Follow this fitness ritual to shed those last few pounds
Ever wondered what the most successful people on the planet
do every day to keep fit and healthy? If only you could find out, emulate it
and become amazing, too. Guess what? You can!
We’ve tapped into eight of the greatest fitness minds to
discover which daily rituals they complete without fail. And, after spending a
fortnight doing 6am sun salutations and chowing down on beetroot crisps, we’ve
learnt which tricks work best for optimal living – and they’re much more
manageable than you might expect.
Ritual 1: 7 minutes of yoga
This is the ritual of health guru and Emmy Award winner Dr
Mehmet Oz. That’s right, the doc’s secret lies in daily flexibility sessions.
He swears by yoga to decrease inflammation, reduce blood pressure and boost
weight loss. If a few downward facing dogs can do all that, we’re not
complaining.
Yoga translates as ‘breath control’. Ushering in the day
with full diaphragmatic breathing means you are much more likely to maintain it
regularly, and deep inhalation is known to boost cognitive activity, too.
So which poses to do? We opted for early-morning warriors,
sun salutations and pigeons. This seemed like enough to bend ourselves healthy
– and we certainly felt ready to go for the day. Don’t have a second to spare
in the morning? Panic not. Nightly downward dogs and cat-cows will ease even a
severe case of the office aches.
Ritual 2: Micro workouts
This one comes from model Miranda Kerr, owner of one of the
most photographed bodies in the world and spokeswoman of Reebok’s new Skyscrape
Runaround Shoe. ‘Even when I'm at work, if I'm in between takes waiting for the
photographer to set up the shot, I'll be like, OK I'll do a few squats… because
every little bit helps,’ she says.
Exercising little and often is one of the most effective
ways to build activity into your day – no more dashing to make the gym straight
after work. And another benefit of mini workouts is they take you away from
your desk (unless you fancy a few walking lunges through the office?). We found
it helpful to get up every hour, stroll to the water fountain, stretch our
backs out or nip to the loo for a few calf raises.
Ritual 3: 200 jumping jacks
As soon as the sun creeps out over the horizon, personal
trainer Ben Greenfield, who’s been voted one of the top 100 most influential
people in health and fitness, can be found bouncing up and down in his shed.
The reason? He’s kick-starting his lymphatic system, of course. How does that
work? Well, think of the lymphatic system like a bin man. It goes around
collecting metabolic rubbish and toxins then takes them to the dump – quite
literally, the loo. However, the problem with the lymphatic system is that it
gets blocked fairly easily unless you partake in vigorous exercise. Ben
discovered this simple way to get things moving without having to tackle hill
sprints upon waking.
We found jumping jacks were a quick and easy approach.
Another option is rebounding on a mini-trampoline – sure to get you going in
the morning!
Ritual 4: Use a standing desk
‘I built my own standing desk two years ago and I love it
because I never really feel sedentary. In fact, I find that I think better
standing,’ reports Anna Sward, founder of Protein Pow and the world’s leading
protein powder cooking expert.
What was once deemed highly eccentric has found a place in
our modern health-conscious society. According to research, ditching the
desk-bound monotony by standing while you work increases life expectancy,
expends extra calories and boosts brain power.
We went down the DIY route, too, improvising with a stack of
vintage Women’s Fitness editions under our computer. After two weeks we
definitely felt less sedentary, but we also found that standing in one position
all day hurts. The solution? As prolonged periods of anything have a negative
effect, spicing up your desk activity will ultimately lead to the best results.
So be inventive – stand on one leg or squat and hold, for example.
Ritual 5: Morning mindfulness
‘It sounds cheesy, but I take five minutes in the morning to
think about what I'm grateful for, and what I'd like to get out of that day –
it’s really important.’
These are the wise words of Katie Lowe, Fat Girl PHD
(fatgirlphd.com), one of the countries top wellness bloggers, with over a
250,000 clicks a year. We like to think of her ritual as ‘brain-ercise’. And
the best part is it can be done anywhere – when brushing your teeth or walking
to the train. So instead of stressing about your to-do list, consider the
positives in your life instead.
Saying the same thing to yourself every day could become a
snore-fest, though, so keep it interesting. Select a different area of life
each time: whether it’s work, family or even how wonderful your exercise
wardrobe is. Run through every item thinking about how much you like it and
why.
And it’s not just the brain that benefits from this ritual.
Research published in the Journal Of Health Psychology shows mindfulness
decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, too. Who doesn’t want to be
happier and less anxious?
Ritual 6: Take control of your email
An average office worker spends 28 per cent of their day
emailing, according to research. What a waste! However, Tim Ferriss, multiple
New York Times best-selling fitness author and tango dancing Guinness World
Record holder has a clever fix: email auto responders. This system indicates
that you check your inbox twice a day at specific times, letting customers,
clients and colleagues know exactly when you will reply. Essentially, you are
training others to communicate with you on /your/ terms.
With this protocol and a twice-daily 30-minute reply limit,
we gave this a go. Believe us, your emails become the most efficient words ever
typed – not to mention, they often get tidied up by others who are cc’d into
the group before you get a chance to reply. Jackpot.
Ritual 7: Oil your feet
Dr Nick Delgado is a leading anti-ageing expert and
prospective future world record holder for longevity. In pursuit of the record,
Dr Nick goes to the extremes of hypoxic chambers and measuring brain waves.
We’ll not do that just yet, but he does have one trick that we can replicate
simply and without much expense: putting oil on the soles of your feet.
The reasoning behind this is that everything we put /on/ our
skin is ingested and sucked straight /into/ the blood stream. Therefore it
makes sense to put things onto our skin that we want inside our bodies. We
chose coconut oil, partially to smell like tropical goddesses, partially
because of the fat profile. Each spoonful contains EFAs required for essential
body functions, in particular, lauric acid, which is found in breast milk,
nature’s original superfood.
Ritual 8: Eat lots of veg
Our final ritual comes from Keris Marsden, nutritionist,
health seminar host and co-presenter of Fitter London podcasts.
‘I aim to have around nine to 10 servings of vegetables
across my day,’ she says. ‘My salads are epic, if I do say so myself! A salad
should never just be a bowl of leaves. I top them with avocado, fresh herbs,
nuts and seeds, olives, peppers, julienned vegetables, olive oil and apple
cider vinegar. ’
Research indicates that the average person in the UK still
only consumes four portions of fruit or veg a day. This means we are missing
out on valuable phytonutrients that can reduce inflammation and protect cells
against cancer.
So, like Keris, experiment a little to up your vegetable
intake and keep mealtimes interesting. We tried different juices, soups,
courgette noodles and vegetable crisps and increased our veggie intake easily
/and/ without getting bored. Try it for yourself – your health and taste buds
will thank you for it!
So there you have it: eight people, eight rituals – each of
them completely manageable. So why not try a few rituals on for size? Leo
Tolstoy once said, ‘True life is lived when tiny changes occur’, and we
couldn’t agree more. Yes, these changes are small, but the potential impact on
your life is enormous.
Get ’appy!
Because we all need a helping hand sometimes…
Way of Life – The Ultimate Habit Maker & Breaker. Use
this as a daily reminder to get stuck into jumping jacks or squeeze in some oil
rubbing. Before you know it, these things will be old hat.
Whole Foods Market Recipes. This handy little recipe app has
a whole stash of ideas to keep your kitchen interesting. Simply search for your
favourite vegetable and you’ll be floored by how many different ways there are
to prepare it.
Sworkit. Daily flexibility has never been easier. Sworkit
comes complete with a range of workout options, including yoga. Just whip out
your phone or iPad wherever you happen to be and limber up.
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