Five Ways to Get Fit and Healthy for the So-Close Summer

Oh, the pains of eating nothing but plain salads, kilos of chicken breast and flavourless vegetables.

If you’re trying to eat well, you no doubt miss the days of fried chicken, nuggets and juicy HSPs.

Being fit and healthy certainly isn’t easy, and when you’re trying to balance it with classes, work and a social life, it can often take last place on your list of priorities.

While I am no seasoned professional, I have been through the struggles of trying to stay healthy and maintaining my goal weight. And while I may not be the fittest of the bunch, I have figured out ways to lead a healthier lifestyle that allows me to stay motivated.

So, here are five simple tips to kickstart your journey ahead of the summer season

1. Drink more water

Keeping hydrated is key to maintaining a good balanced diet and ensuring your system is flushing out toxins and staying clean. Replacing sugary caffeinated drinks with water is always the way to go; add some lemon for a hint of flavour!

Drinking water also helps with your energy levels throughout the day and helps keep you feeling fuller for longer. If you want some help shedding a few kilos, try adding green tea and switch to drinking warm water. 

2. Eat smaller portions.

Diet is the most important factor in determining your health and weight. Poor physical health can be caused by erratic changes to your diet and these negative changes take their toll on your body. You may experience low energy levels and increase your chances of contracting disease.

Making sure you eat the right foods for their respective health benefits is important. (Although, the occasional cheat day is a must.) My tip to eating healthy is making sure you are portioning your meals and eating a bigger breakfast; it helps keep your energy high for the rest of the day.

A good trick to ensure a balanced diet is to use smaller bowls and plates; this tricks the mind into thinking you’re eating less and stops you from overeating.

3. Add in some quick cardio in the morning.

Making sure your diet is clean and nutritious is one aspect to staying healthy, but staying fit is another. Taking the time to exercise during the day can be hard for those busy bees, but adding a quick, five-minute cardio workout in the morning is a perfect way to get it done. You can find helpful tutorials on YouTube easily; they range from intense workouts to some light dance cardio, so you’ll find something to suit your needs.

You can even park a little further out than usual for longer walks, take hikes with friends on the weekend, or just go for a quick shop to fit in your cardio. You could be working out without even knowing! The more you work out, the better you’ll feel; trust me.

4. Putting on sunscreen.

Want to exercise outdoors? Great idea. However, many people disregard the damage the harsh Australian sun can cause. Sure, who doesn’t want to get a tan for the warmer season? Just do so with caution. According to the Cancer Council Australia, an estimated 134,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed this year alone. 

Putting on as high SPF as you can possible will help prevent sun damage. This is all part of keeping healthy too! A good tip for girls who want to protect their skin while keeping makeup in check is to use a moisturiser or primer with SPF. Using sunscreen, especially on the face, will also help prevent signs of aging.

5. Stay in control and monitor your health!

You don’t want all your hard work to go to waste. To ensure that your new healthy lifestyle is on track, monitor your eating and exercise. Mobile apps are a great way to do this, including some of my favourites like Google Fit, Lifesum and MyFitnessPal.

For optimal results when exercising, it is best to curate a routine fit specifically for you. If you want to work on a specific area or reach a specific goal, eat and exercise should be catered towards your needs.

Andrea Au is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. See more student contributions here.

Photo: NBC