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It’s time for another new strand here at Angry Trainer Fitness and I think this one could prove pretty popular!

It’s called Change It Up! and the idea is that I’ll be giving you some small, super simple tips that over the course of time will add up to some BIG changes in your life.

One of the biggest reasons new trainees fail in their health and fitness program is they take on too much, too soon and quickly become overwhelmed. It’s all about baby steps.

By taking on a little change at a time it’s much easier to adhere to the lifestyle changes you’re trying to implement. And truthfully your body will respond to small, subtle changes, so there’s really no reason to try and implement large lifestyle changes all at once. We’ll be running this feature every week so let’s all make these small tweaks together – and share our experiences…

Okay, on to my first tip!

1. Rise and Grind!

Some of you will hem and haw at this suggestion, but I want you to get up 20 minutes earlier four days per week and of course I want you to exercise. Recent studies have shown that even just 10 minutes of intense exercise can have huge metabolic effects. What that means is that not only will you burn calories during those 20 minutes of exercise, but also your metabolism will stay elevated for some time after, possibly all day. In a recent study of men who cycled at a moderate to intense pace for 45 minutes, researchers found that the participants burned almost an additional 200 calories throughout the day! So if we cut that down to about twenty minutes, you can potentially burn an extra 100 calories per day by exercising for 20 minutes in the morning.

Another reason I’m suggesting the morning is that when you first wake you’re in a ‘fasted’ state and have little blood sugar. This means that you’ll be relying on other sources of fuel to power you’re your mini workout (fat!) There are conflicting schools of thought as to whether a person burns more fat in a fasted state versus being fed, but I can tell you I see noticeable differences when I exercise first thing. So get up 20 minutes earlier than normal and do some jumping jacks, skip rope, hit the burpees, go for a run… anything that gets your heart rate up. But be sure to make it fairly intense, I’d say a 7 out of 10 on a scale of effort. There’s a direct correlation between how intense you work and the benefits you’ll reap across the day.

Think of it this way – your 20 minute workout should be good for about 100 calories, plus you’ll burn an additional 100 throughout the day from being jacked up = 200 calories. That’s about 1,400 calories per week, which could be the difference between losing weight and staying stuck. And you can do this IN ADDITION to your normal workout schedule! So give it a try and Change It Up!

By the way – Don’t even try to tell me you don’t have an extra 20 minutes in the morning. I aint buying it! :-)

All information contained within this site, Angry Trainer Fitness.com, is for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. Please see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.