Tag Archives: healthy

Staying Healthy and Fit – 5 Things I Recommend Most

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Before I share some of my healthy habits, there are a couple things to first recognize when it comes to health and fitness. For starters, everyone’s personal standard of what’s “healthy” is going to vary and secondly, what works for me might not necessarily work for you in its entirety as there are various contributing factors such as your body type, age, current health, etc. So please keep this in mind as you are reading because it’s easy to follow advice and then wonder why you are not obtaining the exact same results. As I mentioned, it’s because every body is different but at the same time, my general health tips are ones in which anyone can pick up at any time to achieve their very own personal success–so that means you can keep reading. 🙂

To me, staying healthy and fit is not only a LIFESTYLE but it also is a COMMITMENT to self. Chances are, my personal health standards are probably much higher than the average individual which is why it seems like I put in a lot more effort than most people. I’m sure I probably don’t need to put in as much work as I do to obtain results but I look at it like this: Why settle on mediocre results when I can opt for the very best results? I do what I know works for me and if that means extra workouts or a little extra focus on what I am eating, then it definitely is worth it.

Put in the Physical Work by Lifting Weights and Adding Cardio – Sometimes people are scared to lift weights because they think it will make them appear too bulky. Again, everyone’s body is genetically built differently but generally speaking, lifting weights will give you a desirable body composition and tone you up in all the right areas. Personally, I try to lift weights for an hour a day. I’ll switch up the moves each day to target different muscle groups but each day will be a mix of moves so that I can do a full body workout as opposed to isolating certain muscle groups on certain days. In terms of cardio workouts, I think it’s helpful to incorporate cardio workouts to burn a few extra calories in the day and that it is also good for your heart. With cardio, I try to fit 30-60 minutes of cardio about 5 days a week. (If I don’t have the time to do both in a day, I would choose to lift weights given the choice).

Eat a High Protein Diet – In order to keep the muscle and stay strong, it is important to make sure you eat enough protein in a day and ideally at every meal. If you consistently lift weights but are not feeding your muscles, then all the physical work could go to waste which is why you need to make sure you have enough protein built into your diet. Some forms of protein that I eat on a daily basis include: chicken, fish, eggs, and whey protein. I will also eat turkey and red meat on occasion.

Pay Attention to Portion Control – When I say “portion control,” I do not want this to ever translate as starvation because you absolutely need to fuel your body with enough high quality foods and nutrients in order to stay healthy and build your muscles. What I simply mean is to be mindful of how much you’re eating during each meal and to really listen to your body when you are full–no matter how good the food is (depending on what it is, you can always save it and eat more of it at a later time).

Stay Consistent with Both Your Exercise and Diet – “Getting” in shape is one thing but “staying” in shape is another. When people are determined enough, they can easily get fit but often times they cannot stay fit. The reason is that there is not enough consistency. In order to obtain any type of long lasting results, you need to stay consistent. For me personally, I consistently go to the gym in the mornings, usually 5-7 days a week. If you are just starting out a good fitness regime, I would say a minimum of 3-5 days are needed to build up consistency. You can’t expect to stay in shape when you workout sporadically or you skip weeks of any form of physical activity. The same also goes with your daily diet. While it is okay to indulge and enjoy a good meal here and there, it is important to stay focused on eating healthier and higher quality foods on a regular basis.

Track Food and Physical Activity – While many people might not see the benefits of writing down what they eat and their physical activity for the day, I personally think it’s extremely important for staying focused and holding myself accountable. That is not to say that if I wasn’t writing this down that I’d skip going to the gym and just eat whatever I want but I do think I’m extra mindful of my actions when I know I’m tracking it everyday. It also is a helpful tool to track progress over time which is another reason why I recommend taking the time to record what you eat along with your workouts.

Don’t Like to Exercise? – Maybe I Can Convince You Otherwise

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For me personally, heath and fitness have always been a huge priority in my life. I started exercising on a regular basis since I was in high school and although my routines have varied throughout my life, there was never a time I took an extended break from it or was too busy to exercise. The truth of the matter is, we are never “too busy” for the things we care about most. Being that staying healthy and in shape are important to me, a good diet paired with an exercise routine are both essentials. I do not believe that you can rely solely on good genetics–that is not enough. Although the science shows that what you eat has more of a higher impact on your overall health and well being than exercise, there is no doubt that putting both into practice will provide you with the very best results.

I actually truly do not understand people who do not exercise. People should want to take care of themselves and take accountability for their health. I suppose the reasons can vary from not enjoying it, too many professional and/or personal obligations, getting bored doing it, or maybe not looking at the long term positive effects of incorporating exercise into daily life. Even if you cannot find a little time out of your day to do it a few days a week, I always say that any time you can commit to yourself is always better than nothing.

If you are in the category where you never exercise or maybe you do so at random but there is no real emphasis on making it a priority, I would like to provide some reasons as to why you need to start making it a habit.

Keeps You Young and Looking Good – People who take the time to exercise regularly always look way younger than their physical age. I will admit, this was always one of the many incentives as to why I stuck with it was because I knew that it would preserve my youth over time. Aesthetically, I also always wanted to stay in shape and knew that the work (aka exercise) would provide the results I was looking for.

Improves Energy Levels / Mood / Mental Health – Without a doubt, after a good workout, I feel amazing. This includes feeling accomplished, energized, strong (both mentally and physically), productive, happy, and so much more. I am naturally a positive and happy person but by adding a solid workout to my day really takes it to a higher level by uplifting my mood and building my mental strength.

Prevents Potential Health Problems From Occurring Later in Life – Exercise cannot prevent everything as we know that certain health problems are genetic and are completely out of our hands no matter how much we eat well and exercise. However, keeping the body healthy definitely adds a layer of protection in preventing serious health problems to arise.

Helps with Weight Management – As we age, it is natural for the metabolism to slow down and unexpected weight to appear out of no where. Even if you have consistently been a relatively healthy individual, it is still easy for the body to put on weight over time. This is where exercise helps by burning excess calories and if you also weight train, the muscle you build will aid in weight management by keeping the body lean and trim. (If genetically, you are thin to begin with, this does not give you a pass to not have to exercise. Even though you might not be looking to lose weight, you can still exercise by lifting weights to add muscle to your body which is ideal).

Increases Longevity – I know for some, people live day by day, not thinking about their future, let alone tomorrow. However, if you could live a longer and healthier life, wouldn’t that be the best scenario? By adding exercise, you are staying healthy and ultimately extending your life by investing in your health.

Even though these are all reasons that you probably are familiar with and they are nothing new to you, at the very least, I hope reading this can inspire you to make a healthy life change and open your mind to the idea of making exercise a part of your lifestyle–not just a temporary resolution that you make and fail to keep each year.

How to Get Started TODAY: The best thing you can do is start incorporating small amounts at a time and vary the activities. Ideally, find things that you enjoy. If you like going on nature walks, I would still count that as a form of exercise because at least you are moving. Over time, you can increase the amount of time you allot during the week and increase the intensity. Again, start small and gradually you can always do more as time progresses.

* If you are totally clueless when it comes to working out or what would be the best moves for your current fitness level, consider hiring a professional who can personalize a routine just for you and teach you how to exercise properly.

* If you really want to take it a step further, write down your activity each day. Even for someone like myself who has the self motivation to exercise daily, there is still a need to stay on track and record the progress. How do I stay disciplined and regimented? — I write it down every single day! I simply record the activity and how many minutes along with what I ate that day. As I mentioned, a nutritious diet and a fitness regime are the golden combo when it comes to staying healthy! 🙂