Spice Up Your Exercise Routine. Make it FUN

• Bodyweight training: a lot of popular beaches and parks have equipment where you can use the resistance of your body to build muscle. A workout with a view!

• Join a fitness group or class if you like working out with others, this is also a great way to make new friends. These are run by health professionals and have different routines each session. 

• Replace a gym session with an activity like cycling, rock climbing, surfing or hiking.  

• Dancing! Whether it be the new craze of pole dancing or just cutting up shapes, dancing is a great way to work up a sweat and is a whole body workout.  

• Get your friends involved!  

Sleep Well 

• Determine when you need to wake up and minus 8 hours, this should be your bed time

• Have the same bedtime and wake up time for each day, this helps regulate your body clock, making it easier to actually stick to 

• Avoid napping, especially in the afternoon. Doing light exercise can actually help wake you up

• Exercise daily but not at the expense of your 8 hour sleep 

Follow a Healthy Diet 

• Prepare your own meals. Cooking for yourself puts you in charge of what you are eating, allows you to control portion size, as well as saving you money 

• Consume a variety of foods. Different foods contain different nutrients, but it also means you won't get bored from eating the same meal everyday and be tempted to buy take out 

• Read the labels, know what you are putting into your body 

• Think about how you feel after eating certain foods. Focus on eating fresh food rather than processed; the more junk food you eat, the more likely you are to feel bloated and tired 

• Make healthy substitutions. Replace fried chicken with grilled salmon. Satisfy your sweet tooth with naturally sweet vegies such as carrots, sweet potato and beets. Adding these to your dinners will help reduce late night sugar cravings 

• EAT BREAKFAST! It's the most important meal of the day because you're essentially jump-starting your metabolism. Eating the same meal at the end of the day doesn't have the same chemical effect as it does if you eat it when you wake up  

• DRINK WATER! Add some lemon, ginger or herbs to upgrade your H2O experience or add foods with high water content, such as watermelon, spinach, cucumber and broccoli to your diet

Treat Yourself Once in a While  

• Don't have a cheat 'day' but a cheat 'meal'. Decide on how many cheat meals you will allow yourself to have, as having a cheat day usually leads to a day of overeating  

• Add your cheat meal to your schedule. This helps remove guilt and the "I've ruined by diet, might as well keep eating junk" mentality

• Don't give up when you feel like you've failed! Having one cheat meal too many won't undo your progress, but letting yourself feel defeated and giving up will

Balance Your Commitments 

• Use a daily planner, it will help you visualize the tasks you have ahead of you 
• Prioritize your time and realize that sometimes, something's gotta give (you will survive the #FOMO). Doing things in moderation creates balance; too much of one thing throws you off balance, which creates stress 
• Exercise is a great way to relieve stress! Try your best to fit in 30 minutes of exercise a day, even if it's just a short stroll outside. You will feel rejuvenated with this little break from work and study

Make SMART goals 

SMART = Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound. 

• Specific: Goals need to be clear. "To lose 10 kgs, I am going to exercise and burn at least 2000 calories a week" is much more effective than simply saying, "I'm going to lose weight". Be specific, it will help guide you.
• Measurable: You need to know when you've reached your goal, so how are you going to track your progress? Find a method to measure your progress, this will allow you to see if you need to make changes and will also keep you accountable. It could be a calorie or step counter, or even just a pair of jeans that you try on each week to feel for changes. 
• Attainable: Your goal should be challenging, but realistic. Ask yourself, "is this actually achievable?". Know your strengths and your limits, but also know that a goal that is too easy won't be very motivating or satisfying. 
• Relevant: Make sure your goal is something that you actually want to do. For instance, if you want to lose weight and you love running – then exercise by running. Do the things that you enjoy, you will stay more motivated this way. Do what works for you. 
• Time-bound: Having a specific date to have achieved your goal will keep you motivated. Deadlines are important, but there's no Turnitin for your fitness goals, so set a date and get to work!