Whether you’re looking to get healthy again after indulging on vacation, or you feel you’ve been stuck in the same cycle of consuming junk food and being inactive for too long, everyone wants to live a healthy lifestyle. And, in the modern day, when we’re used to having what we want, when we want it, we don’t want to wait for results…

Just as well then, that we’ve come up with six top fitness tips, which, if followed, will see you feeling healthy in as little as a month’s time!

Plan a fitness regime

Far too many people sign up to a gym membership, have a try on each of the machines and then lose interest because they haven’t experienced any results. This is because they haven’t gone in with a plan – they’re not working a particular area of their body or setting any goals.

When you first sign up to a gym, ask the staff or instructors to draw up a basic workout plan for you. Stick to this for the first week or so, but complement it with your own research – YouTube is a great place to look for routines. Ideally, you want a holistic regime that targets all areas of your body. You should soon start to see improvement in all areas if you stick to what you’ve planned.

Don’t skip fitness

When you’re living a busy lifestyle, it can be easy to skip your fitness obligations. Whether you’ve had a bad day at work or you have a social occasion planned, it’s important to stick to your fitness regime, especially for the first month or so.

Try to team up with a friend or family member – if there are two or more of you working towards the same goals, you can support one another if one of you lacks motivation on a certain day.

Don’t overdo your workouts

Sometimes, it’s simple to go hell for leather during your workout – and with good intentions. You just want to put the hard work in and see results, right? Overexerting – lifting too much weight or working out on consecutive days – could actually see you doing more harm to your body than good.

Injuries could see you out of action for a significant period of time, so it’s important not to hit the gym too hard. If you do want to turn things up a notch, try copperwear out; copperwear – or compression wear – can help protect vulnerable joints, so you can continue to feel the benefits of working out, without putting yourself at risk.

Eat correctly

The 70/30 rule dictates that, while 30 percent of a healthy lifestyle depends on exercise, 70 percent comes from a healthy diet. It’s vital that, as well as working out on a regular basis, you also practice clean eating. There are countless diet-based articles online, all teaching you one thing or another, but clean eating boils down to common sense: avoid fat-rich foods and snacks containing plenty of sugar and salt and invest in fresh fruit, vegetables and protein-rich white meat.

Great pre-workout snacks, which will boost your energy and help you through the grind of the gym, include bananas and fruit smoothies, while a protein shake once you’ve finished will aid your recovery.

Add fitness into your commute

Too cash-strapped to sign up to the gym this month? Never been one for team sports? There are plenty of avenues to consider when pursuing a new fitness routine, and one of them is the commute.

If you currently drive to work, why not think about leaving your vehicle at home and walking? If that’s a stretch, get on your bike. If you absolutely have to drive to work, park in the furthest spot on the car park and get walking – every extra step counts!

Drink plenty of water

Your body is made up of between 55 and 60 percent water, so it stands to reason that regularly providing it with hydration will help it to work better. The more water you drink, the more your body consumes fat, so aim for the recommended amount of one and a half liters a day – and don’t forget to take a bottle of H2O with you to your workout!

Now we’ve been through these six top tips, you no longer have any excuse to put off the pursuit of healthiness! Get out there – just do it!