Why pay attention to Health and Lifestyle?
Taking care of your health and and leading a healthy lifestyle is of paramount importance to both the quality of life and your lifespan. Although this is generalizing, and many people that lead unhealthy lives go on to be a hundred, it's ultimately a numbers game.
The fact is: if you want to maximize your chances of living a long life, with a good quality of life even in the autumn years, you've got to get active.
Too many distractions in 2013
It's all too easy in 2013 to spend the entire day and a good chunk of the evening staring at an LCD screen. Many of us sit at a desk and work with a computer the whole day, only taking breaks long enough to top up on coffee. This type of sedentary lifestyle is bad for both the body and mind, both of which are built and have evolved around the physical concept of movement.
Humans evolved to the top of the food chain on planet Earth through hunting and building with our legs and hands, but our society quickly reached the point where a small number of people carry out these tasks for the rest of us. This means the rest of us tend to get lazy, with no biological imperative compelling us to be active. All most of us need to do is walk to the stores to get food and water (and just about anything else we need).
The choice of the individual
So it falls down to the choice of the individual to pay attention to his or her personal lifestyle and wellness, and to do so for the long term benefits to both the body and mind. Many choose not to pay attention to what their body is telling them, choosing instead to lead an inactive lifestyle pursuing only the countless distractions of the modern digital consumer age. But these almost always results in health problems later on in life (sometimes soon rather than later).
The good news is that it is rarely too late to change one's lifestyle and take a different path - a path to fitness, well-being, improved moods and cardiovascular capabilities. Leading an inactive lifestyle and paying little attention to things like nutrition is contrary to our genetic make-up and almost always results in feelings of despair and futility. But it's amazing how quickly one can reverse this and start to feel better after reviewing eating habits and within a few workouts.
Positivity is never far away with the right attitude, and you can make quick improvements to your life if you have the right motivation!
Where to start?
Before you start enrolling in any fitness programs, it's crucial that you take stock and assess your current medical status and fitness levels. Consult a doctor or physician and have him or her check out your general health: weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.
You should never dive head first into any fitness program without first getting all the facts about your physical condition, ESPECIALLY if you have lived an inactive lifestyle for an extended period of years or more. Give your body a chance to adjust and it will pay dividends in the long run.
Make small changes
After a full medical assessment, and once the results are in and you know more about your current physical condition, it's time to start making incremental lifestyle changes that will benefit and support your new fitness regime, when it begins in earnest. If you smoke, now is the time to quit! No excuses: stub those cigarettes out forever, as they decrease your ability to take in oxygen when you perform cardio exercise and are full of noxious chemicals that are hazardous to your health.
If you're a heavy drinker, reduce or stop drinking completely. Alcohol is a depressant and will do nothing to help your feelings of hopelessness and despair, and only increases your sense of self-worth as long as it takes to metabolize out of your bloodstream.
Seek professional advice and counselling if you are having difficulty stopping either smoking or drinking.
Improve your diet by cutting out white carbs and junk food, or at least reducing these down as much as possible. Lots of wholegrains and vegetables with lean meats (if you're a carnivore) will restore your body's natural order. There are lots of healthy recipes out there that taste great, and all the more so once you cut out the drinking and smoking.
Make sure you drink plenty of water every day (at least 2 litres) to flush out all the toxins of your previous lifestyle!
Make bigger changes
The next step is to find a fitness program that works for you, that includes both aerobic and anaerobic activity. For example, running and lifting weights is a good way to stay in shape, but doesn't work for everyone.
There will be associations and clubs in your area so get involved and try out different things to see what works for you. Be part of a group that motivates each other to get fitter. Join a fitness studio and get an induction from a personal trainer - this is very important to avoid the possibility of injury - and get into the habit of going for a few hours at least 3 times a week. A fitness studio membership doesn't usually cost much, and you can usually choose a ""pay as you go"" membership option.
Join a swimming pool and go swimming five times a week or take up cycling and go for an early morning ride every day before breakfast. The possibilities are both endless and exciting!
The combination of following a good diet and exercise program is a fantastic weight management routine and you'll soon see pounds fall off, if you are overweight. The key is to be consistent and to keep it up! If you have a bad week and fall off the wagon - drink or eat too much and don't feel like or have enough time to go to the gym - then try and work through this rut and get back into your routine. You'll feel better for it!
Stick with your new health and lifestyle
Remember, your fitness is for life - not just for a week, a month or a year! Once you have found your best optimal fitness and nutrition routine, the real work begins in sticking to the program and not falling back on old habits.
Tradebit is here to help you! We have free tips of getting fit for all the family and hundreds of health and lifestyle fitness plan downloads that will assist you in making big improvements to the way you live you life.
From ebooks and other products with information on healthy eating and nutrition to guides on starting a running program, pilates, yoga, lifting weights workout or even aerobics music to burn calories from home. We have downloads and free advice on keeping fit during pregnancy, getting in shape fast for the summer or a holiday in the sun and lowering your stress levels or beating insomnia for good.
Shed pounds, feel good, look great and sleep like never before - with the help of Health and Lifestyle on Tradebit.
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