What does fitness mean to you? Well, the typical definition would read something like feeling physically sound. But is that all?
Fitness is many different things for many different people. It isn't about performing one pull-up or a hundred of them. Experts from the fitness industry have their definitions of fitness but what's common in most of them is- feeling healthy and having a positive outlook toward your health and wellness. It is something that makes you feel good about yourself, wants you to jump out of the bed and get your day started, and makes you proud of your accomplishments in the day.
Having said that, if you were to rate yourself on the scale of feeling fit- what would be your score?
Don’t worry if you aren’t able to decide, we are here to help you!
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE FIT?
We all at some point have been stuck with this question in our minds- if fitness is a state of physical and mental well-being, how is it that we measure it?
However, there are various components of fitness including body composition, flexibility, muscular endurance, muscular strength, and aerobic fitness. And your scorecard is based on how good you are at each of these.
What we tend to ignore, however, is the fact that our mental and emotional health, nutrition, and even sleeping patterns have a great impact on our state of fitness. Infact, many people these days obsess over their physical appearance. You will find plenty of people hitting the gym with no or very little knowledge of fitness. They tend to disturb their sleep and nutrition, without realizing if their body is ready for it, and end up in a state where they are burnt out. This is usually motivated by having low self-esteem leading them to criticize their physical appearance. And this, surely isn't how we should be thinking about fitness.
People who take fitness seriously live a high quality of life and vice versa. Fitness boosts energy levels in individuals, leads to scheduled and sound sleeping patterns., strengthens immunity, protects your body from diseases, improves focus and productivity as the flow of oxygen and blood into the brain increase with exercise, encourages work-life balance, and allows you to fully live life, reduces the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, thyroid disease, heart disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, helps in treating mild to moderate depression symptoms, prevents the effects of aging and improves longevity.
With the range of benefits that fitness offers, it won't be wrong to say that fitness is one parameter that determines the quality of your life.
But the question is……
HOW MUCH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS NEEDED TO BE FIT?
If this blog has motivated you enough to get up and hit the gym, stop!
And think.
It's about making fitness your lifestyle and reaching your individual fitness goal. How much of what is needed for that?
150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity each week is enough for general health in adults, a report by the US Department of Health and Human Services suggests.
Having both strength training and aerobic exercises as a part of this routine yields maximum benefits. Additionally, people with cardiovascular disease should go for a suitable level of aerobic exercise. One can start with walking and then include jogging, running, cycling, and swimming as per their comfort. On the other hand, the strength workouts focussing on the chest, legs, arms, and other muscle groups help in the prevention of chronic diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
The simplest way to incorporate fitness into your lifestyle is by including some movement in every activity that you do. It doesn't matter how short a spurt an activity is, you should be moving more during the day. Stretch a lot during the day, it eases the right muscles, relieves stress, and promotes flexibility so that you can perform better not just in your gym but in your life!
Once again, you are fit when you listen to what your body needs. It need not be necessarily a huge goal but to improve every day to reach a fitness level better than your current fitness levels. After every workout session, soothe your muscles with a relaxing massage with a self-massager from Waldon. And on days you don’t feel like it, give your body the rest it deserves.
The National Sleep Foundation suggests a good 7-9 hours of sleep helps you maintain the energy and motivation that you need to stay active throughout the day.
How amazing is that, isn’t it? Sleep, get fitter!
We, at Waldon, are always with you on your fitness journey. It isn't as tough ot as complicated as it has been made to look for the longest time. It’s time to go with the flow, not be stagnant but not be hard on yourself too.
