Do you have a very on-off relationship with exercising, diet, and fitness? Do you struggle to stay committed to your fitness goals? Do you feel exhausted when you don't get the results that you have been expecting? I totally get you. It takes more than exercising and dieting to have a great relationship with fitness month after month, year after year.
First of all, fitness is not restricted to how you look on the outside. You may be physically very fit but emotionally, you may be on the verge of breaking down at any moment. And that is not called being fit at all. Fitness means you have a healthy body and a healthy mind. Your immune system is functioning well and you are emotionally stable. Even when people and situations are not according to you, you handle it with grace instead of getting extremely angry and agitated.
Let's take a look at a few simple ways that will help you to develop a better attitude towards fitness:
Befriend your kitchen and eat balanced, healthy meals.
If you want to stay fit and healthy always, you need to befriend your kitchen. Instead of ordering junk food, you have to learn to enjoy healthy homemade meals. Eat balanced meals that have proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber in the right amount.
Learning a few easy and healthy recipes will motivate you to have a healthy relationship with food and your kitchen. Try to eat 80% of home-cooked meals to stay healthy. You can download the app HealthifyMe on your phone to track the number of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats that you are consuming per day. You can also find great suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This App will help you make healthy food choices every day. I have been using it since 2018 and my experience has been fabulous.
Do not get obsessed with the weighing scale
Your health and fitness cannot be only determined by how much you weigh. Some people are prone to weight gain and some are prone to weight loss. Therefore, obsessing over that perfect number can disappoint you in your fitness journey.
If you want to determine how fit and healthy you are, do it through other parameters such as how well you are sleeping every night, how good your digestive system is working, how good your immunity is. If you feel fresh after waking up every morning, do not have trouble digesting your meals and do not fall sick during season changes, you are fit. Women can check if they are having their periods on time and whether they are painless. Your focus should be on measuring your fitness by these parameters, not by a particular number on the weighing scale.
Workout at least 4 days a week
4 days a week.
30 minutes workout session.
Even if you are very busy, you must take out at least 4 days a week and commit to a 30 minutes workout session to stay fit and healthy. In order to make your workouts fun, mix and match various activities that you enjoy. If you like dancing, skipping, running, and walking, include them in your weekly workout sessions so that you look forward to that time.
There are 4 elements of exercise: Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, and Balance. To increase your stamina, you must do cardio. For developing strength, you can do weight training. Start with 1kg X 2 dumbbells and gradually increase the weight as your strength develops. You can also do pushups and squats to increase strength. For increasing your flexibility, yoga is the best form of workout. To increase your balance, you can do yoga and planks.
Reward yourself
In order to have a better attitude towards fitness, you must reward yourself from time to time. Have a cheat meal once in a week without feeling guilty. Pamper yourself with a gift when you maintain your exercise regime consistently for a month. Gift yourself athleisure clothing that you can wear while working out. It will increase your confidence and make you look attractive.
Take care of your mental diet
The way you are taking care of your daily meals, you must also take care of your mental diet to stay fit and healthy. What we watch, listen, and read impacts our minds more than we think it does. Therefore, be attentive to the content that you are consuming. Make sure that it rejuvenates your mind and makes you feel good.
These methods will help you have a better attitude towards physical and mental fitness, month after month, year after year. I have personally implemented all of them in my life and have gained tremendous results. Now, my relationship with fitness is a happy and steady one.
"The best investment you can ever make is in your own health."
This post is a part of Blogging with a Purpose series in association with Blogchatter. My theme for this year is Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellness.
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