21 Fitness Habits to Change in 2021

Forget about those New Year’s resolutions you set months ago, and let’s focus on building something with a foundation to last long term. Long-term changes in habits lead to long-term progress and a much more sustainable future. Resolutions come and go faster than the two bottles of fat burners people buy, but habits are lifestyle changes that create a snowball effect. Some of these items listed will be fitness-related while some will be a by product of improved fitness, and others will a non-fitness related habit that will positively affect your fitness goals. This year, let’s continue to make fitness your lifestyle journey, not a diet or a destination (this doesn’t end well long term because the destination isn't as expected). 

1. Move more and more frequently: The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week. Only 1 in 5 people get the recommended physical activity to maintain good health. Add 20-30 minutes a day of moving and you'll notice improved sleep, energy, mood, and joint pain will decrease.
2. Drink more water: Most recommendations start around a half gallon per day. This can increase based on activity level, diet, and temperature where you live. Start with a half gallon and gradually increase as you see it’s helping you.
3. Stop Drinking Pop: There is no nutritional value. None. Diet pop isn't a great alternative and full flavor pop is just sugar. Try switching to either coffee or herbal tea. Tea can have caffeine or be caffeine free and can help with stress and appetite.
4. Read More: Read 10 pages a day in a book. If reading is difficult to sit down and do, start with books that you know will be enjoyable before advancing to more difficult titles. People who read are curious people and can have creativity sparked from a good book.
5. Turn off Phone Notifications: Your text, work emails, and social media tabs can wait. Set times you allow yourself on these apps and stick to it. This is a huge time saver and will boost productivity.
6. Hire a Coach: Many will think this is a sales pitch since we own a training business. Truth is, when we hit bumps in the road, we reach out and hire professionals to help us. When my squat progress stalled, I reached out to someone for help - same with bench press, taxes, web design, and several other areas where people could help me. I would make a commitment to a coach for 3-6 months based on your comfort, but this is enough time to let you see progress and decide how you relate to your coach. This is expensive on the front end but always pays off in time and money long term.
7. Don’t do a 21, 28, 30, 60, 90-day challenge: This creates an attitude more excited to end the journey than create a habit change. Once day 91 happens, people feel lost and wait until the next 90 day challenge. That’s not how your body or fitness works.
8. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier: That will give you 3.5 extra hours a week of sleep. That turns into an extra 182 hours of sleep in a year which is just under 7.6 days. No one is real productive the last 30 minutes of being awake and sleep is more valuable than scrolling online. Getting more sleep helps restore muscle breakdown and improve body composition.
9. Write: Not a novel, but some daily thoughts or short articles that can be submitted. Like reading, this will force you to think and see things from a different perspective as you write. This helps to organize thoughts and allows us to work through things in our head.
10. Buy great shoes: Shoes are always one of my top investments. A bad pair of shoes can often be the culprit of achey knees, hips and ankles if the support has left the shoe.
11. Plan your Day: Prior to going to sleep, plan your following day and create your morning before you go to sleep. This gives you clear objectives and an easier path to achieve them.
12. Talk to a Counselor: As 2020 is likely one of the toughest years in our history, talking to someone that is neutral can be very beneficial. This is something I wish I had done sooner.
13. Learn to Cook: This is great for your health and your bank account. Trying to cook different foods and recipes allows you to be creative and explore you taste buds. This is also almost always a healthier option than eating at a restaurant.
14. Eat Vegetables: Green veggies do wonders for your body. We have known this for many years but many people do amazing things to avoid them. Again, try cooking them different ways and experiment with different vegetables and you will surely find some you really enjoy.
15. Down time: Schedule blocks in each day and a bigger block once a week where it’s just you. Your phone isn’t on you and you have no stimulation. This could be ten minutes where you just sit and relax, but you will be amazed at what a few moments of silence will do. Don’t worry about the many methods of meditation, just relax and try to empty your thoughts and slow everything down.
16. Learn something New: When is the last time you allowed yourself to suck at something? As adults, we become more and more comfortable with our job and roles in society, while we watch others try things we dream of. Learn the guitar, learn to surf, learn to blog or whatever it is that you've seen others do.You’ll never be as bad as the first time you try something and this will open up new ways to learn inside your head.
17. Watch less TV: While I will be the first to say that I love a few great shows and movies, I don’t find a lot of value in sitting on the couch and staring at a TV. Enjoy some, but like most things, moderation is a great thing.
18. Patch a Ruined Relationship: We have all had falling outs with people in time. Find someone you miss talking to and reach out to them. They might not respond or they might respond negatively, but you will have made the effort on your end. This can bring a sense of relief to people when they do this.
19. Use Salt: Salt restriction is one of the wildest things that has ever been made up, especially in people who are very active. Salt is your friend in performance and will go a long way. As I would get closer to a competition, I would make sure I increased my salt to match the demands of training sessions.
20. Find a Local Farmer: Buy your meat from a local farmer and you will instantly be happy with your decision. It’s a much better price point and much higher quality meat than you would buy at the store.
21. Be Thankful: Each day this year, write down one thing you’re thankful for. Doing this every day will quickly make you see how much you have and how rich your life is if you take a moment to appreciate things.

Nick ShowmanShowtime Strength & Performancewww.showtimestrength.com