Top 10 rules for ultimate fitness

Follow us on Twitter: @y7lifestyle

After feasting on dozens of hot cross buns and indulging in a decadent chocolate binge this Easter, we’re guessing you’ll be ready for a fitness overhaul! We sat down with PE manager Matt Rendell from the famous Golden Door Elysia in the NSW Hunter Valley to get the lowdown on the top 10 best ways to achieve long-term fitness results.

1. Breathing – It’s so common to hold your breath when exercising, and so important to keep breathing! When you’re breathing you are in much more focus and control with your exercise, you are getting oxygen to your brain and therefore able to work out much longer and efficiently. Holding your breath can also increase blood pressure and put a strain on blood vessels.

2. Hydration – Staying adequately hydrated is a must. When you’re exercising, your body loses fluid through sweat and it needs to be replaced to prevent dehydration. It also regulates your body temperature and prevents you from overheating.

3. Change your work out constantly – Our bodies are smart. They get used to exercise and adapt very quickly. To keep it guessing and therefore get faster results, change your work out often. This can be in the form of increasing your weights, to changing the complete routine (every 8 weeks is a good guide).

4. Focus on flexibility – It will help prevent injury, improve your posture and enhance your sport performance.

5. Definitely do cardio exercise – It will strengthen your heart and add years to your life! Your heart is the most important muscle in your body and controls oxygen flow to the rest of your body, which can have an impact on your strength and endurance.

6. Add resistance training – or weight bearing exercise. This builds and tones muscle on your body, which in turn increases your metabolism, burns fat, and builds bone strength. It also helps us to continue to do our day-to-day business with ease, such as carry all the shopping and three kids at the same time!

7. Nutrition is vital – It’s important to get a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to help balance out our diet and prevent illness and disease. Different colours often relate to different vitamins, so aim for lots of bright coloured vegetables on your plate at each meal. People often focus on just the physical activity, but the nutrients you put into your body are vital to achieving fitness!

8. Sleep/ Relaxation – It’s not worth burning the candle at both ends and letting yourself burn out. Take time out to rest and relax. Meditation, Tai Chi, Yoga, all these methods of relaxation will help you perform better both in life, and with your exercise regime. You need downtime to have ‘uptime’ and perform at your best.

9. Consistency with exercising regularly (not doing one week on one week off) – Make a plan and aim to stick to it. If you miss one day here or there, don’t beat yourself over it, you’re only human. But don’t give up altogether if you do fall off the wagon. The best results will occur with consistent training.

10. Consider a personal Trainer – This is the best way to push yourself a little bit further. Your personal trainer will get you to do exercises you won’t do on your own, and also spot your technique and ensure you are doing your exercise with the correct form. This is the quickest way you’ll get results. People often find it useful to hire a trainer (even short-term) as they’re getting into exercise, or when they’re reached a plateau, to help get them on track.

Visit The Golden Door website for more information and to find out about their retreats in The Hunter Valley, NSW and Willowvale, QLD.

RELATED: Pete Evans cooks with love

PHOTOS: Golden Door recipes: