If you’re paying attention, expert trainer tips (like all wellness tips!) can start to sound like a broken record. Lift heavier. Drink more water. Protein, protein, protein.
All of which, of course, is great advice. But you’re a smart, wellness-savvy human, and you’ve heard it all before.
Thankfully, in the course of interviewing top fitness pros for our column “How Do You Live a Nutritious Life?”, unique tips pop up pretty regularly. These are the people who are living on the cutting edge of exercise, so their own practices (both inside and outside of the gym) are often forward-thinking.
To inspire your sweat sessions (and overall wellness habits), we compiled five interesting expert trainer tips you’ve probably never heard before. Maybe one is the missing piece of your personal fitness puzzle?
5 Surprising Expert Trainer Tips
1. Stop practicing fitness monogamy.
One person may be all you need in the romance department, but when it comes to exercise, Heidi Powell says you should really shop around. “I believe in dating all forms of fitness, even the ones you don’t want to try, to find out what you actually like. You might be surprised!” Read more.
2. Carry a lacrosse ball.
The importance of recovery and stimulating the lymphatic system has been getting more attention lately, and suddenly foam rollers are all the rage. But they’re super bulky and can be expensive. Cyc’s Holly Rilinger suggests going back to basics and using a lacrosse ball. “It’s my portable foam roller and helps me work out the knots,” she says. Read more.
3. Keep moving when you’re not at the gym.
Exercise is important, but movement—when you’re not wearing leggings—is just as key. Dr. Jordan Metzl is super active, yet hardly ever goes to the gym. “I get around New York City on my bike. If I have a meeting or an event downtown, I’ll put clothes in my backpack and run to the closest Equinox. I keep it moving all the time,” he says. “My mother always says, ‘rest means rust!’” Read more.
4. Volunteer.
One exercise celebrity trainer Adam Rosante wishes he had more time for? Not squats, not running...but volunteering! In fact, research shows volunteering isn’t just good for your community and the world, it’s linked to lower blood pressure and longer lifespans. Read more.
5. Don’t stress about dinner.
As the end of the workday approaches, desk stress is replaced with dinner planning stress. Should you make the same chicken dish you already had twice this week? Why didn’t you make the time to prep grains last Sunday? Top trainer Holly Perkins says that if you eat well throughout the day (especially if you’re adding extra fuel after workouts), dinner doesn’t have to be such a momentous occasion. “I eat so well all day long that often I’m not hungry at dinner. Sometimes I just do a protein shake.” Read more.