GUEST EDITORIAL: How To Get a Hollywood Body on a Working Class Budget

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How To Get a Hollywood Body on a Working Class Budget

by Lewis Robinson

Having a goal to be healthy and fit is a very positive thing, but being obsessed with how you look isn't healthy. Comparing yourself to famous people who have resources that the average person does not, isn't useful or fair to yourself. But if you simply must have that Hollywood body, you too can be fit like the stars. Here are a few ideas to help you make their secrets your own.

Professional Trainer

When the stars need to get in shape for a role, they turn to personal trainers. Fitness is such an integral part of the Hollywood lifestyle, that the most popular trainers have gained superstar status themselves. Along with expert fitness guidance, a personal trainer will also keep you accountable for maintaining a fitness routine. And of course, the stars can afford all the equipment they need from weights to Olympic-sized swimming pools.  Unfortunately, the average person doesn't have the budget to pay the large fees that personal trainers charge and can't even begin to think about how much does an inground pool cost. But there are things you can do instead.

Your local recreation center or YMCA may well have personal trainers available for one on one or group workouts. Joining an exercise class or becoming part of a fitness group can mimic the accountability you might feel with a trainer. Knowing that a lot of people will know if you skip the gym today can be a powerful motivator. You can even skip the gym and use a streaming service to work out but make sure you gather a few friends to do it with you and make it a scheduled session to keep yourself and them accountable.

Consistency

It isn't uncommon for movie stars to spend multiple hours a day working out. When it is part of your job description to be fit and you're getting paid millions of dollars, that's a reasonable expectation. However, for most regular folks, the time commitments of real life make that impossible. So what's the solution?

Fortunately, health experts have reported that short periods of exercise completed on a regular basis can be just as effective as prolonged workouts. You should plan to dedicate 30 minutes a day to your fitness regimen in the beginning. Now, if your goal is to look like Thor in the Marvel movies, you'd have to step that up quite a bit, but just half an hour a day will put you solidly on the road to looking and feeling your best.

Personal Chef

Many big stars employ a personal chef, especially when they are preparing for a role in their next blockbuster film. After all, one of the most difficult things about eating healthy and dropping a few pounds is making good food choices and finding the time to prepare balanced meals. A personal chef takes those pressures away, making sure that when it's mealtime, what you find in front of you is healthy, balanced and contains the optimal amount of calories for your body.

If you can't afford your own chef, there are more affordable ways to get the benefits of one. You might consider subscribing to a meal delivery plan. It's a bit more expensive than cooking for yourself but certainly cheaper than hiring a chef. There are meal delivery plans for any healthy diet that appeals to you including many specialty diets such as Paleo or vegan. One of these plans will ensure that you have a balanced, healthy meal available whenever you're hungry, even if your time is limited.

Movie stars dedicate large amounts of time to reaching a level of fitness that is rarely attained in the real world. You should never compare yourself to someone for whom looking good is, quite literally, their job. Be sure you set reasonable goals for yourself. Eat healthy, using a meal delivery service if that's what you need to keep yourself on track. Join a gym or a fitness group and stay consistent with your fitness regimen. If you do just these few things, you might be surprised at how quickly you begin to notice a real change when you look in the mirror.