Getting in good shape for the summer is always an appealing goal. However, according to coach Ott Kiivika’s recommendation, you should also take care of your body and mind in order to increase your energy level and reduce stress. So he shares a few tips to get you started.
Ott Kiivika’s experience and knowledge are sought after by thousands of sports enthusiasts who have set ambitious goals in order to achieve summer fitness and a healthy lifestyle. However, according to Kiivika, there are also other important goals behind the numbers related to the summer uniform.
“Actually, it is important to take care of our body and mind also in order to increase our energy level – so that we can engage in activities that we enjoy. And on the other hand, also because it is to reduce stress and keep mentally fit in addition to being physically fit,” he points out.
Where to start when striving for summer fitness and a healthy lifestyle?
According to Kiivika, it is worth preparing yourself first – and not only in terms of sports equipment or training clothes, but instead in your head and thoughts. “Point one is to agree with yourself that you will start and make changes towards a healthier lifestyle. To do this, you should first agree with yourself the time that you will devote to health-related changes – for example, the habit of moving three times a week. Secondly, you should choose the place where you are going to train early – then it won’t take too much time on the training day,” explains Kiivikas. “These are small but important things that provide a significant boost to get started.”
What to keep in mind when starting new habits?
According to coach Ott Kiivika, for every new habit or even if it has been a while since the activity, it is better to start slowly and wisely first. “When starting to train for the first time or again, remember to choose a suitable load and not overdo it – otherwise, starting with a big hurrah can end quite quickly due to, for example, injury or overload and a drop in motivation,” he stresses.
He also recommends that when choosing a training plan, you should take into account your previous training and current state of health, and not copy the training habits of professional athletes or your own previous plan from when your health was in better condition. At the same time, according to Kiivika, you should not forget to warm up – this also prevents possible traumas and ensures the preservation of sportsmanship.
Smart tools to motivate a healthy lifestyle
Jekaterina Mishina, a technology expert and training manager at Huawei, recommends using smart aids such as a smart watch to increase training motivation and track your sports results. “For example, during training, you can monitor how the training is progressing and save your results to monitor progress. Also, with the latest models, you can get an overview of 7 main health metrics in just 1 minute: ECG, pulse rate, respiratory status, blood oxygen content, skin temperature, stress level and arterial stiffness status. This way, you can immediately see how exercise and lifestyle changes affect the body,” he gives an example based on the Watch 4 Pro smart watch model.
According to Mishina, in order to see your data and progress, you generally have to set up the smartwatch once and enter your height, gender, weight and age. “Seeing the results and their changes can provide a strong motivation to continue with a new lifestyle. In addition, today’s watches are so smart that they also give a lot of advice – how to train smarter and how much to rest,” he adds and recommends enjoying a healthy lifestyle with smart aids.