Staying healthy is an important priority, but there is alot of misleading info out there about fitness kicks that can lead to the wrong advice being taken! Sometimes the things we do to stay ‘healthy’ can be wholly unhealthy for our brains and bodies, and when you’ve got fitness goals, you need to be able to take a step back and think to yourself, ‘Am I doing what’s really right for me?’ Getting started with a serious change to how you approach health and fitness means think about a few things: What’s your skill level? How much time do you have? Are you combating any other health problems that might affect your ability to commit to a health routine? And most of all, are your plans the right ones for your health needs? Let’s look at some tips to keep yourself safe while making health a priority. Make sure you run through them every time you think about picking up on a new eating plan or if you are eating intuitively and always be sure to talk to your health professional if you feel that you need to.
First of All, Pace Yourself
First things first – pace yourself! This ensures that you’re going at a speed that’s suitable for you; you’re going at a speed your body can get used to, and you won’t pull any muscles or drop your calories too fast and dont give your body the fuel it needs. All in all, take it slow, and introduce a health change slowly.
Stay Hydrated, but don’t overdo It
Staying hydrated is super important and giving your body the right amount of water it needs is key. Be careful not to overdo things at the same time! Yes, some people need to drink over a litre of water per day, but that person may not be you! You might need a litre, or a little under and drinking too much water can have quite the profound effect on your body. It can cover up your appetite, it can make you eat a little too much, it can make you a bit drowsy and need to lie down, it can even just make you feel a bit sick in the moment. Drinking too much water is simply not good for your body. So don’t try to overcompensate, even if you didn’t meet your water goals the previous day! Listen to your body always. Drinking water too fast can be dangerous. If you drink a huge amount of water in a very short time, you may very well end up in hospital. Make sure to pace yourself with your hydration!
Fix Your Relationship with Hunger
Hunger is something we all feel – it’s a natural response that tells you whether or not you need to eat something right now, and it’s important to listen to your belly when it rumbles. Because when you’re hungry, you’re not thinking straight, you’re not feeling right, and all kinds of rational judgement goes out of the window! Hunger has a very temperamental effect on the way we act and how we think about the world around us; yes, being ‘hangry’ is a very real thing. It’s important to satisfy your hunger cravings, rather than try to live with them or simply cover them up and suppress them. Your body will go into survival mode trying to keep you alive and thinking when there’s no food around to fuel it, and that means the sugar that’s stored in your muscles is going to be burned up first! You’re going to lose all of those gains you’ve recently made in the gym, and all because you decided it wasn’t right to rip open that bag of crisps and have a little snack. Similarly, diet suppression pills aren’t great for your body, and they never will be – you need to find an eating regime that’s filling for you, but still is healthy enough for you to reach your goals and run a workout routine off of.
Stay in Charge of Your Body
Always stay in charge of your own body. It’s yours, and it’s the only you’ve got, and therefore, you need to know how to handle it! Of course, you’re going to know what’s good and what’s bad for you (after all, you’ve got plenty of life experience), so make sure you ride along on these gut instincts for as long as you can. Even when it’s a simple matter, you need to be in control of your body. For example, no matter what your best friend says about this new superfood that you just have to try out; if you don’t like the look of it, or you don’t like the smell or the tiny taste of it you’ve had before now, it probably isn’t right for you! You certainly won’t be able to consume it on a long term basis.
Similarly, make sure you exercise this same kind of control over all of your activities. Living a long, healthy and happy life is all about choices – take your romantic relationships as a good example here. Choosing to do something as simple as taking the morning after pill is a personal choice but be educated and ensure the choices you make are right for you. Even just knowing you have this kind of power can be great for your mental health and your self esteem!
Staying safe when you’re trying to stay healthy is essential; you need to take things one step at a time, and build up your resistance, and then work towards your goals in a safe and realistic way!
TDP x
