With the war between body shaming and body positivity being so rife on social media, I feel that many people seem to lose track of what is actually important sometimes – being fit and healthy, no matter your shape and size.

If you’re ready to start working on your fitness goals, here are four ideas to help you do that.

Detox regularly

Detox drinks are becoming a popular way to improve fitness and wellness. Every day you are exposed to toxic elements in the environment. Pollution and even the harmful chemicals hidden in personal care products can fill your body with toxins. By detoxing, you help your body eliminate these harmful substances. Check this page for more information on detoxing.

There are many different detox programs and products that will help achieve your health goals. A simple cleansing drink can already give you benefits like better energy and improved digestion, while other more intensive detox programs can help with serious health concerns. Make sure to do adequate research before starting a detox program, and consult your physician immediately if you experience any adverse side effects.

You can of course make yourself a range of detoxing smoothies or juices at home, if you have the time, it can be a fun activity and all the family can get involved.

Sign up to a marathon

Fitness goes hand in hand with progress. Ask any gym buff, and they’ll tell you how they mix up their exercises so they don’t stagnate.

If you think you’re ready for a challenge, consider signing up to a marathon. I decided about 16 years ago that I’d like to try and run a marathon – just once. I wanted to see if my body could do it. This month I will be running my 20th marathon, still just wanting to see if my body can do it one more time.

I’m in total awe of the 80 and 90 year olds I see at these races, still running, still going. They are so inspiring.

Keep in mind though that marathons require adequate preparation, well, at least the first few do anyway. Gradually introduce your body to long-distance running by doing long runs every seven to ten days, and build your mileage weekly. Work on speed, form, and breathing in the weeks prior to the marathon. I also found with my early marathons that Pilates and swimming also helped me to prepare – these days I pretty much wing it and hope for the best.

Finally, expect to feel sore on the first couple of weeks, so give your body time to recuperate and consider applying athletic therapeutic tapes on sore muscles to reduce discomfort.

Meditate

Being fit is not just about the physical aspects of your body. You also need to be mentally and emotionally healthy if you want to experience true and lasting wellness.

Meditation is a great way to improve your mental and emotional state. Meditation is not just about blanking out and breathing, though. It is an ancient practice that will help you enhance mindfulness. Have you tried it? I’d love to try and do this properly but I struggle to find a quiet time when I can give it a go.

By meditating each day, it’s thought that it can help achieve mental clarity and strengthen your inner resolve so you can face challenges. Not surprisingly, meditation has been revealed to be the common daily habit of highly successful people like philanthropist, author, and talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, Ford executive Bill Ford, and media mogul Arianna Huffington.

Take up boxing

Boxing used to be a masculine sport, but not anymore. Gigi Hadid and Adriana Lima are just two of the fit and fabulous celebrities who are into boxing. These supermodels swear by this activity to tone their muscles and help them destress. The great thing is that you don’t need to be rich and famous like them to get into boxing either, all you need are a pair of boxing shoes and a set of gloves, along with the drive to achieve your goals. With this small list of things in your possession, you stand to get a lot out of this sport.

The great thing about boxing is it is a full-body workout. You move your arms when jabbing and work the legs and glutes when doing the footwork. Don’t let the moves intimidate you, though; you can easily learn the basics of boxing and work your way up by enrolling in a class. You can also practice at home with equipment from Power Punch Pro.

Some gyms offer boxing classes even for beginners. Typically, coaches will also let you begin training with warm-up exercises like circuit training and stretches so you can definitely maximize your experience at the gym.

Getting in shape requires hard work, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Don’t be afraid to try out new sports and activities so you’ll stay motivated and engaged throughout your fitness journey.

Get Quality Sleep

If you are feeling stressed, irritable, and anxious in your waking hours, you could be a victim of sleep deprivation. Sleep can make or break how we go through life. If you’re not sleeping well at night, you won’t be as productive, creative or resilient as you could be – because the way you feel while you’re awake largely depends on what happens while you’re sleeping.

So, what do you need to get quality sleep? A clean bed – free from undesirable byproducts of life, like germs, dead skin cells and sweat. Lifestyle guru, Gwyneth Paltrow, is a big fan of clean sleeping. In her book, Goop Clean Beauty, she talks about how copper bedding improves the quality of sleep by eliminating all the byproducts of life from your bed.

So, get the quality sleep you need to keep yourself up and running by investing in copper bedding.