Many people get into fitness with short-term goals in mind and expecting some fast results. They end up disappointed and conclude their fitness journey because nothing much changes within their set time period. What we must understand and accept is that reaching our optimum health and peak aesthetic looks will take a long time, even decades but the journey is so worth it. 

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This is how I fell in love with my healthy lifestyle.

 

 

Don’t Compare Yourself to social media Personas 

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The start of comparison is the end of gratitude and the start of feeling inadequate. The truth is that most social media icons have artificially altered their bodies to look a certain way and many of them have been in the game for decades. My advice is that you focus on your own journey and define your aesthetics on your own with consistent hard work. It’s good to look up to others but it’s even better to be the author of your own story. 

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Have a Long-term Vision 

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Be a visionary when it comes to health and fitness; it will keep you going for years. Always try to get better, to improve your form, to improve posture, to get stronger – all of these goals will ensure that you get to the gym weekly. Try to set goals that are bigger than just simply getting abs or growing your glutes – your goals should benefit you in the long run, think more deeply. Work towards looking and feeling your best in your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s. 

 

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Aim To Get Stronger in The Long Run 

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Improving your strength will help you tremendously in your daily life. Strength training makes it easier to perform daily tasks and it keeps your muscles active and ready for action. 

 

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Think About Your Gut Health in The Long Run 

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A lot of us have abandoned taking care of our insides; we eat anything and everything. It's more difficult these days because more than 70% of the food we consume on a daily basis is over- processed and inorganic. You want to live an active and disease-free life 4 decades from now? If yes then start taking care of your gut. Here’s a few tips: 

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• Drink more water 3-5 liters/day 

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• Stay away from sugar – sugar is the currency of cancer 

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• Try intermittent fasting at least twice a week 

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• Eat organic nutrient-dense foods (eggs, leafy veggies, potatoes, sardines) 

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• Avoid fried foods; they irritate your intestinal tract 

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• Avoid smoking and dry-heat cooking of meats; it releases carcinogenic (cancer causing) compounds. 

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• Eat foods that boost your gut flora such as yoghurt, bananas, almonds, ginger 

 

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Understand the Health Risks of a Cabbage Lifestyle 

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When you don’t exercise often enough your body literally breaks down: 

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• You gain excessive weight 

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• Excessive weight gain is linked with posture issues, spinal problems, joint pain, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, stroke, mental issues and it makes it harder to achieve goals 

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• Your muscles lose potency when you don’t exercise often (muscular atrophy)

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• You will feel lethargic throughout the day 

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• Movement is linked with endorphins so without exercise there is the risk of depression 

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You can reduce the likelihood of all these conditions by spending some 20-60minutes of your 24hours in medium to high intensity exercise daily. 

 

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Build your life around Healthy Habits 

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Don’t force healthy habits into your daily routine instead in cooperate them into your daily errands such as: 

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• Wake up early so that you can walk that 3km to work or school instead of using automated transport 

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• Don’t rush to your phone first thing in the morning; journalize, be spiritual or plan your day 

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• Exchange junk food for healthy snacks such as bananas instead of cake 

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• Walk to the gym instead of using the bus 

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• Take some time to meditate instead of watching Netflix on a Friday night 

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• Cook your healthy meals this week instead of buying canteen food at work. 

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It’s all about making choices and sticking to them even when you don’t feel like it or when you have better alternatives. 

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Study more about Health and the Fitness Lifestyle 

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Learn more so that you can do more, find out ways to eat better, research new recipes, learn about diseases, learn about first aid, read health blogs such as this one and soon you will have a wealth of knowledge that will change your life and make you a fitness advocate for yourself and for others. 

 

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Train your body to perform daily activities more efficiently and with more ease

 

This is what fitness is all about, it’s about making our bodies more efficient at doing what they’re supposed to do. You can train your joints to move better, your metabolism to be more efficient, your immune system to be a powerhouse. All of these things will benefit you in the long run. Some of the ways to do this are: 

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• Mobility training 

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• Intermittent fasting 

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• Mindful mediation 

 

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Take Time to Listen to and Take Care of Your Body 

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Are you taking care of every part of you? Take the time to listen to your body, whether through mediation or stretching, ask yourself these following questions and act accordingly to rectify any issues; 

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• Is there pain anywhere on my body? What is the cause? What can I do about it? 

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• Is there any tightness within my body? What is the cause? What can I do about it? 

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• How is the general health of my body on a scale of 1-10? How can I improve it? 

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• Have I neglected caring for any part of my body? 

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• How do I feel throughout the day? 

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You must understand that our bodies communicate with us through pain and sensations, we must always listen because these could be an indication of a serious health concern. 

 

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Aim for Muscle Maturity 

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High quality muscle will still look good as you age and it will serve your posture, function and metabolism. High quality muscle will make your latter years pain free. Aim to develop your muscles with time; avoid quick fixes and stay away from steroids boys. 

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Train for Mobility & Flexibility 

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Mobility and full range of motion is a gift that everyone deserves. Imagine how great it would be if you could move your body in all its ranges of motion without any pain or even injury? Even in your 60s and 70s. Well, if you start intentionally training to improve your flexibility now then your future self with thank you. 

 

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Treat Your Body as a Gift 

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This is the ultimate secret to falling in love with health and self-care. Do you realize how blessed you are to have your body and what is has allowed you to achieve in your life so far? think about that for a second... 

It definitely makes me want to make all the efforts I can to take care of myself, to eat better, to treat myself better and to get better. As I always say “to take care of one’s body is a show of gratitude.” 

 

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Think about Your Loved Ones 

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I know without the slightest doubt that I want to be there for my loved ones, not only that but I want to give them my best; I want to be active with them in the long-run and I want to have energy and stamina for them. What kind of person do you want to be in your 70s and 80s – I hope you want to be able to exercise with your teenage child, to run around with your grandchildren or go for a jog with your sweetest doggo.  

Aren’t these things to work for, to work towards. Keep them in mind the next time you’re under the bar and you might get the strength to push upwards, in fact you might be motivated to go for one more set.