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126 Quick Health and Fitness Tips

Do you know what's better than 3 fitness tips?  

126 quick health and fitness tips in ONE post. 

I wrote this list a couple of years ago but I've since given it a huge update and I want to share it with you. 

Keep it somewhere safe so you can refer back to often and please, let me know in the comments below if there's anything I should add.  

Here are your new 126 quick health and fitness tips revised and ready.

Enjoy!

  1. Move often
  2. Movement is a skill. Good movement takes practice
  3. Mobility before stability.
  4. Move in different directions and different speeds
  5. Train movements for the most part (the body is a complex, dynamic SYSTEM)
  6. Push
  7. Pull
  8. Squat
  9. Hinge
  10. Lunge
  11. Lift
  12. Brace
  13. Rotate
  14. Carry
  15. Grip
  16. Hold
  17. Drag
  18. Climb
  19. Crawl
  20. Roll
  21. Balance
  22. Jump
  23. Hop
  24. Bound
  25. Throw/catch
  26. On two legs, and one
  27. Learn to march and skip 
  28. Move sideways
  29. Move backwards
  30. Walk daily
  31. Swim
  32. Run
  33. Sprint
  34. Running and sprinting are not the same thing
  35. Callisthenics
  36. Play different sports
  37. Play
  38. Smile
  39. Laugh
  40. Relax more
  41. Read more
  42. Breathe deeply and slowly
  43. Practice meditation/mindfulness
  44. Do crosswords/learn a language (it’s good for the brain)
  45. Sleep at least 8 hours each night
  46. Have a wind-down pre-sleep routine
  47. Switch your phone off
  48. Take power naps
  49. Sit differently
  50. Get away from your desk often
  51. Drink more water
  52. Eat more vegetables
  53. Eat breakfast
  54. Eat enough
  55. Eggs are not bad for you
  56. Supplements aren’t magic
  57. Invest in your health
  58. Fasted Training, Low Carb and Detoxes are largely overrated
  59. Balanced nutrition = 90% healthy choices + 10% having a life
  60. Take your shoes off
  61. Strengthen your feet
  62. Wash your hands
  63. Take the stairs
  64. Go outside often
  65. Have a morning ritual
  66. Do cardio (aerobically fit people live the longest and have a better quality of life)
  67. Intervals are hard but time-efficient (perhaps not the best option for beginners)
  68. Work on mobility maintenance DAILY
  69. Healthy joints need movement
  70. Get strong in the stretch
  71. Mobility = flexibility + CONTROL
  72. Flexibility, without control is risky
  73. Static stretching is overrated (but also works)
  74. Stability is not strength (you need both)
  75. Strength is functional
  76. Strength is protective
  77. Strength is relative
  78. Train to become robust
  79. Use different implements (barbell/dumbbell/kettlebells etc)
  80. Train for Power
  81. Train velocity
  82. Ground-based to standing
  83. Bodyweight before added resistance
  84. Light before heavy
  85. Slow before fast
  86. Bilateral before unilateral
  87. Stable before unstable
  88. If it’s painful, don’t do it
  89. If you’re injured, do what you can (within recommended guidelines). For example, can you modify an exercise or train around an injury? Can you train anything at all?
  90. Question the need for ‘correctives'
  91. Your trainer or coach cannot ‘correct' or rehab you
  92. Your physical therapist very likely cannot get you strong
  93. Do the basics well
  94. Do less, better (80:20 Rule)
  95. Large movements
  96. Full ROM
  97. Perfect technique always
  98. If you don’t know what perfect technique is, seek out a good strength and conditioning coach
  99. If you’re new to training, seek out a good strength and conditioning coach
  100. Good strength and conditioning coaches aren’t cheap, and cheap ones aren’t good
  101. Have S.M.A.R.T. goals (successful people do)
  102. Have a plan
  103. Firm goals, flexible methods
  104. Keep a training diary
  105. Track progress, and progress appropriately
  106. Manage training fatigue
  107. Manage stress from all areas of life
  108. Change/tweak your program every month or so (in general – advanced trainees may need more variation)
  109. Strategic exercise and load variation (pretty much sums up periodisation) 
  110. One size does not fit all (re. exercises and plans)
  111. Consistency is key
  112. Consistency > intensity
  113. Ask for a spot
  114. Share your equipment
  115. Put your weights away
  116. Build your team (people with a strong social support network perform better)
  117. Join a group or train with friends (social dynamics matter)
  118. Take time away from training once in a while
  119. Take holidays
  120. Work + Rest = Success
  121. Fitness is simple, not easy
  122. Show up, do something
  123. Do what you enjoy, or enjoy what you do
  124. Accumulate small wins
  125. Focus on process, not outcomes
  126. Aim for progress, not perfect

About Danny James

Danny James is a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Personal Trainer in Sydney, Australia with over 15 years of experience supporting national champions and international representatives to reach higher levels of performance and well-being in multiple sports. He lives with his beautiful wife and twins. Sign up for Danny's free newsletter and receive tips, insights, and exclusive email-only content.

3 Comments

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