Mark Wahlberg’s 8 Fitness Tips to Get Back in Shape in 2021

2020 has been a strange, stressful year for everyone; but for those of you looking to boost your mood, it’s time to get moving. Exercise has been proven as one of the most effective ways to improve mental health by releasing feel-good endorphins––something we could all use more of right now.

I’ve been working out for as long as I can remember, but like everyone else, some days are easier than others to get moving. Though regardless of where you are on your fitness journey, it’s critically important to make your health a priority. And with 2021 already on our doorstep, now is the perfect time to gear up and jump back on the fitness train.

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To help convert your resolutions into reality and kick-start a healthier New Year, I’ve put together a list of my top fitness tips below. Remember, its best to start small so that you wake up the next day feeling tired and good about yourself, but not so sore that you start making excuses and stop exercising.

Movement builds momentum and setting goals and tracking your progress is key. With Performance Inspired Nutrition, I love seeing all of the pictures from customers showcasing their pride in working out. Last year, we invested in a gym chain from Australia, F45, and I cannot tell you how inspired I get seeing others take charge of their health and wellness.

I love to mix up my workouts to challenge myself and keep it interesting. I have become addicted to the F45 High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and added that to my weight training. This year I also added a lot of indoor cycling and trail riding for my very physically challenging role in Arthur the King that we start filming in January.  Shocking the body and changing up the workouts helps keep me in top shape and making improvements. I listen to my body and rest when I need it, but I also work through mild injuries with my massage gun by Power-Plate and step up my usage of our Branch Chain Aminos (BCAA) to help with recovery. Nutrition is always key; you cannot outwork the fork!

Nutrition is essential to feeling great and I’ve found it’s helpful to begin getting in the habit of looking at food as healthy fuel. I moved to my Performance Inspired plant-based protein in 2020 and a mostly plant diet, which has helped with my overall health. Every workout starts with my Pre-Workout to ensure I get the most out of my gym time, and every workout ends with a protein shake (within 20 minutes of finishing my routine) to refuel my depleted muscles. I use many of my products and as I get older, I rely on our all-natural products and a super clean diet to keep feeling great. Moderation is key and I adjust my eating and treating myself to achieve an optimal balance.

Listening to changes in your body and taking action to change your diet, taking a rest day, working around an injured body part or even seeing a doctor to properly evaluate an injury is critical to avoid long-term injuries. Following these eight fitness and health tips will help you stay on track and ready to keep charging into the New Year.

My Top Tips for Getting Back in Shape in 2021

1. Get started – Stop making excuses and waiting for the perfect month or day to start––today is the perfect day!  Join a gym, start walking, watch your diet, and make your health and fitness a priority! In three months, you will be glad you started!
2. Set a baseline – Look in the mirror, snap some pictures, record your measurements, set goals in writing, and start a fitness log. Using a fitness tracking device and sharing your goals with friends and family are also proven ways to help you stay on track. Signing up to run your first marathon or vowing to hit the gym seven days a week may happen down the road, but stick to something simple when starting out—like working out 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes. Eventually, you will build up to more challenging goals as you make progress.
3. Do not let excuses overpower your commitment to getting healthy – If you cheat on your diet or miss a few days working out, get back at it!  Your mind is your most powerful workout tool.
4. View nutrition as fuel – So many people offset a great workout by overeating and eating high sugar food as a reward for the workout. Moderation is key and start reading labels on the foods you eat; you will be surprised at the sugar and artificial ingredients in popular foods!
5. Listen to your body – Rest as needed but do not fall back into bad habits! Falling off the diet or workout regimen is NOT a reason to give up. You are the CEO of your health, so stay focused and keep yourself on track.
6. Variety will help keep you motivated – Change-up your workouts with HIIT training, cycling, lifting, hiking, etc. Working out can be fun and soon you will hate missing even one workout or overeating junk food!
7. Surround yourself with healthy choices – Take that blender out from under the counter and leave it out. Make low-sugar, high-protein smoothies instead of grabbing something unhealthy when you are hungry and lazy. Check recipes for smoothies as meal replacements and better meal preparations. I keep protein bars handy and travel with my supplements and everything I need to stay on track when I am running around. It takes some extra planning, but it’s worth it.
8. Celebrate starting and take pride in your progress – Share both your progress and struggles to help keep you on track. Join and follow fitness groups on social media and post up those selfies, diet tips and workouts. The fitness community is so engaged and supportive that you’ll stay inspired seeing others making progress! It also inspires others to see your fitness journey and that’s a great feeling. It’s proven that sharing your goals makes you more likely to keep reaching for them, so don’t be afraid to post about your healthy habits and ambitions on social media and tell your friends and family––you may even inspire them or find a workout buddy!

I hope my tips will help inspire you to be better! While it’s nice to put 2020 behind us, we have learned that prioritizing our health and wellness is critical for our immune systems and being healthy is a gift we have to work for. Share your healthy journey with me and Performance Inspired––let’s make 2021 the best year possible!

Mark Wahlberg is an actor, producer, and businessman.  Mark co-founded the all-natural active lifestyle nutrition company Performance Inspired and Municipal, a Sport Utility Gear & Apparel Company and a production company Unrealistic Ideas.  He is also an investor/owner/partner in F45 Gyms, Power Plate Massagers, and of course he co-founded Wahlburgers restaurants with his brothers.  Look for WahlStreet on HBO-Max in 2021 that will showcase all of Mark’s business dealing!   

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