, like shooting hoops for basketball or throwing, batting, or catching for baseball. It means being in the best condition possible for optimal performance , because out there in the sporting world, the competition is fierce. With the right workout, you can be on your game in even the most grueling competitions because you’ve trained to excel. Today, we’ll talk about the steps to follow to build a workout program with the needs of your sport in mind. Know the science. Athletic performance is all about physiology, the science of functions and mechanisms that help living things, including humans, thrive. Science not only helps your body to perform at your sport, but it can help you understand how paying attention to the right functions improve the way you play your favorite sport. There are three systems at play: the phosphagen system, which gives you those short bursts of energy, the glycolytic system, which gives you a medium level of both energy and endurance, and the oxidative system, which gives you high endurance but not as much energy. Determine the needs of your sport. You can see how each system may be more effective for different sports. Although you want a balanced program, an emphasis on the system that works for your sport can be helpful. For example, if you want to run a marathon, of course you need a lot of endurance. Take a few moments to think about the type of movements your sport requires and decide which system should get the most attention. Build a targeted workout plan. To determine which exercises target the systems you need, look at the exercises individually and think about the kind of effort used. A quick 200-meter dash, running at full speed as fast as you can, is an example of an exercise that targets the phosphagen system. It’s a quick but intense workout that lasts for a short duration and is followed by a rest. A longer run, at 1600 meters, requires endurance. It’s more important to pace yourself rather than running at full speed and using everything you’ve got. That kind of training targets your oxidative system. Somewhere in the middle, say a run of 800 meters, requires that you use energy to do it quickly but also endurance to last to the finish. That middle-of-the-road workout targets your glycolytic system. With these examples, think about the exercises you do every day and whether they help you train the right way for your sport. Balance it out. While a portion of your workout should target your specific sport, the overall goal should be an enhanced fitness level that makes you feel good every day. A good balance of cardio, weight training, and sport-specific training gives you the best overall workout. Think of each element as part of a pyramid, with the sport-specific training at the top, strength and power training below, flexibility and stability training below that, and at the base, focus on developing optimal movement patterns. Each element is a smaller portion of your workout as you get to the top, yet all work together to form an important base of overall fitness. The role of diet and hydration. At the base of your workout is to optimizing overall movement. An important part of this is eating a clean, healthy diet and maintaining proper hydration, especially during your workout. Choose lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and other whole foods, and choose a hydration source that is optimized for absorption and performance, like TotalFit Premium Water™. Get help. Building a workout routine can be complicated and getting help from a personal trainer means that you not only get the right workout, but also a coach who can keep you focused and motivated throughout your workouts. Choose a personal trainer with knowledge about physiology and kinesiology who can use those aspects to your advantage when designing your workout. If you’re located in McDonough, Georgia, check out the TotalFit Lifestyle professional gym, where you can get your own personal TotalFit Lifestyle Coach to help you with results-driven conditioning workouts. The best way to ensure your workout is effective is to stay hydrated. That’s why we made TotalFit Premium Water™, the electrolyte-enhanced, purified, pH balanced water that’s micro-clustered for optimal absorption. Get your case of TotalFit Premium Water™ today for superior hydration to enhance your workouts. To find TotalFit, shop online or find a store near you today. For valuable promotions, fitness tips and more, text “totalfit” to 95577 and BE FIT today!

Whatever we do, goal setting helps us keep on track. Whether it’s a new diet or hydration plan, ambitions for work, or just things we want to accomplish in our personal lives, goal setting helps us get it done. Fitness is no exception – and setting the right goals for your fitness plan is the best way to ensure that you make progress, whether you’re a professional athlete or just someone who wants to live an active, healthy lifestyle. But setting goals can seem daunting if you don’t know where to begin. Start now. Many people wait until the beginning of the year to set goals. Although New Year’s Eve is a good reminder to review your goals, it’s important to start now so you make the right choices about your workouts going forward. Be clear about what you want. The first step in setting goals is to really think about what you want from your workout. This will be different for everyone. Some people are pro athletes who want to up their game. Others have their sights on performing well in a particular event, like a marathon. For beginners, just getting a workout done on a regular schedule is important. Clearly define what you want out of the fitness portion of your life and keep that in mind as you set goals. Use SMART goals . SMART goals are often used for business, but they translate well to other parts of our lives, including fitness goals. SMART goals are: Specific. It’s not just about running faster or losing weight. It’s about running a mile in 10 minutes or losing 10 pounds. Specific goals are easier to achieve and give us something to work toward. Measurable. This is an extension of being specific. A measurable goal is something that you can quantify, like that 10 minutes or those 10 pounds – you can measure those. Attainable. If goals are just too difficult, chances are you’ll give up. If you’re a beginner, 10 minutes in a mile is very difficult. Instead of just picking a number, measure where you are now and set a goal of taking 1-2 minutes off your current time. Relevant. Goals must relevant to your life. If you simply don’t have time for 2 hours of exercise every day, there’s no reason to set a goal that high. While setting goals, remember that you are motivating yourself, not pushing the rest of your life out of the way. Plan for a balance. Time-bound. Part of being specific is also deciding on a deadline for achieving your goal. For example, you might say, “I will decrease my one-mile running time by 2 minutes in two months.” Being time-bound gives you the end game, at which time you can set a new goal. Plan for small steps. It feels really good to achieve a goal. To stay motivated, you want to give yourself the chance to experience that feeling often. That’s why most goals should be about the small steps that it takes to accomplish your overarching goal, especially if it’s something that will take time. For example, winning a championship or turning pro are long-term goals, with lots of smaller SMART goals needed along the way to get there. Address underlying issues that might hold you back. If you’ve had trouble sticking to goals in the past, it may be because they weren’t suited for you, or you were doing them for all the wrong reasons. For example, if you want to lose weight or get in shape just because of what others think about you, that will make it more difficult to achieve your goal. It has to be about you, and what you want in life. Set some small goals that mean something to you individually instead. Tell someone. It’s easier to be held accountable if you’ve shared your goals with someone you trust. They can help you stay on track every day and keep you motivated when you just don’t feel like heading to the gym. The best way to make this work is by returning the favor and helping each other meet those goals. Set some goals today so you can start making progress right away. And while you’re working out, don’t forget to stay hydrated. We made TotalFit Premium Water™ to be a part of your fit, healthy lifestyle. It’s electrolyte-enhanced, purified, pH balanced, and micro-clustered for optimal absorption. Get a case of TotalFit Premium Water™ today for superior hydration to enhance your workouts so you can meet your fitness goals. To find TotalFit, shop online or find a store near you today. For exciting promotions, fitness tips and more, text “totalfit” to 95577 and BE FIT today!

To achieve optimal fitness, you need a great nutrition plan, superior hydration , and a workout plan that fits your individual needs. Many people hire personal trainers, and they can be a valuable addition to your fitness lifestyle, whether you are training hard to achieve top performance in your sport or just want to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Sometimes, you’ll find along the way that your trainer just isn’t a good fit for you, and you’ll wonder whether it’s worth it to make a change. Today, we’ve put together some of the top reasons why a trainer might not be right for you. Inflexible goals. It’s important to begin a relationship with your personal trainer focused on goals. But if she’s only concerned with meeting that one goal at the expense of your overall well-being, she may not be the right fit for you. Some trainers measure success based solely on meeting goals set when you first meet them, but goals change over time and may become unrealistic given other individual factors that vary by individual client. If she’s not willing to be flexible once she’s worked with you and better understands your needs and abilities, it may be time to look elsewhere. Distractions. You pay your personal trainer for his time, so he should have full attention on you. Although exceptions and emergencies happen, if your trainer is always checking his phone, reading, snacking, or doing something else that distracts from an undivided focus on you, you’re not getting your money’s worth. Lack of qualifications. A qualified trainer should have either certification from a company that’s nationally accredited (these will have acronyms like CSCS, MASM, ACSM, or ACE) or a degree from an accredited college in kinesiology or exercise science. If your trainer hasn’t committed to the education, he’ll lack knowledge that will keep you safe and help make your training sessions effective. Poor communication. A great personal trainer communicates well. That means she explains her exercise plan and the reasons for doing them, asks you detailed questions about your goals, sport, and areas you’d like to improve. Your trainer’s job is to know you well so she can determine a plan of action to help you improve your fitness. If you feel like you know more about her than she does about you, it might be time to end that relationship. Lack of planning or record-keeping . A qualified personal trainer will write up a training plan for you and refer to it as you go. Since you’re paying him for his time, he should provide evidence that your time spent with him is more valuable than if you’d trained on your own. If you’re trainer doesn’t have a plan or doesn’t keep good records, it may be time to reconsider his value. Wasted time. While it’s important for your trainer to be present during your workout, there are some instances where it’s a waste of time. Unless you have a health condition, there’s no reason for a personal trainer to stand by while you spend 30 minutes of your two-hour session with her on the treadmill. While cardio may be an important part of your training, that’s something she can direct you to do toward the end of her time with you, which should be spent working on specific exercises and form/posture issues that you couldn’t do alone. No homework. There’s more to your fitness than the workout you do for a couple hours a week with your trainer at the gym. A great trainer plans your workout for the other days of the week and will compare progress at your next session and make any necessary changes. Homework is a necessity for training, since you don’t pay for your trainer 24/7 – he needs to make his time with you count. Personality clash. A trainer needs to challenge you, but the relationship shouldn’t cause you stress. Sometimes, trainers aren’t a good fit just based on personality, and you need to trust your instincts when things just don’t seem right. If any of these seem to apply to your own personal trainer, it might be time to reconsider the relationship and find a new trainer. If you’re located in McDonough, Georgia, check out the TotalFit Lifestyle professional gym, with personal TotalFit Lifestyle Coaches who deliver results-driven conditioning and weight loss workouts with personalized goal setting. Staying hydrated is an important part of a great fitness routine. That’s why we created TotalFit Premium Water™, the electrolyte-enhanced, purified, and pH balanced water that’s micro-clustered for optimal absorption. Get a case of TotalFit Premium Water™ today and experience the difference that superior hydration brings to your workouts. Find TotalFit by shopping online or find a store near you today. For valuable promotions, fitness tips and more, text “totalfit” to 95577 and BE FIT today!

Whether you’re a hard-core professional athlete or someone who is just committed to living an active, healthy lifestyle, hydration is a crucial component of your daily routine. We’ve all heard the saying that our bodies are mostly water – and it’s true. Water is a must for proper cellular function so you can perform at the top levels. Today, we’ll discuss how much water you need to stay hydrated during exercising. Prior to exercising. To deliver peak performance, it’s crucial to start off right. If you’re not well-hydrated before you start exercising, you’ll start to feel worse as your body sweats and brings you down to dangerous levels. For this reason, it’s important to have the proper share of your daily hydration prior to exercising. Most healthy adults should intake one to 1.5 liters of water throughout the course of your day, split evenly throughout your waking hours so you stay consistently hydrated. Therefore, you should start your exercise after intaking the normal amount for the time you begin. Don’t try to exercise before you’ve had that first glass of water for the day, and when you know you’ll be working out, drink about 16 ounces two or three hours before and another eight ounces 15 minutes before your exercise session. During exercise. Because exercise can cause you to sweat and lose valuable hydration, it’s important to kick up your hydration during your exercise sessions. Plan on six ounces every 15 to 20 minutes as you exercise or participate in your sport to keep replenishing what you’ve lost. Keep up this level until your workout is complete. If you’re exercising outdoors, especially on a hot day, increase your hydration by several ounces every 15 minutes. After exercise. If you can, weigh yourself before and after exercising. If you weigh a pound or so less after your workout, you’ve lost water weight that you need to replenish. Drink a 16-ounce bottle of water for each pound lost after your workout to rehydrate properly, then return to your regular schedule of water intake for the rest of the day. Use a quality product . Although quantity is important, quality is crucial. After a workout or a session of your favorite sport, your body has lost more than water. You also need to replenish electrolytes and minerals that your body has lost, so choose a water enhanced with nutrients and electrolytes to help your body recover. Choose a trusted source with superior filtration to filter out impurities, and one with a pH balance at the right alkalinity to help your body deliver blood to your cells. Most reverse-osmosis bottled water falls within the acidic range, so choose one that’s alkaline to better stabilize your blood flow. Additionally, water is better absorbed when it is micro-clustered – when the water molecules are divided into smaller clusters than normal tap water. Micro-clusters help water absorb fast for faster recovery from exertion through exercise. Know the dangers of poor hydration. Your body can’t function without hydration, and you’ll struggle at your workout if your intake or the quality of your water is poor. As you lose water, your performance declines, beginning at a water loss of about 2% of your body weight, and this happens quickly as you sweat. As your body loses hydration, your body temperature increases, raising your heart rate and affecting blood pressure. You’ll start to feel fatigue, muscle cramps, and a headache, and as your hydration decreases more, you may experience nausea and vomiting. Water converts food to energy, delivers that energy to your cells and flushes toxins away from them, lubricates your joints, helps you process oxygen as you breathe, and protects your vital organs. That’s why it’s so important to remain hydrated before, during, and after exercise, and as a part of your everyday wellness routine. Without it, your body can’t function properly. Keeping fit so you can perform your best means practicing good hydration habits. We created TotalFit Premium Water™ to give your body everything it needs to reach and maintain peak performance. It’s electrolyte- and mineral-enhanced, purified, and perfectly pH balanced as well as micro-clustered for optimal absorption and superior hydration. Get your case of TotalFit Premium Water™ and experience the difference of superior hydration for yourself. You can find TotalFit online or find a store near you today. For exciting, money-saving promotions, fitness tips and more, text “totalfit” to 9557 7 and BE FIT today!

Even if you exercise regularly, eat a relatively healthy diet, and pay attention to good hydration, there’s usually that one healthy habit you wish you had that just hasn’t stuck. Maybe you’re trying to eat more servings of vegetables, but you just don’t make it happen every day. Maybe there’s that one exercise that’ll push your workout the extra mile, but at the end of your usual routine, you’re done for the day. Today, we’ll talk about some tips that turn that healthy habit into a reality. Start with your goals. To make a habit stick, you need a reason for the habit in the first place. Sometimes, they are obvious: “I need to add more weight training because it will build the muscle I need to compete.” Other times it’s less obvious, and you need to be creative to come up with a clear reason why you want to incorporate that habit into your life. Once you have the reason, write it down as a goal so you remember and can refer to it if needed. Staying motivated is tough (we talk about strategies for staying motivated here), so having a plan to turn your goals into habits makes it easier to stick with them. Recognize the process. Both good and bad habits have the same three-step process. First, there’s a cue that tells you to take that action. Next, you take that action. Finally, you get a reward. We’ll break down the steps next, but here’s a basic example: you feel tired or hungry (or even bored), and that signals that you want to eat (step 1). You grab a snack out of the fridge and eat it (step 2). You get that reward, whether it’s simply feeling satiated, perking up and feeling more energetic, or just enjoying the flavor of the food (step 3). ➢ Step 1 – curate that cue . Getting started on a new healthy habit means building a cue, some sort of reminder to do the action that didn’t exist before. We’ll use adding more vegetable servings as an example. What will signal you to get those extra servings? Maybe it’s reminders on your phone throughout the day. Maybe it’s an item on a meal planning checklist. Whatever you use, make it something that will work for you to make you think about the action you want to build as a new habit. ➢ Step 2 – make it easy to take that action . The trick here is advanced planning to make it harder to skip your new habit than to do it. Remove obstacles to make the new habit easy and add obstacles that make it harder NOT to take that action. We’ll use our vegetable servings habit again. Take some time every couple of days to chop vegetables in advance. Store them ready-to-cook in the fridge and include some on-the-go options like raw carrots divided into serving sizes and ready to go. Tempted to just throw sauce on that pasta? When veggies are chopped and ready, they’re easy to add. Only choose recipes that work well with added vegetables and have ingredients for them on hand. This works for any habit you want to instill. Just consider all the obstacles that stand in your way and remove them systematically, then build obstacles to make it harder not to do that habit. ➢ Step 3 – understand that reward. Rewards are very personal, so they’re different for everybody. Some rewards avoid unpleasant things, others seek out ways to feel good. Rewards can even change over time. One woman went on a whole-foods diet to lose weight, but found it significantly reduced her chronic migraines. The diet was strict and weight loss was slow, but being migraine-free was such a great reward that she stuck with her new diet. Be aware of the rewards you get for good, healthy habits and find ways to make them better. In our veggie servings example, the rewards can be feeling better, being sick less often, and/or performing better in work and in play. Remember that the process also works for unhealthy habits, so if there’s something you want to change, analyze the cues, actions, and rewards and make it harder to make those negative choices. We all need more healthy habits in our lives. One of these is staying hydrated so we can perform our best in the sport we love. That’s why we created TotalFit Premium Water™, the electrolyte-enhanced, purified, and pH balanced performance water that’s micro-clustered for optimal absorption and superior hydration. Get your case of TotalFit Premium Water™ and experience the difference of superior hydration for yourself. You can find TotalFit online or find a store near you today. For fun, money-saving promotions, fitness tips and more, text “totalfit” to 95577 and BE FIT today!