I had covered healthy eating in my previous article and will be covering exercise hints which we can incorporate in our daily life.
Eating healthy is important for any individual who wants to be healthy but it is only half the battle won. Investing quality time in a week, exercising, is essential for one’s fitness. Eating healthy and exercising regularly are the rules each one of us need to follow to lead a life of fulfillment. I always believe that if the body is healthy then our mind also tends to be healthy -how valuable this would be in times like this!
Rules of Exercising:
Rules of Exercising:
I have been regularly exercising for a couple of years now and have realized that variety is the spice of life even with exercise. In the past couple of years, I have learnt a lot about exercise. Using the trial and error method has helped me figure out a strategy which will work on just about anybody who can invest some time in a week. Not only have I been practicing and learning but also investing substantial time in reading and browsing the latest breakthrough articles in health and fitness.
Start today and just do anything to get you going:
It doesn’t matter what exercise you do but do it from today. Even walking or running a couple of blocks around your apartment is good enough to begin with. There is magic in momentum and believe me when I say “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. So put on your running shoes or sneakers and begin the simplest form of exercise known to mankind and that is walking.
Stop making excuses:
I know from experience that giving excuses is the simplest reason not to hit the rubber. We all have excuses of not enough time, not a priority now, will start once summer is over, will start once my neighbor starts etc etc….there is no end to justification by excuses and the biggest wars we need to win within ourselves is giving excuses for not exercising. Just put a time and begin in earnest to make it a habit. It is easier said done I too went through the same phase and it has now become a part of my daily routine.
Make your goal public:
This helps because when you are aware that you have made a commitment amongst your family, peers and friends you are most likely to commit to it. Go ahead and Update your face book wall and twitter or any where you find it appropriate to make you more accountable. The more people know about your commitment the better it is for you.
Reward yourself:
Make a list of mini goals and next to it, fill up a small reward list for yourself to keep you motivated. It is imperative that you create a road map in your mind that you will be rewarded if you exercise regularly. Therefore exercise will not be only a health benefit anymore. Whatever works for you can be an ideal fit as a reward; the only thing you need to ensure is that you do not reward yourself with sweets and fried stuffs which are a big No No.
Allow yourself adequate rest:
All this commitment is of not much use if one does not rest. It is critical that we allow our body to rebuild itself and the biggest development of muscles along with fat burning usually happens when we are resting. Ensuring that we stick to the recommended shut eye hours is as important as healthy eating and exercising regularly. Be sensible and ensure all the electronic gizmos are away from your bed side when you hit the snooze button. There is a priceless advantage in resting regularly and I tend to maintain a strict sleep schedule. Even though I would tend to slip once in a while I work on it immediately.
Think Positive:
This according to me is probably the most important amongst all the tips mentioned anywhere. To replace any negative thought with a positive thought is a process which will be a challenge initially but once it becomes a habit then any barrier can be easily overcome. With respect to exercise, whenever a negative thought arises saying that exercise is too hard, I don’t have time or it is too painful then just replace it with a positive thought like I am strong, I can overcome this or if Satish can do it so can i. Eventually it is the positive thought which will take you through any exercise barrier.
Don’t consider only weight loss goal as your be all and end all:
Even though most of us tend to get into an exercise habit to lose weight, do not make it the only reason lest you be disappointed sooner rather than later. Everybody reacts in a different way and not necessarily everyone will lose tons of weight in the first couple of months or at a later stage. Get into the habit of regular exercise for feeling good, increasing your confidence and hearing those compliments from everybody around you. You can ensure that you are motivated enough by writing down the exact measurements you need to achieve with your body. Usually people with written and clear goals tend to achieve them without much of hindrance.(On Goal setting later)
If you fail, get up and start again:
We all tend to fail many times over. It does not mean that we need to stop doing whatever we are doing. I have failed many times over in reaching my goals for a week, a month or even a day but that has not stopped me from giving up. On the contrary I have learnt a valuable lesson from every failure and moved on. Failure is bound to hit you hard many times over but it is important to keep our focus and move towards our goals.
Practise exercising safely:
Safety should always be paramount in any kind of exercise. I notice that many of my fellow gym members use their mobiles or go about browsing (even though it is banned) in my gym. They tend to allow themselves to get distracted and eventually accidents do happen. It also makes you lose your focus and intensity. Another thing I notice is that many tend to run by listening to music which is not a bad idea if one is running in a park or a stadium but this is definitely not advisable if one is running in an open road with call centre and heavy vehicles zipping by. Also always make it a habit to walk or run facing the traffic so that you have enough time for reaction just in case any vehicle does tend to come too close for comfort.