10 Fitness Hacks We Love

We’re all about sugar-free sweet tea because we love sweet tea AND because we love all things healthy. Lately, we've been thinking about feeling good and feeling fit, but creating good exercise habits can be tricky when you’re busy! Sometimes, it feels impossible to exercise while juggling work, family, errands, and other self-care necessities like sleep and relaxation.

But creating regular exercise habits is so important. You don’t even need to be rigorous with your workouts. The intensity of your exercise habits depends on what your goals are! But it’s always important to make sure you add some movement to your day.

If you don’t usually workout much, here are some easy fitness hacks that’ll make it easier! We love these…we hope you will too. Add in a little sugar-free sweet tea and you’ll be ready to go!

Comment below…do you do any of these?

1. It’s OK to Skip the Gym

Yes, y’all, you heard us right! Gyms can be expensive and time-consuming. If you’re thinking about getting a gym membership, or you have one and you just don’t go very often, try at-home workouts! If going to the gym feels like a chore and is stopping you from working out, then try alternatives that fit better with your schedule and make you feel more excited to exercise. It’s way more beneficial to fit in small workouts at home than have a gym membership you never want to use. After all, working out a little is way better than not workout out at all.

Want to work out at home? Buy some weights and find simple workouts online. If you keep a steady habit of doing a workout at least 3 days a week, you’ll start feeling it! Some moves that we like to focus on and that are super easy to do at home are squats, push-ups, planks, lunges, and leg lifts. 

Even with simple moves, form is super important and can help you prevent pain and injury.  Lunges and planks are SO easy to do while you're watching TV or waiting for your sweet tea to brew!

2. Take a Break and Exercise

How much time do you spend waiting during commercial breaks or in between Netflix episodes? Instead of sitting around and watching the seconds tick by, do a quick exercise! Try some squats or crunches, or just do some stretches during every commercial break. If you work at a desk all day, stretching every day can really benefit your body.

3. Speaking of Stretching…Stretch More!

Before AND after you work out, it’s so important to stretch. It’ll make your workout easier and make you feel a lot less sore after exercising. Just five minutes before and after a workout is enough for a cool down and stretch.

4. Cardio is Your BFF

Get that heart working and that body moving! You’ll burn more calories with workouts that increase your heart rate. Plus, cardio is great for keeping your heart in tip-top shape for longer!

Not into running? You don't have to be...grab a bike instead! You can get fresh air and a great workout. Find a safe place to ride your bike regularly, or ride to work if you don't work too far from home. Grabbing a drink with friends in the evening? Bike there! Headed to brunch on the weekend? Take your bike! It's a seriously underrated workout, y'all. And SO much fun!

5. Stay Hydrated

This might seem obvious BUT you’d be surprised at how many people forget to stay hydrated throughout the day! Don’t just quench your thirst during and after your workout…you have to hydrate all day. If you’re working on losing weight, drinking lots of water is very helpful. And when it’s time to work out, you’ll feel far more energetic and fresh if you’ve been hydrating all day.

You need to drink lots of water every day, but we know that water can feel…well…boring! Try adding lemon or cucumber slices to your water to spruce it up. And as an incentive to work out, treat yourself to a delicious, thirst-quenching sugar-free sweet tea! You won’t have to worry about the calories, since there are none! Cold Brew Sweet Tea only takes 5 minutes to brew...just work out, brew up a glass of sweet tea, and relax!

6. Create Healthy Habits

If we can remember to watch our favorite show as soon as the new season is on Netflix, we can remember to create simple habits for a healthier life. Going grocery shopping? Park your car at the far end of the lot to fit in a walk! Do you work above the first floor of your office building? Take the stairs instead of the elevator!

Actively making these easy, small choices every day is great for your body and waaaay easier than signing up for 5k marathons or paying a bunch of money to go to the gym. It’s the small, everyday habits and changes to your routine that’ll have the best effect on your life.

7. Use a Calendar

Feeling lazy about working out? We hear you, y’all! It’s not easy. But the key is to take it as seriously as you work a work meeting or a date with a friend. Pencil your workout into your calendar or add a reminder on your smartphone. Treat it like a super important part of your day and it will start to FEEL like a super important part of your day!

8. Something’s Better Than Nothing

If you’re extra busy and you just don’t have time for a serious workout, DON’T completely skip exercising that day. Fit in a 10-minute walk. That’s right, that’s all you need, but it’s SO important to make sure you do it at least every day—no excuses! Walk to work or walk during lunch. Even a post-supper walk is a nice way to end the day and get your body moving a little. Remember, something—even something short—is waaaay better than nothing at all.

9. Sleep in Your Workout Clothes

If you do go to the gym or you want to go for a run in the mornings, try sleeping in your exercise clothes. Sometimes the last thing we want to do when we wake up is workout, but if you’re already in your leggings and workout shirt, why not just go for it? It will remind you that you had a plan for the morning and that you shouldn’t skip it. Habits are hard to create, y’all—make it easier for yourself!

10. Background Music

If working out feels like a chore, that’s because it’s not always fun! So make it fun! Set up a playlist of your favorite tunes to listen to and get pumped before exercising every day. We guarantee this works…sometimes all you need is a little inspiration to get moving.

If music isn’t really your thing, try a podcast or audiobook! It’s so easy nowadays to get a podcast on your phone or download your favorite book on audio. You can even get many audiobooks from your local library!

 

Would you try these fitness hacks to add some movement and exercise to your life? Let us know in the comments below! And tell us if you’ve got any clever hacks to share!