The new year is here and along with it comes that burst of resolve to set goals for a fitter, healthier you.
Starting those goals may be easy enough, but keeping them going can be a challenge. So, the Compass checked in with local fitness experts Ronnie Hughes and Harriet Mayman to get their top tips on keeping fit for 2023.
These recommendations can be used by athletes looking to raise their game and smash a personal best or the causal fitness enthusiast.
Hughes, owner of The Academy Grand Cayman, says his top tip is to prioritise quality sleep.
“Your workouts are only as good as your recovery,” he said.
The National Institutes of Health, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, stated in a 2013 article that research shows a lack of sleep increases the risk for obesity, heart disease and infection.
“Throughout the night, your heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure rise and fall, a process that may be important for cardiovascular health. Your body releases hormones during sleep that help repair cells and control the body’s use of energy. These hormone changes can affect your body weight,” it stated.
Mayman, owner of H.M.P.T., says her top tip is waking up early.
“Set an alarm and start the day focused,” she said, adding that research suggests that people who wake up early tend to go to bed “earlier and enjoy longer, better quality sleep”.
Hughes says minimising stress is equally important.
“If you are constantly in fight-or-flight mode, your body releases cortisol, which in turn switches your brain into survive mode, as opposed to thrive mode,” he said, adding, when in survival mode, “your brain will prioritise safety, comfort and familiarity so that your nervous system can recover, as opposed to seeking out more stress or unnecessary stress”.
Mayman says drinking more water is also important and there are benefits such as improved skin clarity, weight control, blood pressure regulation, boosting energy and maintaining joint health.
Hughes, who is also a martial arts instructor, said success can come when you do things you enjoy.
“The more you do something, the better you get at it. Find a sport/activity that makes you want to keep going back without the added pressure of having to ‘get in shape’. If you enjoy the process, then the results will come,” he said.
Coupled with that, is consistency.
“Be consistent as opposed to intense. You can work out long or you can work out hard. You cannot do both,” he said.
Mayman added that walking as much as possible is also a good way to keep healthy.
“[It is] the easiest, cheapest exercise that will keep us going into our old age,” she advised.
The benefits, she said, include maintaining a healthy weight and losing body fat, preventing or managing various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and Type-2 diabetes.
She also suggests using weights as part of a fitness routine.
“Lift them, they will keep your bones and heart strong, not to mention create the best physique,” she said.
Hughes also cautioned to use what “Mother Nature now gave you, or Father Time will take it away in the future.”
“We have a body that Mother Nature gave us to use. If you don’t put it to use, then Father Time will take it away. Move it or lose it,” he said.
“Bonus tip – eat clean and drink water. Everyone knows this, but never listens,” he added.
Mayman agreed, saying watching what you eat is also key to success.
“Food is fuel and while we all like nice stuff to eat, think about what your body actually needs to be healthier,” she said.
Related Videos
