Healthy Living • YMCA Health and Fitness
3 ways you can start your fitness journey right now
19 August 2020 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
The hardest thing about getting healthy is getting started, especially after several months of a COVID-19 induced break from the gym.
Whether you’re reading this at your desk, from your couch, on the bus, or anywhere else, here are three things you can do literally right now, this very moment, to get yourself on the path towards a healthier, happier lifestyle:
Sitting at a desk — or sitting anywhere, really — is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Those of us with jobs that require us to sit for most of the day need to make an effort to counteract the negative effects. Right now, follow along with YMCA Health Educator Jessica as she takes you through an easy, four-minute-long stretch break designed to be done while sitting. Then, set an alarm to go off in one hour, and do another one.
You might not be able to hit the gym right this second, but you can definitely pull out your Sweat For Good app and schedule your next workout. Whether you want to join one of our in-person group fitness classes, book your time in the weight room, or check out our ever-growing schedule of online fitness classes you can do from home or your local park, the Sweat For Good app is where you can book it all. Putting a workout into your calendar will help make you feel committed to actually doing it when the time comes.
Research suggests you’re less tempted by snacks you can’t see. One study found that front-desk administrators who kept candy in clear containers snacked on it 71% more often than those with the same candy in opaque containers. Stuff your sugary sweets in your desk drawer, the back of your kitchen cupboards, or — if you’re feeling really ambitious — throw them out altogether and replace them with healthier alternatives.
Getting healthy is a long-term decision that requires lifestyle changes, not quick fixes. But that doesn’t mean healthy living is out of reach. In fact, people who take it one small step at a time are most likely to build sustainable habits that they stick to in the long run; those who try to do everything at once are more likely to get discouraged and give up. Trying any one of these three easy strategies today can put you on the right track for life.
Whether you’re reading this at your desk, from your couch, on the bus, or anywhere else, here are three things you can do literally right now, this very moment, to get yourself on the path towards a healthier, happier lifestyle:
- Stretch out
Sitting at a desk — or sitting anywhere, really — is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Those of us with jobs that require us to sit for most of the day need to make an effort to counteract the negative effects. Right now, follow along with YMCA Health Educator Jessica as she takes you through an easy, four-minute-long stretch break designed to be done while sitting. Then, set an alarm to go off in one hour, and do another one.
- Schedule a workout
You might not be able to hit the gym right this second, but you can definitely pull out your Sweat For Good app and schedule your next workout. Whether you want to join one of our in-person group fitness classes, book your time in the weight room, or check out our ever-growing schedule of online fitness classes you can do from home or your local park, the Sweat For Good app is where you can book it all. Putting a workout into your calendar will help make you feel committed to actually doing it when the time comes.
- Hide your treats
Research suggests you’re less tempted by snacks you can’t see. One study found that front-desk administrators who kept candy in clear containers snacked on it 71% more often than those with the same candy in opaque containers. Stuff your sugary sweets in your desk drawer, the back of your kitchen cupboards, or — if you’re feeling really ambitious — throw them out altogether and replace them with healthier alternatives.
Getting healthy is a long-term decision that requires lifestyle changes, not quick fixes. But that doesn’t mean healthy living is out of reach. In fact, people who take it one small step at a time are most likely to build sustainable habits that they stick to in the long run; those who try to do everything at once are more likely to get discouraged and give up. Trying any one of these three easy strategies today can put you on the right track for life.
