CHEARS

Do you feel like you ‘must’ hit the gym and lift superhuman-ish? Well, congratulations! you have successfully enrolled in the cult. I understand How tough it can be to constantly feel obligated to tend to those “fitness goals”. But do not worry. This article is herd mentality-proof. In this blog, we will look at the How-to of wellness. I will guide you through the baby steps that I am going to reveal for you to be able to ace your health journey.

Sounds about right?

First off, why should you not chase fitness? It will become cumbersome at some point. You would not be able to sustain getting out of the bed every day, putting on your gear and power lift. Motivation tanks will point towards empty at certain points. Happiness and excitement from it will hit the plateau too. And it’s called hedonic adaptation. Mapping out a one-year goal plan seems like a stretch.

So, How is it possible to be at your optimum without virtually hitting up the gym every day? There are legit hundreds, if not thousands of ways to keep yourself at the top of your health game.

Let me list some of them down for you.

1. Small duration goals

No one can predict what happens in six months, let alone 12 months. Set out a one-month activity plan, ideally. If you are just starting out, start with a 7day goal. If you are into exercising and nutrition for a while now, you might want to make a 3-month plan. Small duration goals will seem practical to your brain. You will be able to effectively carry those out regardless of motivation.

Not just that, it will take just a fraction of your time. This will mean you have enough time to focus on other aspects of life such as your career and family. Short-term goals will act as a foundation to create momentum and build self-confidence as well.

So the next time you think of making plans, do not hesitate to plan an atomic goal.

1. Change of plans?

Restricted set of exercises means limited benefits to reap. Consider tweaking your exercise regime. For say, you can add yoga on weekends or alternately.

Or you can go cycling or long walks in nature on your days off. For low-intensity exercising, you can even switch to stretching.

Tailoring your workouts to fit in various forms of movement would mean adapting your mind and body to be flexible. It keeps your fitness routine fun. Apart from that, It makes new neural connections that benefit your brain as well.

1. Include NEAT

Staying fit does not always have to come from intentional exercising. If you do not get enough time to include sufficient amounts of physical training, you can increase your non-exercise activity. That would mean you can do your everyday chores like walking your dog, cleaning the house, playing with the baby, gardening, standing, taking stairs and the list goes on.

Research suggests that NEAT contributes to a significant amount of energy expenditure. So the next time someone needs help carrying groceries, you might be more than happy to help.

1. Sustainable nutrition plan

Stringent diet won’t only bore you to death but it may start taking a toll mentally. This may lead to you relapsing to old habits.

An ideal composition that most fitness trainers suggest and research back is a 70-30 plan. Keep 70 percent of your diet clean and junk-free. The other 30 percent includes your favorite foods. Such a diet regime works lifelong if you want it to. I personally follow this and it has been two years since I adopted this food plan.

Beyond that, you do not have to consume unimaginable amounts of protein. You do not have to take BCAAs and casein. It is a marketing gimmick that companies have come up with to create fake demand for supplements. Sticking to 0.7-1gm/lb of your body weight is the ideal measure anytime. I would very much like to repeat it for you that you do not have to eat over 100gms of protein.

1. Relaxation

Your mental health is just as essential as your physical fitness. Add meditation to your routine even if it's for 5 minutes. If you are not a fan of meditation, try deep breathing exercises. There are mindfulness exercises as well that you can easily find on trustworthy health blogs. Taking breaks from working out is as important to let your muscles repair.

With that being said, if you are just starting out to lose weight or gain muscle, my recommendation is to hire a fitness coach or personal trainer. Beginners have to learn a lot and you would not want to get stuck with a critical injury.