Cricketer Zaheer Khan tells you 5 ways to use a phone for fitness

Getting into a fitness routine as the New Year hits in, could be a tough call for a beginner as well as for someone who is a fitness freak. Well, it could even be an overwhelming choice.

Staying motivated to work out may seem hard with the New Year around the corner, but not impossible. The urge to have just one more cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows supersedes the will to get moving on the treadmill.

A pro tip? If you want to see the change in your body while others around you are having their second helping of plum cake, just turn your phone into a fitness coach and let it galvanize you into action.

Here are 5 easy hacks to get weaving on your fitness goals:

1. Step, set, go – It’s as simple as that!

You can simply start by using your smartphone’s timer for a good purpose. Try to stretch for 20 minutes or make sure to walk 10,000 steps a day using a step/activity tracker on your phone. Use apps that don’t just help you stay focused but also incentivise you to smash your everyday goals! That way you won’t loathe but look forward to the fitness regime. Keep in mind that it is the festive season, so don’t be too strict on yourself and be open to having cheat meals once in a while. After all, it’s all about balancing fun and wellness!

2. You snooze, you loose

Remember, motivation gets you started and habit keeps you going. So it is imperative that you refrain from breaking your routine. You can start by not disabling or hitting snooze on your early morning alarm clock. Similarly, it is important to sleep on time and get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep. Turn on the night mode on your phone and all your sleep reminders, enabled.

3. Create a dashboard of ‘big wins’

Have a fitness buddy who keeps you in check and celebrates milestones to sustain the spirit of competition. Invite your friends to leaderboard challenges in apps and pin up your performance on the screen using sticky notes. It adds an element of fun and keeps your progress in sight.

4. Watch your diet for fitness

A big part of maintaining a regular fitness routine is keeping a close watch on what you eat. It is the festive season and an extra gingerbread may not do any harm, but keep a note in your phone of what goes into your body. Don’t go overboard!

5. Maintain an offline repository of fitness videos

You may not have a workout partner or trainer wherever you go. Therefore, we have an idea! How about downloading a few home workout videos on your smartphone? These videos can be great motivators and help you burn calories on days when you don’t feel like hitting the gym.