5 Fitness Habits to Employ in 2023 That Will Skyrocket Your Health

The new year is a time for setting resolutions for the year ahead. New year, new you, right? If you feel like setting resolutions is just setting you up for failure, consider a few easy habits you could work into your daily routine instead. 

We’ve gathered five simple fitness habits to get you started on your 2023 health journey. Read on to learn more.

1. Use Full Body Workouts  

Why target one muscle group when you can work them all? When you attend a class or workout in a turf area, you’re sure to burn the maximum amount of calories. 

Zumba, indoor cycling, boot camp, yoga, pilates, senior fitness, and HIIT classes help work all major muscle groups, build muscle, and you may even make a friend or two! Learn more about Fit19’s classes.

As for working out in a turf area, here are four exercises to try:

Squats

Having a regular squat routine will strengthen your lower body — targeting your glutes and quadriceps. Squats will also engage your core muscles. Regularly doing squats will help improve your flexibility, making you more limber, and they’ll help tone the muscles in your legs and butt.

To do a proper squat: 

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart 
• Put your hands on your thighs. Look straight ahead and lift your chest.
• Bend your knees to a 90-degree angle. Put all your weight on your heels and slowly sit back.
• Hold for 5 seconds to start
• To rise, push through your heels and straighten your hips back into the starting position. 

Remember: As you squat, your knees shouldn't go past your toes. Keep your head and chest upright.

Deadlifts

Deadlifts are when you use your lower body to lower and pick up a weighted barbell or kettlebell from the floor. Your back stays flat throughout the movement. Adding deadlifts to your routine will help strengthen and add definition to your upper and lower back, glutes and hamstrings.

If you experience knee pain, opt for a deadlift routine over squats, as squats may irritate your knees. During deadlifts, your knees remain stationary. 

Battle Ropes

Using battle ropes will give you a high-intensity, strength-building workout. Plus, you’ll burn mega calories. Battle ropes target most of the muscles in your body, namely the abdominals, shoulders, arms, upper and lower back, and lower body.

If you’re looking for a low-impact, cardio exercise, battle ropes should be your first choice — they can even be done sitting down.

If you’re looking to target different areas of your body, there are many different ways you can swing the ropes to achieve your goals. 

Sled pushes

Another great full-body workout is the sled push. Whether you add weights to your sled or not, you’re engaging loads of muscles, including your quadriceps, glutes, calves, hamstrings, abs, hip flexors, triceps, and shoulders. This workout involves pushing a prowler sled forward for distance or time, weighted or not.

2. Switch Between Different Types of Workouts 

There is virtually no end to the types of exercises you can do. If you’re bored with your current routine, switch it up! Try different routines on different days of the week that you head to the gym. For example, try strength training on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and focus on cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Other options include alternating between different muscle groups for the days you make it to the gym. For example: 

• Monday, leg and core day
• Tuesday, cardio and arm day
• Wednesday, leg and core day, etc.

Another example: 

• Sunday, choose a class to join
• Monday, workout in the turf area
• Tuesday, rest day 
• Wednesday, focus on your lower body 
• Thursday, work on your upper body
• Friday, rest and recover
• Friday, lower body but choose an area to focus on like your glutes
• Saturday, upper body workouts
• Sunday, choose a class to join

However you decide to switch it up, just be sure to give yourself a rest day between muscle groups so they have time to repair. 

3. Find a Friend or Group to Join You

The more the merrier! When you work out with a friend or in a group, you get more enjoyment out of your activities and you have something to celebrate together. Friends will hold you accountable, encourage you to show up and work hard, and give you the motivation to keep going.

Other reasons you should work out with a friend or group include:

• It’s safer. If something happens, someone will be there to help you.
• Greater variety. One friend may enjoy group dance classes while another enjoys a more traditional gym circuit.
• Self-care. You’re doing something for yourself by working out, but doing it with a friend is a great chance to take a break from your daily life and talk about your interests or what’s going on in your life. 

4. Monitor Your Daily Water Intake 

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! This is one of the simplest habits to add to your daily routine, and there are several amazing reasons to do so. Our bodies are made of 60% water, so if you’re not drinking enough, you’re going to feel it. 

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends daily water intake of about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids/day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids/day for women.

When we’re dehydrated, our bodies may feel:

• Overheated
• Tired
• Sore
• Sluggish
• Bloated

When you don’t drink the right amount of water after a workout, you may experience cramping, soreness, fatigue, and even heat stroke (depending on where you work out). 

Here are a few ways to remember to drink enough water throughout your day:

• Set a reminder on your phone for every three hours
• Drink a glass of water before every meal
• Keep water with you at all times
• Buy a water bottle you enjoy using. This may sound silly, but if you have a leaky, faulty or hard-to-use/clean bottle, you may be less inclined to drink from it.

5. Get the Recommended Amount of Sleep  

When you sleep, your body goes into repair mode. All the muscles you’ve worked so hard begin to recover and grow when you get the right hours of sleep. So what is the optimal number? 

The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults get between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Anything less than 7 hours is falling into sleep deprivation territory.

Read more about the benefits of sleep and how sleep deprivation can ruin your workout results in this blog.

Get better sleep by creating healthy bedtime routines. Try:

• Turning off/putting away your phone 1-2 hours before bedtime
• Optimizing your sleep environment (make sure you’re comfortable, cool and the room is either quiet or outfitted with a noise machine)
• Going to sleep earlier and waking up at the same time every day

Cheers to 2023!

Be your best you in 2023 by adding these fitness habits to your life. When you balance exercise with proper nutrition, the right amount of sleep, and daily hydration, you’ll notice your body and your mood changing for the better! Learn more about how Fit19 can be your fitness advocate here.