[caption id="attachment_641" align="alignleft" width="132"]Carly Tierney Personal Trainer Carly Yue[/caption] I’m often asked what I do to stay fit and healthy. What are my tips and tricks? How do I stay motivated? What helps me maintain my willpower? The first thing I always say is this: I make exercise and healthy eating part of my lifestyle, not a separate thing. Active and healthy living should be a regular part of your day, not something sporadic. So that leads me to my first tip…. #1. I make an appointment with myself It’s hard to stick with a regular exercise plan. I get that. But just as you set aside time for meals, sleep, kids and work, set aside time for exercise. To make it a regular, natural thing, pencil exercise in on your calendar, set a reminder on your phone and stick to it just like you would any other important appointment. For best results, try exercising at the same time on the same days each week, such as first thing in the morning on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Personally, I do 2 x 40 minute sessions per day, 5 days a week. And I always have a rest day. Making it habitual helps me stay on track. #2. It’s not what I do, it's how I do it. I cannot stress how important it is to focus on form. In fact, it’s one of my greatest bug bears. Good form when completing exercises is far superior to the amount of weight you’re lifting. It’s more effective - and safe - to lift a manageable weight correctly with a full range of movement than it is to force heavy weights around like some kind of strong man hurling a mammoth tyre about! And ladies, you aren't off the hook here either! Don't think I haven't noticed you thrusting your hips whilst doing your dumbbell curls. Swing your hair, swing your handbag, but please do not swing your weights. #3. Forget calories – I eat smart, not less Forget calorie counting and concern yourself with body composition and health. Rather than focusing on numbers, pay attention to the right types of foods. I'm an advocate of clean eating. This includes fish, lean meats, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, complex carbs such as quinoa or oats and healthy fats found in nuts, seeds and oily fish. I avoid processed foods or those high in sugar. This method of eating works because it's sustainable for life. It's more difficult than you would think to over indulge. Although I eat regular small meals and am never hungry, the foods contain less calories per 100g than most convenience foods. For example, you could eat 30g oats, a Greek yoghurt, banana and a handful of berries and seeds and consume less calories than a pain au chocolat and a cappuccino. [caption id="attachment_661" align="aligncenter" width="600"]healthy meals and protein shakes Clean eating - my healthy meals and nutrition shakes[/caption] #4. I strike the right balance I know what it’s like; I’ve been there. You're keen to make those gains or lose those last few pounds. And exercise can be addictive. I get it. However, any successful athlete will tell you that they regard rest as much a part of their routine as their warm up or post workout shakes. The key is to make your workouts efficient so that you spend less time training and actually need the rest. No one should need to spend 3 hours a day, 7 days a week training. If you're doing it right, your body will be screaming for a rest a couple of times a week to recover. Although we like to consider ourselves machines, we all need time out. Whether that be to rest our muscles, or to enjoy other areas of our lives away from the gym. YES that's right. There are other things to do… or so I heard ;) #5. I don't waste time Don’t rely solely on the ‘safety’ of treadmills or rowers. Yes, cardio is fantastic - it helps keep us fit, relieves stress, improves heart health, etc. But if your goal is to be strong and lean or you want to tone up, it’s important you add resistance training into your fitness plan. Don’t believe the myth that you can only burn calories through cardio. Squats and lunges with weighted barbells or kettlebells, for example burns loads of calories – even after you’ve finished your work out. It's also a big old myth that you can't build muscle whilst losing fat or that lifting weights will make you “big” and bulky… Believe me, if it were that easy I'd look like Arnie by now! So, you are running on a treadmill and your body shape isn't changing. Ask yourself why you're doing it. Simple. #6. I use the right supplements The increased activity levels from exercise means your body has greater demands for vitamins and minerals. And sadly, we can't rely solely on food to get them because of processing of foods, cooking, air, etc. Nutritional supplements are great because they prevent us from getting any nutritional deficiencies, which can sabotage muscle growth and fat burning. But not all supplements are created equal. Some your body always needs, others are more dependent upon what your goals are and what your budget looks like. Supplements can include vitamins, protein powders, essential fats, protein bars, amino acids, pre workout supplements and weight gain supplements. Of course, my chosen brand is BSN. My daily supplements include - Syntha-6 Protein, BSN Rocky Road bars (who needs chocolate? Not me!) and I never train without NO-XPLODE 3.0 and Amino-X which I drink throughout my workout. New lines - NO-Xplode 3.0 and Syntha 6 - are available at our Leeds and Newcastle stores. #7. I keep photographic evidence – the camera never lies, scales do Can’t get the scale to budge? It’s very possible you’re gaining muscle and shedding body fat so my advice is to take pictures on a monthly basis. Take front, back and side pictures all from the same angle, same lighting, same clothing as you’ll really be able to see a change that way. Yes, scales can be an indication of what's happening but I discourage anyone from being fixated. Like age, weight is just a number. It's how you look and feel that counts. [caption id="attachment_660" align="aligncenter" width="580"]Carly Tierney selfie pic I always take photographic evidence to track my changes.[/caption] My clients track their progress in this way and they almost look forward to it. I love seeing the difference, not only in their physiques but the glow of their skin, posture and confidence. Makes me feel all fuzzy inside! #8. I do the right crunches for those killer abs Right, let's keep this short and sweet. To flatten your waist, I have 2 pieces of advice. First, ditch the 100 crunches a day and instead crunch on clean foods: chicken, fish, vegetables, eggs and yoghurt. Secondly, work out below the waist. You will burn more calories the day after lower body resistance training than any other body part because your legs hold more mass and bigger muscles. I have abs, I practice what I preach :) #9. I keep my eye on the prize Working out is, well, work (the clue’s in the name) and there will be times when you’d rather sink into your couch than reach for the dumbbells. For these times when motivation is lacking, remember why you’ve committed to your exercise programme in the first place. Everyone’s drive is different: a holiday, wedding, or sports event. One target we all share though is our health. Exercise can help you prevent about two-dozen serious health conditions including cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, obesity, depression, high blood pressure and dementia. It can even slow down your rate of ageing. It builds your muscles and reduces your body fat, helping you to look great on the outside, and boosting self-esteem in the process. #10. Stronger together - hire a personal trainer or get a workout buddy The beauty of having a personal trainer is not only our expertise in which exercises you need to get the best results, but it’s the motivation factor, too. Personal training is not just for celebs or the mega rich. I offer online personal training which has many benefits of 121 sessions for a fraction of the price. An alternative is a workout buddy. A friend, family member or colleague who can give you many of the same benefits on the motivation front. When you set up a workout schedule with your buddy, you can celebrate your milestones and exercise successes together. Just try to get benefits like these from sitting on the couch! Watch this space for my next blog on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). [caption id="attachment_641" align="aligncenter" width="150"]Carly Tierney Personal Trainer Guest post by PT & Media Fitness Expert Carly Yue.[/caption]