10 small changes to kickstart your fitness

1. Plan your meals. "Create a meal plan and set aside an afternoon each week for food prep. Sticking to nutritious food choices is super easy when you have all of your meals prepared and ready to go as you head out the door, and by not going out to buy lunch each day, you save money. Win-win!" – Jayde Flesser

Tip: Here's how to plan your meals like a pro.

2. Start the day with a green smoothie. "Throw some cucumber, avocado, almond milk, banana and as much spinach as you can fit in the blender. It will boost your morning energy and get your greens in early." – Sasha Kauffman

Tip: Try these delicious smoothie recipes.

3. Eat breakfast. "A good breakfast breaks the all-night fast of sleep and starts your day the right way. Eating breakfast also starts your metabolism strong for the day." – Lucy Quinn

Tip: Check out these healthy breakfast ideas.

"Eat to fuel your body and its systems – not to look better but to feel better."

4. Focus on how food makes you feel. "Find a better reason to eat healthily. Eat to fuel your body and its systems – not to look better but to feel better." – Sasha Kauffman

Tip: Here's how to practise mindful eating.

5. Eat to nourish your body – don’t obsess over calories. "Calories aren’t the enemy. Calories are energy. If you boil down everything you eat to meaningless math, it takes all the fun out of food. Nutrition isn’t just simple numbers, but a commitment to knowing what’s in what you eat and taking ownership of it." – Lauren Holloway

Tip: Here's what nutrition experts say is the healthiest diet.

6. Focus on small changes. "Staying healthy doesn't have to mean a total overhaul of your lifestyle or drastically changing the way you do things. Sometimes small changes can have big impacts. It is always best to start gradually, small steps at a time, and work those changes into a lifestyle habit." – Lucy Quinn

Tip: This is the real secret to wellbeing.

"Don't be a slave to exercise – find a program that makes you happy."

7. Stretch often for quicker recovery. "Stretching is so important to lengthen our muscles and prevent injury." – Sasha Kauffman

Tip: Yin yoga is fantastic for deep, restorative stretching.

8. Find a style of exercise you love. "Don't be a slave to exercise – find a program that makes you happy. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing you will grow to resent it and stop attending, so try new things and keep it interesting and fun!" – Cassie Blazer

Tip: Not the running type? Give pilates or yoga a go for a slower paced (but still challenging) workout.

9. Mix up your routine. "Sticking to the same routine can be very convenient, but at some point, this routine may not give you any results, so you need to shake things up. Changing the workout routine can be a motivator and may make things more interesting for you." – Lauren Holloway

Tip: Try hiking, surfing, spin or dance classes for something a bit different.

10. Add a personal challenge into your day. "It could be something like doing 10 squats a day, building it up until you can do 200." – Cassie Blazer

Tip: Here's how tracking your activity can help you reach your goals.

Jayde, Sasha, Lucy, Cassie and Lauren teach a variety of fitness classes at Pure Health Clubs. Try some of their workouts for free online.

**In Brisbane? Try workouts from Pure Health Clubs as part of the free Medibank Feel Good program, held at South Bank from 14 September to 19 November 2015. **