Check out our top ten tips for making the best fitness decisions: 

  1. Take the stairs, not the elevator. Walk up the stairs for ten minutes a day and you'll burn about 100 calories. Additionally, it's a healthy workout that fortifies your lungs and strengthens your legs, glutes, and back muscles.
  2. Take your bike, not your car to work. If you work within biking distance from home, save the planet and get a good workout at the same time. When you consider the time it takes to fight traffic, find a park spot, and walk to the office, it might not take much longer to get to work by bike.
  3. Park down the block, not close by. If driving is a must, park a few blocks away from work, the mall, or your school and walk briskly to and from your destination.
  4. Get off the bus sooner, not closer. Get on and off the bus one stop further away from your home and destination than you normally would to burn additional calories.
  5. Eat more, not less. Sometimes the key to weight loss is to eat more of the right foods instead of less of everything. Eat more veggies, protein, fruit, and low-fat dairy and less bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta. Eat more often to keep your blood sugar stable and add a protein source to every meal and snack.
  6. Drink water, not soda. Our bodies need water for proper hydration, not chemicals, sweeteners, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. Even diet sodas can sabotage your health.
  7. Stand more, sit less. People who sit for long periods of time have higher rates of heart disease and obesity than people who work standing up. Create a standing work area at a counter or work at a raised desk to spend less time sitting on the job.
  8. Sit on a ball, not on a chair. Trade your office chair for an exercise ball and enjoy the benefits of core, balance, and flexibility exercise throughout your workday.
  9. Lift free weights, not machine weights. Free weights, hand weights, and dumbbells require more coordination between your brain and your muscles and do a better job simulating real life weight lifting. They require you to use more muscle groups to stabilize and that may lead to better strength training and muscle development in less time.
  10. Do something different, not the same old thing. Mix up your workout routine to keep it fresh and keep your mind and body guessing. Your body will adjust to the energy requirements of a well-known workout. That means you'll burn fewer calories even when you're doing the same activities. Instead, alter your pace, route, activity, distance, elevation, and even location to stimulate your body to work harder.