If living a fit life were easy, everybody would do it.
But they don't, because staying fit is hard work and often requires a complete change of lifestyle. That doesn't mean it's impossible, and that certainly doesn't mean that you should not give it your best effort.
More: 6 Ways to Make Exercise a Priority
Why? Because the benefits of living a fit life are endless.
It helps you live a longer, happier and more fulfilled life. It helps you get more and better sleep, increase energy levels, and minimize trips to the doctor. But most importantly, it helps provide the sense of well-being that comes from knowing you—and your body—are functioning at 100 percent.
So without further ado, here are five secrets for living a fit life:
1. Exercise at Least One Hour Per Day, Every Day
Forget what the government says about the need for a moderate half-hour of exercise several times a week. That's simply not enough to get your body into the peak performance zone. In fact it may not even be enough to work off that Whopper you had for lunch.
It doesn't matter if you swim, bike, run, walk, lift, do yoga, spin, climb, hike, kayak, ski, jump rope, do jazzercise, mountain climb, mountain bike, paddle, or chop wood, just get your body moving and your heart rate beating at least one hour per day.
More: 5 Ways to Make Time for Your Workouts
2. Do Not Eat Fast Food, Ever
Even if you go to the local fast food joint and just order a yogurt, it will probably still have way too much sugar, too many simple carbohydrates and way too many processed calories.
Think of it this way: Assume the only thing that doesn't have bad calories or chemicals at McDonalds is water and non-sweetened ice tea.
Fast food also happens to be a trigger food. Trigger foods are those really tasty, high calorie foods that trigger your desire for more unhealthy foods. Go to a fast-food joint today and chances are you'll be back before the end of the week.
If you want to live a fit life, you'll have to forgo the fast food.