Reaching your fitness goal will not happen overnight, the journey could take months or even years. This is why I’ve compiled the best fitness tips for women that will help you reach your goal faster! Whether it’s your first day working out or you’ve been regularly exercising for a year, these fitness tips and tricks will surely help make your journey go smoother and faster.
1. Set a fitness goal
The first thing you should always do when starting your fitness journey is to set a goal. Are you aiming to lose weight, lose fat, gain muscle, grow your glutes, or get lean? Regardless of what the goal is, you should make sure it is clear in your head. Doing this will help you determine the kind of food you will eat, the amount of food you should eat, and the fitness program you should follow.
I highly suggest creating a fitness journal. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can just get a plain old notebook and track your progress there.
On the first page, you can write your fitness goal. Then write down the reasons why you want to achieve your goal. In your journal, you can track your progress, such as the number of reps and sets you are currently doing, your measurements, and your weight. Also, in the planning stage, you can write down the list of healthy foods you enjoy eating. Or, each week you can write down the food you plan to eat for the following week. Planning and goal setting will help you reach your fitness goal much faster as opposed to just winging it.
2. Don’t skip breakfast
Eating a solid filling breakfast will help you stay full for a longer period of time. Most people think that skipping breakfast can make them eat fewer calories, but it can actually give the reverse effect. Most people who skip breakfast end up eating more calories throughout the day because they are so hungry by the time they eat their first meal.
If you are pressed for time, you can prepare your breakfast the night before. One of the most popular pre-prepared breakfasts is overnight oats. You can also add protein powder to your oats to increase your protein intake for the day.
3. Replace junk food with healthier alternatives
Junk food is one of the worst foods you can consume if you want to get healthy and fit. It will be hard to reach your fitness goals if you are regularly eating junk food. Look for healthier alternatives to your favorite junk food snacks.
If you are a big fan of chips, instead of getting the regular chips that are fried and loaded in saturated fat and calories, go for baked chips. Check the nutrition facts of the snacks you are getting, look for snacks that have fewer ingredients, less sodium, less saturated fat, less sugar. This is one of the fitness tips for women and for everyone else that we must always keep in mind.
4. Keep a fitness journal
I swear by journaling, especially when it comes to fitness. Staying organized through journaling is such a game-changer! Fitness journals can give you a broad picture of your progress. Tracking your progress will help you reach your fitness goals much faster as opposed to just relying on your memory.
When writing a fitness journal, start by jotting down your goals. After writing your goals, list down the steps you will take to achieve those goals. Create a fitness and nutrition game plan. It is also helpful to write down your cheat meals. Schedule your cheat meals and list the meals you will allow yourself to indulge in.
5. Track your progress
As I mentioned before, tracking your progress is key to staying consistent. It is easier to stay consistent when you know how your progress is going. Are you progressing or declining? These are the questions you need to ask yourself when trying to get fit.
You can track your progress on your fitness journal or you can use an app to track them. There are so many different fitness apps you can use to do this.
6. Schedule your cheat meals
Having cheat meals is not bad at all. Just because you want to get fit and healthy doesn’t mean you can’t indulge every now and then.
You don’t have to force yourself to eat only healthy food 24/7. Incorporate cheat meals into your diet, however, do not forget to plan ahead. Doing this can prevent you from derailing from your fitness journey. When we don’t plan ahead, we tend to just go with whatever is currently available or easily accessible.
7. Plan your workouts
Creating a workout schedule will help you to stay consistent with exercising. It is easier to be consistent with exercising if you plan which days you will be working out and what exercises you will be doing for each specific day.
The best way to plan your workouts is to first determine how many times a week you will be working out. Next, you must choose which days you will be working out. For example, you can work out 4 times a week — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It is really up to you and your schedule.
After that, you should now decide what kind of exercise you will be doing for each workout day. Some examples are upper body day, cardio day, and lower body day.
8. Use a tape measure instead of a scale
There is nothing wrong with using a weight scale. Scales are great for tracking your progress, whether you want to gain weight to lose weight.
However, using a scale to track your progress might get a bit tricky if you are trying to lose weight and gain muscle. Since muscle is denser than fat, it takes up less room compared to fat. So you may actually be getting lean but your weight on the scale could stay the same. This is where using a measuring tape will come in handy.
9. Take progress photos
Apart from using the scale or using a measuring tape, one great way to measure your progress is to take photos! Just don’t go overboard by taking photos every single day because it may lead you to think you aren’t making enough progress which may lead to getting demotivated. Take weekly or monthly photos to track your progress. Additionally, it is helpful to take photos from different angles such as from the front, each side, and the back.
10. Consider taking protein powders
There is a misconception that protein powders are for people who are bulking up, which is why most women avoid taking them. Protein powder will not make you bulky, they are merely just supplements that will help you increase your protein intake.
Protein is very beneficial for getting fit. For this reason, a lot of fitness enthusiasts take protein powders. It is a great way to increase the amount of protein you consume without taking in too many calories.
11. Get more quality sleep
Sleep is very important due to numerous reasons. One of the main reasons why you need enough rest is so that you can have enough energy to do the exercises. If you are low in energy, you will not be able to perform the exercises correctly which can hinder your progress. Another reason why sleep is important it’s because your body and your muscles recover while you sleep. You will see the most changes if you get good quality sleep.
It is very important to get quality sleep and not just take multiple short naps throughout the day. You need to get enough REM sleep, this is where your body and your mind undergo the most renewal. Studies show that in a period of 8 hours of sleep, our bodies generally get 1 ½ to 2 ⅕ hours of REM sleep.
12. Clean out your fridge
When you are starting your fitness journey, you mustn’t forget one crucial step. And this crucial step is… cleaning out your fridge.
As the saying goes “out of sight, out of mind”. If you don’t see the yummy-looking chocolate bars on your fridge or your pantry, you won’t be tempted to forget about eating clean and go on a sugar fest. So get rid of any unhealthy food and replace them with healthier alternatives. This is one of the first fitness tips for women that we all must apply.
13. Fill up on veggies
Vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber so make sure to eat more of them. Especially if you are planning to shed some weight, veggies are excellent to help you feel full without eating too many calories.
A great way to lose weight without counting calories is to fill up your meals with 50% vegetables.
14. Eat slower
It takes a while before your body and your mind will know that you are full and satisfied. Eating at a slower pace will aid in determining when you are truly satisfied which will help you avoid overeating. By doing this, you will be able to naturally cut back on calories. This is one of the best fitness tips for women who want to lose weight.
15. Get out of your comfort zone
In order to make a change, you must step out of your comfort zone. Transformations do not happen when you don’t challenge yourself to do better. Change your diet, change your routine, and try new things. Try different workouts, experiment in the kitchen, don’t stick to doing the same things then expect to see different results.
16. Add spice to your food
There are numerous studies stating that certain spices — such as cinnamon, cumin, peppers, chilies, and turmeric — can help you speed up your metabolism. Speeding up your metabolism can help you burn more fat.
Plus, when you are switching from junk food to healthy food, you may feel like the food you are eating is too bland. Which may lead to craving more junk food.
17. Get a great sports bra
Buying a great sports bra will help you feel more comfortable during your workouts. Wearing uncomfortable clothing — especially bras and undies — during your workout can affect your performance. You will not be able to do the exercises correctly if you are too distracted by the fit of your bra.
18. Get an accountability buddy
It’s not always easy to convince yourself to work out or to eat clean. This is why getting an accountability buddy is next on this list of best fitness tips for women.
An accountability buddy helps you in keeping your commitment. It is inevitable to have some days where you just want to relax and not exercise or eat healthy food. This is where an accountability buddy steps in, she/he will help you stay on track. You can get a family member, a friend, or you can also join online fitness groups and look for a buddy there.
19. Pack your food to avoid the temptation
If you don’t work or study from home or you are just always on the run, it is helpful to prepare your food in advance to avoid any unhealthy temptations. It’s hard to stick to your healthy diet if during your lunch breaks you are surrounded by people who are having your favorite greasy pizza. Not having a healthy packed lunch could cause you to give in and get a slice or two yourself. This advice not only applies to lunches and big meals, but it is also applicable to snacks. People who enjoy snacking should always have ready-to-eat healthy munchies in their bags. This is one of the fitness tips for women that can really help beginners or foodies.
20. Don’t skip meals
When trying to lose weight, most people think the key is to eat less… a lot less. This is the reason why most people skip meals. The less you eat the more you lose, right? While it is true that you have to be in a caloric deficit when trying to lose weight, skipping meals won’t really help you with that. Skipping meals can lead to eating more and even worse, it can lead to binge eating.
You should eat regularly. Think of food as fuel and do not attach food to certain emotions. Most of us are guilty of attaching too many emotions to eating. We eat when we are happy, sad, frustrated, or stressed. Since food is attached to certain emotions, when we feel those emotions we then start to feel hungry. So, you must always think of food as your body’s fuel instead of treating it as your happy pill.
21. Increase your soluble fiber intake
There are a ton of benefits to consuming soluble fiber. Taking in enough soluble fiber can help manage your hunger since they are natural appetite suppressants and they can make you feel fuller for a longer period of time. This means that soluble fiber is excellent for fat loss. Also, studies have shown that soluble fiber aids in keeping your gut bacteria healthy.
Here are some examples of food that are great sources of soluble fiber:
- Beans
- Oats
- Apples
- Citrus fruit
- Strawberries
- Peas
22. Workout in the morning
This is a great fitness tip for women who are busy throughout the day until the evening. It’s best to get your workout done in the morning.
When you do your exercise once you wake up, you won’t have to worry about fitting it into your busy day or worry about skipping a workout day. If you find that you are busier in the morning then you can try working out at night. Basically, find out which time works best for you.
23. Choose the right workout bottoms
When I was working out with uber-cheap workout shorts, I would usually stop in between sets to readjust my shorts. Because my shorts were poorly made, they would keep rolling up especially when I do leg or glute workouts. I noticed that poor workout bottoms really affect my concentration and my performance.
So one of the best fitness tips for women is to invest in comfy, and high-quality workout shorts or leggings. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it could be affordable, just make sure it was actually made for working out.
24. Make sure your last 2 reps burn!
When we work out we usually stick to the reps that we listed down or that are listed down on the guide we are following. Sometimes the workout guide may say “15 reps” but then you may notice that 15 reps are not giving your targeted muscle enough burn. This is why it is recommended to add more repetitions until you feel the burn on the last 2 reps.
Similar to the concept of progressive overload. Progressive overload means that you continually increase the intensity of your workout by adding more weights, sets, or reps. Basically, if you and your muscles can still do more, then do more! This will help you be stronger and see gains quicker.
25. Sip slowly
Similar to eating slowly, it is also helpful to sip your drinks slower than how you normally sip them. If you are a drink fanatic and you go through dozens of cups of coffee a day, try sipping slower and actually savoring your drinks. This will help you consume fewer calories from drinks. You can minimize the number of beverages you are consuming thus helping your take in fewer calories.
26. Create a workout playlist
The best way to beat workout boredom is to create an awesome workout playlist filled with your favorite energy-inducing songs!
Notice how the time seems to be slower if you are not listening to songs while you exercise? Your workouts feel so dragging and boring. Add a little life to your workouts by listening to your favorite tunes. This will make your workout sessions more fun and less like a task.
27. Buy comfortable workout shoes
Owning a quality pair of workout shoes is a game-changer! There are so many benefits to using a decent comfy pair of shoes during your exercise sessions. First, it will prevent or lessen feet and ankle soreness. It can also prevent distractions caused by uncomfortable footwear. The only uneasiness you should feel is the burn from the workouts and not the unbearable feeling you get from your shoes or your workout attire.
28. Manage your stress
In order to reach your fitness goals more effectively, you must manage your stress. Being stressed can affect you mentally and physically. Stress can make even the simplest task seem hard, let alone working out. You are easily fatigued mentally and physically when you are under a lot of stress.
The great part about exercising is it can help manage your stress levels.
29. Challenge your body
One of the fitness tips for women that we need to take seriously is to challenge our bodies. In order to see changes in your body, you must challenge yourself. You can’t expect to see changes if you do not push yourself to always do better each and every workout you do.
Make sure to try and do better than your last workout session. This will help you reach your goals faster.
30. Create a fitness vision board
Apart from creating a fitness journal, you can also make a vision board. Compile photos of what you want your new fit and healthy lifestyle would look like. You can put images of healthy food, your fitspiration, and motivational quotes that you like. I personally like my vision board to be my wallpaper on my laptop. It’s basically up to you and your preference. You can make a digital vision board or an actual one you can hang up on your bedroom wall.
This is one of my favorite fitness tips for women or anyone!
31. Do dancing for cardio
If you aren’t the biggest fan of cardio like me, then you can try dancing! Dancing is incredible cardio and can burn a ton of calories. Plus, imagine how fun it will be to jam to your favorite dance music while getting leaner.
If you think dancing is too easy for you then try HIIT dancing!
32. Your first goal is to be consistent
When you are trying to improve your lifestyle or add habits, the first thing you will need to do is to try to be consistent. That is the first ever goal you will ever set for yourself.
Consistency is the key to reaching your goals!
33. Buy workout clothes
This tip works for some, but maybe not for others. If you are a shopaholic, then this tip is not for you.
But if you aren’t a shopaholic, then you can try buying workout clothes. First, it will get you motivated to start your fitness journey. Next, it will make you comfortable during your workout which will lessen distractions from your activewear. Lastly, sometimes you have to look the part in order to kickstart the change.
34. Learn about the nutrition facts
Not knowing how to read nutrition facts and the ingredients of the food you are consuming can really hinder your progress. It can make you take in more calories and saturated fats than what your body actually needs. You won’t believe how much junk we are consuming from the well-known food brands in the market.
35. Manage your calories weekly instead of daily
It’s not easy to hit your daily target of calories down to a T. Sometimes you go a little over and sometimes you go a little under. And that is completely fine but if you are only tracking your calories per day, sometimes you don’t realize that you are far behind where you need to be with your nutrition.
Let’s say you are trying to lose weight and you have a target number of calories per day and you go over 100 calories for the day. If it is just one day it will not affect you reaching your goal. But if it is 100 every day, that’s 700 calories a week. So instead of losing weight, you will maintain or gain weight.
36. Switch up your exercise routine every 3 weeks
To avoid hitting a plateau, you must switch up your routine every few weeks. I find that every 3 weeks is a great timeline to follow. You have to make sure you are making the routine more challenging every 3 weeks.
37. Try different workouts
Sometimes working out can feel like such a task, especially if you dislike the workout you are doing. So, one of the best fitness tips for women is to try out different workouts. There are so many different kinds of workouts out there such as dancing, kickboxing, bodyweight exercises, strength training, and so much more. How will you know which workouts you like if you don’t try them out first?
38. Don’t do crash diets or fad diets
Crash diets will never end well for anyone! They can cause your weight to yoyo. Losing weight through fad or crash diets will almost always lead to gaining the weight back that you lost, and sometimes you will gain even more weight than what you lost. The best and safest way is to lose weight gradually.
39. Make your coffee low calorie
This tip is for all the coffee lovers out there who like to drink a bajillion cups of coffee a day. Adjust your coffee to make it low calorie so you won’t end up drinking a lot more calories than you are supposed to.
Replace your sugar with low-calorie alternatives. Personally, I prefer monk fruit sugar. It’s a healthy low-calorie sweetener.
You can also change your milk or creamer to lower calorie milk alternatives such as almond milk, oat milk, or any nut milk you prefer. This is one of the best fitness tips for women or just anyone in general that helps decrease calorie intake.
40. Stay positive
This is one of the most important fitness tips for women, men, and everyone. Stay positive! Reaching your fitness goals seems simple enough, but it is not an easy process. There are days where you will feel like giving up because you can’t see any progress. When this happens, you must remind yourself to remain positive and trust the process. Success doesn’t happen overnight.
Reaching your fitness goals is not easy, but it is definitely worth it!
As a fitness Blogger myself, seeing other blog posts like this is so inspiring to me and others. Thanks for sharing