Incorporating Fitness, Daily II
Fitness - the condition of being physically fit and healthy
Physical Benefits of Physical Activity
There are very few lifestyle choices that have as much impact upon health as physical activity. The beauty is that in reality, physical activity doesn’t require very significant time commitments or intensity - it all depends on how you look at it!
Just 7 hours a week of physical activity improves your health significantly and has been proven to reduce the risk of premature death by 40%. So anything just under or above is great really, this is just a bonus for how such activity makes you feel in the now - which is what is really important.
To me it’s all about your WHY right now. It’s not necessarily to live longer, to look better, these are superficial reasons - important yet superficial - these are the sort of reasons which skim the surface of your deeper purpose. Now your deeper purpose for wanting to get active needn’t be something out of the world and not achievable, it needs to be these three things: personal - practical - positive.
Personal - implies that your WHY is actually YOUR WHY, not someone else’s. You want it to be meaningful to you so that you have a reason to keep on going when it gets tough, or boring, or you just don’t feel like. Your reason is supposed to make sense to you, so that it can easily become a part of your life and not a chore. So make it personal and make it count - which is another way of saying, workout in a way that makes sense to you. If you’re not sure how or why you should work out head over to the previous blog. Also, it might help to write out your WHY, your reasons for wanting this healthy shift and keep on journaling throughout your journey.
Practical - just because you want to be aiming at a goal you can achieve. Don’t make it too easy but also don’t make it too hard for yourself. You need to be able to visualize your goal, so that with a bit of a challenge you can see yourself in this new reality, let’s say a few weeks/months/years down the road. So if it helps create your goals in stretches - what do you want to achieve in the first week, then 4 weeks (a month), then 4 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months (1 year). Write this all down in your journal and check in with your goals whenever you’ve set your time to reach a particular goal to see where you’re at; if you’re ahead that’s great, keep on going easy so that you don’t become too cocky ;) and if you’re not there yet it’s okay just see where you can improve and if there’s anything you need to change for the coming weeks, to stay on track.
Remember, to maintain the change it’s best to go slow and steady, you’ll see the results with consistency and a holistic lifestyle. There’s no point in beating yourself up either, goals are there but they’re not rigid deadlines, they’re there because you put them there so you can always revise them or deal with things if they’re not necessarily going to plan. Plans can change, it’s alright as long as you know you’re still focused.
This leads us to remaining:
Positive - you want to know that you’re making changes or adapting your routine, your life for the right reasons, which means they’re your reasons to lead you to a healthier and happier place. This doesn’t mean you’re not healthy or happy - a number on a scale or someone else telling you what you should be - have no right dictating how you’re feeling.
I’m just banking on the fact that for your own reasons, you’re here and you want a positive change because you feel more (or less if you’re way too active) activity will be best for you.
Positivity needs to remain there, it’s not always going to be fun or pretty or pain-less but that should become part of the fun too. This is really you against you in a workout, so you’re only proving what you can do to yourself and that’s the most satisfying feeling ever. Throughout the process stay positive and enjoy it - there’s no space for comparison or things which will get you down. If you feel that you could be doing better, or your progress isn’t as fast as you hoped, okay sit with that, see if you can do anything else and do it. If you can’t then just keep going, the rate at which we see results is different for all of us - we all have different body types and are at different stages of our physical development. So please when you find yourself comparing or doubting, just realise what you’re doing and get those thoughts out of your mind.
You’re doing great :) You’re doing enough :)
Physical Benefits
Cardiovascular System
Strengthens heart
Increases circulation
Supports skin health
Lowers blood pressure
Increases good cholesterol - decreasing bad cholesterol and triglycerides
Digestive System
Supports metabolism - helping weight management
Promotes regular bowel movements
Supports gut health
Endocrine System
Increases insulin sensitivity and the body’s ability to clear glucose effectively
Lymphatic/Immune System
Strengthens immune system
Can reduce inflammation by changing blood characteristics
Muscular System
Increases muscle strength - increases lean body mass and metabolism (resting metabolic rate)
Improves muscular functioning, neuromuscular stabilization and coordination - reducing injury and chronic pain
Nervous System
Can improve cognitive functioning
Can improve awareness of how the body is moving and where it is
Can improve reaction time
Reproductive System (including sexual health)
Supports fertility - by supporting a healthy weight
Improves energy levels and stamina
Increases strength, endurance and flexibility
Boosts confidence
May enhance arousal and reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction
Respiratory System
Strengthens lungs
Increases oxygen capacity
Helps the body use oxygen and remove carbon dioxide more efficiently
Skeletal System
Increases bone density
Reduces risk of and may even reverse osteopenia
Reduces the risk of fractures and other injuries
It’s very important to be able to balance out your diet too, it’s not just exercise alone that transforms you and your lifestyle. Your diet has a big impact on your overall results and achieving them. If you’d like to hold a complimentary health history to know more just get in touch.
We’ll be talking about the emotional benefits of exercise next and also nutrition. See you soon!
Namaste