Whether we like it or not, we live in a world that is becoming more and more saturated with fitness and good eating. You can’t even walk down the street without being barraged by billboards advertising the latest celebrity fitness plan or DVD, our social media timelines are full of people pushing various shakes and pills and plans to make us healthy, and bloggers are giving diet tips and advice. If you are a bit of a gym junkie and enjoy nothing more than pounding on the treadmill at Fitness 19 and gulping down on that superfood smoothie, it’s alright. But for many others, it is all a bit monotonous. Sometimes it feels like if you don’t go in for it big time, you may as well not bother. If this sounds like you, worry not because we have some recommendations to assist you to get fit and healthy without it taking over your existence!
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Incorporate it into your regular regimen.
Instead of making exercise and staying healthy simply another item to add to your already lengthy daily to-do list, make it part of your day to day routine. You may want to spend your important time off with your friends and family or do something exciting like going to restaurants or going traveling. Don’t worry though – with a bit of imagination, you can fit it all in and not have to drop anything. On average, we should all be striving to perform roughly 30 minutes of exercise every day. Think about your routine. Can you get off the bus a couple of stops early and walk the rest of the way to the office, or park at a place as far away from the grocery as possible? All these tiny things really pile up.
Don’t deny yourself treats.
The worst thing you can do is to deprive yourself of any goodies totally. Going ‘cold turkey’ just does not work. Food is not ‘bad’ or ‘good’ – in moderation, pretty about anything is fine. If you give up the foods that you like and vilify them, you’re more likely to want them and end up gorging on them. Once you become trapped in that loop, it is challenging to get out of it. One slice of cake every so often is not going to make a difference in weight reduction, so if you want it, go for it! You might also look at healthier alternatives to your favorites. If you adore chocolate cake, why not look at recipes that sweeten them using beets or courgettes rather than sugar? If milky lattes are your thing, switch the full-fat milk with skim milk. Small tweaks here and there may make the largest of effects.
Don’t push yourself too much.
It’s acceptable to do only what you can do. No one is expecting you to get up and immediately start jogging 10km. No one is expecting you to join a gym and go there day after day – in fact, it’s probably not a good idea to do this until you’ve had a full introduction since you may wind up hurt. Getting healthy is a journey, not a sprint, and it is best to begin gently and gradually increase your activity level.