Whatever your reason is for keeping active – losing weight, building strength, improving your overall fitness – you need to make sure you’re on the right path for success.

Motivation is the key to hitting your fitness goals, but some helpful advice is always a welcome addition to any workout. However, as anyone with a social media account can claim to be a fitness expert these days, it’s hard to know who to trust.

To help cut through the noise, we created three lists as part of our Dark Fate challenge. Our helpful hints include exercise tips, mindset tips and nutrition tips, so you’ll have everything you need to reach the next step on your fitness journey.

Top 10 exercise tips

Regular exercise is crucial to staying fit and healthy. Although the words may strike fear into the hearts of many, staying motivated and developing a fitness routine is the first step to transforming a hobby into a lifestyle.

Regular training will not only form a habit but will make you fitter, faster and stronger. Our list of top 10 exercise tips will make going to the gym feel like a reward, rather than a chore.

1. Make every workout count – Even if it’s just a quick 30 minutes of training

2. Don’t resist resistance – Resistance training isn’t just for gym veterans, it can be done by anyone, regardless of experience

3. Mix it up – Ask a Fitness First member about our Fitness Menu and what other workouts are available

4. Work out how to workout – No two gym members are the same. We’re here to help you find out what style works best for you. Don’t be afraid to ask us!

5. Know your limits – Try not to take on too much, too soon. Take it step by step and build yourself up.

6. Get a fitness friend – Working out with a friend keeps you both motivated and accountable for any gym-dodging!

7. Know what you’re doing – Don’t try a machine or exercise you’re unsure of without guidance. Ask us for help and we’ll make sure you’re always exercising safely

8. Stretch to success – Don’t forget to stretch before and after every workout

9. Rest is just as important as exercise – Sufficient rest will make sure you’re always fresh and ready for your next workout

10. Eat your way to success – Eat the right food at the right time to ensure you’re   fueled up for your training

Top 10 mindset tips

In the words of the terminator himself, “The mind always fails first, not the body”. If you lack motivation, it’s very unlikely that you’re going to exercise regularly or eat the right food. Having the right mindset is crucial to getting you out of bed in the morning and into the gym.

By figuring out why you want to exercise and the elements of fitness that you really enjoy, you’ll make it much easier to convince yourself that you should stick to your workouts.

1. Make it personal – What are your own personal reasons that keep you motivated to exercise?

2. Set simple goals – Keep them achievable and measurable

3. Work yourself out – Find out what works for you and what makes you happy

4. Roll with the punches – Setbacks happen to the best of us, it’s getting back up when you fall that counts

5. Give yourself a break – Having a bad day is natural, don’t beat yourself up over it

6. Break bad habits – Discover your bad habits and replace them with positive ones

7. Track your progress – This is a great way to see the results of your training and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back

8. Make commitments – Be accountable by sharing your targets with a friend or family member

9. Reward yourself – Reinforce positivity by rewarding yourself for a job well done

10. Change for good – Once you’ve made progress in your fitness journey, keep it up and always move forward

Top 10 nutrition tips

Fitness is more than just exercise; food plays just as much of a part towards a healthy lifestyle. Eating unhealthily will not only hurt your attempts at losing weight, but it will also make it more difficult to stay motivated and energised.

This doesn’t mean you need to suffer a diet of bland, boring meals – in fact, far from it! By eating right, you’ll feel better, look better and get the most out of some delicious, healthy meals.

1. Diets don’t work – A consistent healthy eating plan is much more sustainable than fad diets

2. Hunger is the enemy – Don’t starve your body of the fuel it needs

3. Curb the carbs – Carbs are an important part of your diet, however, you should try to cut back on refined carbs like pasta and white bread

4. Protein is key – Protein-rich foods are essential for muscle repair and replenishment

5. Don’t fear fat – Not all fat is bad for you: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are known as ‘good fats’

6. Drink plenty of water – Hydration is essential

7. Quality over quantity – What you eat is more important than how much you eat

8. Eat slower to eat less – Take your time when you’re eating and don’t rush your meals – It’s not a race!

9. Make healthy choices 80% of the time – It’ll make that 20% of treats taste so much better!

10. Don’t believe the hype – Stick to what you’re comfortable with and avoid the hype of ‘quick win’ diets or products