The 100 Fitness Tips You Need to Know

Staying strong and fit takes dedication every single day, so keep these 100 tips in mind to keep you confidently chugging along on that healthy path.

Running

 

1. Take the first five minutes of your run to warm up. Go a little slower to work out the kinks and mentally prepare for your run.
2. Learn to breathe deeply to maximize your oxygen input.
3. If you're trying to run at a certain speed, use music to set your pace.
4. Run with someone faster than you to push you to increase your speed or distance. It could be a workout buddy, a stranger on the treadmill at the gym, or that runner just up the trail from you.
5. Run faster up hills by focusing on the top of the hill, not your feet. It'll help open your airways, and when it's easier to breathe, it's easier to run.
6. Raise the incline on the treadmill to increase your calorie burn. A five percent incline will burn almost 100 more calories, so pump it up!
7. Switch up your route or workout every time you run to keep your muscles guessing and to beat boredom; run your outside loop backward.
8. Don't run every day. Vary your cardio to prevent overuse injuries and to strengthen other muscles.
9. Work on your running form to avoid pain or injuries.
10. To avoid injury when increasing your mileage, follow the 10 percent rule: never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent of the previous week.
11. On longer runs, aim to have a negative split. The second half of your run should be faster than the first to avoid bonking and to finish strong.
12. Running outside not only boosts your mood, but the uneven terrain, especially when trail running, requires more balance, agility, and coordination, which makes your muscles work harder.
13. Don't skip the cooldown — it preps your body for your next workout! Do this postrun stretching sequence to target the hips, hamstrings, and lower back.

Cardio 

1. Push yourself to go five extra minutes — you'll burn close to 50 calories more.
2. Burn more calories on the elliptical. Turn up the resistance and aim for 140 to 160 strides per minute (SPM). Pull and push the handles to work your upper body; go backward, pushing into your heels to target your glutes and hamstrings; and challenge your core by pumping the arms without holding on.
3. Intervals aren't just for running! Aside from reducing belly fat, they also build endurance and increase your speed. Do sprinting bursts during all types of cardio, whether you're cycling, jumping rope, dancing, or swimming — it also works for all types of cardio machines.
4. HIIT (high-intensity interval training) burns tons of calories in a short amount of time. Try Tabata, which combines 20 seconds of intense bursts of activity with 10 seconds of rest in four-minute rounds.
5. Mix up cardio machines within a workout to target different muscles and keep your workout exciting. This workout combines the rowing machine, elliptical, and treadmill.
6. Combine strength training and cardio into one workout for serious metabolic conditioning. Try this 30-minute workout that mixes jumping rope with body weight exercises.