There are a wide variety of ways to improve your general health and fitness, no matter what age you are. The problem that most of us have with making the change to a healthier lifestyle is life. Yes life gets in the way! Convenience food and tasty snacks are more often than not the single most common reason for failure. But it doesn’t have to be that way! As long as you make the decision to improve your diet and general fitness RIGHT NOW and accept that there will be blips along the way (this doesn’t mean total failure and that you should stop moving towards your goals), you are in the perfect position to get started TODAY.
This transformation that you are starting today starts in one place; your mind. Your mind is the key and if you can stay motivated at the beginning, you will find that your new healthy mind will soon have a healthy body to match. Here are some tips for achieving a healthy body and a healthy mind.
A good diet doesn’t have to be perfect
Just because the new you is determined to achieve a healthy body, that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the foods that you enjoy. There is only one catch; MODERATION. Treating yourself to a naughty meal or snack once or twice a month can be the best way to keep your mind motivated whilst not doing any real harm to your sustained diet.
Exercise!
Not surprisingly regular exercise is a very important factor for both your body and mind. Now I’m not suggesting you sign up for the next marathon, simple daily exercises can include cycling to work, walking instead of driving, playing sport, engaging in physical activities with your children. The possibilities are endless. All you need to do is make sure that you are pushing your physical boundaries each day.
Healthy you, healthy pocket
Buying convenience or fast food whilst at work or out and about can not only be bad for your body, it can also be extremely harmful to your wallet! Spending a little more on healthy alternatives at the supermarket and packing your own lunch can have a huge positive impact on your health and bank balance.
And… RELAX
As you know by now, a healthy mind is the key to a healthy body. Stress can make a significant impact on your ability to embrace your new lifestyle. Assign specific time each day to relax and unwind also making sure that you get plenty of sleep has a substantial effect on mental health. Having some “down time” before bed perhaps reading or meditating is a great way to relax and preparing your mind for sleep.
Social
Camping, hiking and other outdoor activities with friends and family are great ways to improve your fitness and catch up. Eating with your family away from the TV can do wonders for your mental health and help you reconnect with those that are most important to you.
As you can see, a healthy body and a healthy mind are made up of many factors, the key is figuring out what works best for you. By thinking actively about how you can improve these areas in your life, you will soon find a method that works best for you.
Note from Brigadoon Fitness
As we head into the second month of the new year, we are here to encourage you to stay the course. If you are looking to get healthier and in shape the only true way to do it is to take it slow by making small changes, that way it becomes second nature and is integrated into your life.
A diet should fit into your lifestyle and not be overly restrictive. The best way is to eat a little from each food group. Try to eat healthier at every meal every day. Whole natural foods are the best to get and stay healthy. Beef, chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts are natural and will give your body what it needs. Don’t restrict all fat from your diet. Just eat the healthy fats such as fish, avocados, nuts, and even dark chocolate. Remember, if it’s in a package, it’s most likely processed and has chemicals and other bad stuff in it.
By now, we all know that exercise plays an important part in getting and staying healthy. Don’t get caught up in the newest trends of exercise classes, unless you try it and you really like it. Walking, bike riding, yoga are some examples of low impact exercises that will do wonders for your body as well as your soul. If you are looking to lose weight try the HIIT method, short bursts of high intensity then backing off for a slower recovery period, followed by another round of high intensity.
Sleep is an important ingredient to getting and staying in shape. Getting enough sleep each night helps to control your appetite, blood pressure, as well as your cardiovascular health. It also improves your ability to process stress and react in an appropriate way.
So let’s continue this new year in the right way – becoming healthy!
