Permanent link for Positive Mindset on October 9, 2019

How does the word “fitness” make you feel? Does it excite you or leave you feeling dread? Your outlook on your healthy routine is influential on your success for maintaining it. Of course, if you truly love to workout and love to incorporate good nutrition in your diet, it will make it much easier to be successful. But, what if you don’t love it? How do you change your attitude toward living a healthy lifestyle?

• Stop viewing good nutrition and fitness as restrictions. If you completely cut out lazy days and foods that you love, you’ll be less likely to maintain that routine. Have you ever completely lost your motivation? Sometimes by making your lifestyle too strict, it can feel more like a punishment rather than doing it to better yourself. Change your mindset by creating a balance. Eat small portions of less nutritious foods, find recipes that make eating healthy fun, and don’t feel guilty about spending a day being lazy. It should be about creating a healthy lifestyle, not creating a boot camp for your well-being.
   
• Find the parts of living healthy that you look forward to. Realistically, there isn’t just one way to exercise. If you don’t like the treadmill, don’t go on the treadmill. If you don’t like going to the gym, you don’t have to go to the gym! Fitness isn’t the same for everyone, and it shouldn’t feel like it has one definition. If you love group exercise or going for a run outside or rock climbing or hiking, do that instead! If you love working out with friends, find a dedicated workout partner! Be conscious of what you do that makes you excited to keep going.
   
• Make sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons. If fitness to you is looking at the scale every night and leaves you with negative feelings, you’re creating a negative relationship between you and living healthy. Focus less on how exercise is making you look and more on how it is making you feel. How do you feel after completing a successful workout? How much more energy do you have when have a day full of eating nutritious meals? If things like counting calories has you feeling consumed or leaves you feeling dread, then simply don’t do it. Think of all the other benefits that come from exercise and make that your reason for continuing.
   
• Take a step back every once in awhile. It’s important to reflect on your journey, and this doesn’t always mean focusing on your end goal. It’s important to recognize your progress, to see how far you’ve come, and to be proud of yourself! If you have a constant focus on how far you are from your goals, you won’t be motivated to achieve them. Recognize small successes - whether it is being able to do more reps, or choosing an apple over a muffin. Your self-confidence is important, and oftentimes, you are making more progress than you recognize. Pat yourself on the back when it’s well deserved.
   
• Remember that a healthy lifestyle is flexible, because life isn’t consistent. Let’s face it, some days or even months are more difficult than others. Your attitude shouldn’t be that you need to get a full workout in or the day is wasted. Some days, maybe taking a walk around the neighborhood is all you have the time and energy for, and that’s OKAY! You shouldn’t have the feeling of guilt if you eat pizza with friends, or if you can't complete your workout for that day. Creating a healthy lifestyle is balancing what is good for you with what makes you happy. Choose healthy habits the majority of the time, but don’t hold yourself back from the joys of life.

Your definition of fitness is going to be completely different than anyone else’s, and that’s encouraged! We’re all different, and that’s what makes it so great. Go to dinner with friends, be lazy when you feel like it, and don’t feel like living healthy is a chore. Start each day with the mindset that you’re doing this to better yourself and your pace is the perfect pace.

By: Alexis Smith

Categories: General Wellness
Posted on Permanent link for Positive Mindset on October 9, 2019.