SHAPING UP: Four simple things for quick changes to improve your health and fitness

There’s hundreds of diet plans and thousands of fitness programmes to choose from, so it’s no wonder people get overwhelmed and confused with where to start.

But, the truth is, it doesn’t have to be complicated. When you first start, it’s best to keep it simple as too many changes to your lifestyle makes it more difficult to maintain.

These four tips are easily to implement into your lifestyle but they will have big impact on your health and fitness in a short space of time…

#1 Be Active At Least 3 Times A Week

It doesn’t have to be intense. You don’t need to go to a big crowded and intimidating gym or run for miles and miles. Just take it easy and build it up slowly.

If, right now, your fitness levels are low and you’re not very active, going on a 25-minute pacey walk, three times a week is a massive improvement to the week before!

The type of exercise doesn’t matter either, just make sure you enjoy it!

#2 Make Healthier Food Choices

Counting macros and counting calories can put a lot of people off before they even start. So, to start with, just focus on making healthier choices.

Swap out high-calorie foods for calorie-dense foods that will fill you up, and try to be more mindful of what you’re eating.

For example, you could swap a 1100 calorie tub of Ben & Jerry’s for a tub of frozen yogurt at 400 calories. You’re still going to satisfy your sweet tooth but without consuming so many calories.

Once you have the hang of that, you can take it to the next step.

#3 Focus On Your Sleep

Quality of sleep can really affect your health. If you have a bad sleep, you wake up with no energy and you’re more likely to be stressed.

It can also have an effect on your eating habits. If you feel tired and lethargic at the end of the day you’re more likely to pick up a take away or a quick microwave meal. However, if you’ve had a good sleep and have high energy levels, you’re going to feel so much more in control.

#4 Drink At Least 2 Litres Of Water A Day

When you’re hydrated you’ll experience lots of health benefits; healthier skin, healthier teeth and bones, healthier joints, improved digestion, reduces fatigue, suppresses appetite, and it increases your ability to burn fat.Start drinking water as soon as you wake up on a morning – have a glass with your breakfast. Then keeping sipping throughout the day. You need to have a minimum of 2 litres of water per day.

My advice is to fill up a 2-litre bottle on a morning and make sure it’s gone by the end of the day. And, replace your normal cups of tea and coffee for 3 cups of green tea per day.

Air Fryer Sesame Coconut Chicken Nuggets with Peanut Sauce

Serves 4

Calories per serving: 556

For the tenders:

1 lb. (450g) chicken tenders

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. onion powder

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup panko

½ cup desiccated coconut, unsweetened

2 tbsp. black sesame seeds

1 tbsp. white sesame seeds

For the sauce:

1 garlic clove, finely grated

juice of 1 lemon

⅓ cup peanut butter

1 tbsp. honey

2 tsp. sriracha

1.Heat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper on both sides.

2.Combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and ½ teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs in another medium bowl. Combine panko, coconut, sesame seeds in a

third medium bowl.

3.Dip tenders, one at a time in the flour mixture, then dip in egg mixture, letting excess drip off into the bowl. Next, coat in the panko mixture, pressing lightly to coat.

4.Working in batches, arrange tenders in a single layer in the air fryer. Cook for 7–9 minutes, until lightly browned the turn and cook for another 7–9 minutes, until cooked through.

5.In the meantime, mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Add up to ¼ cup water until desired consistency is reached and serve with the chicken tenders.

10-MINUTE BEGINNERS CARDIO WORKOUT

This workout is ideal if you’re just starting to exercise after some time off. The low-impact exercises will challenge your cardiovascular fitness without putting too much pressure on your joints/muscles.

30 seconds LOW-IMPACT STAR JUMPS

30 seconds 1-STEP SHUTTLES

30 seconds ASSISTED BURPEES

30 seconds TOUCHDOWNS

30 seconds HIGH KNEES