A lot of people lean towards extreme behaviors when it comes to health and fitness. They either overcommit to unrealistic goals or excessively deprive themselves of the good things. These unreasonable expectations become the reason for unhealthy relationships with food and exercise. Focusing on either end of the scale is counterproductive — balance is the key.
To be truly healthy, it is of utmost importance to form a good relationship with food and exercise. A positive relationship can be achieved by setting and practicing proper boundaries. It all starts with taking a good look at your current lifestyle and identifying what areas you can work on.
A Balanced Diet Needs Control
First, you need to recognize what you can and cannot control. Although you have no power to tell your body how to react to food, you can choose what, how often, and how much you eat. Since food is necessary to survive, you must eat enough. What you can do then is set limits. Determine which foods you are allowed to eat more of and which ones are allowed in moderation. Denying yourself with certain treats would only cause stress due to deprivation. Meanwhile, setting a limit will let you enjoy it more.
Effective Exercise Requires Discipline
Due to the hype brought on by New Year’s, gyms typically get record-breaking numbers of sign-ups during the first few months. Because of the unrealistic expectations, most people stop going even before they achieve their original goal. They try to do the most at the start, overwork themselves, then stop altogether.
Being patient requires just as much discipline as working out regularly. By limiting the intensity and frequency of your exercise, you’ll be able to form better exercise habits. This makes it more possible to maintain in the long run.
How Much Is Enough?
Identifying what is good and determining how much is the appropriate limit can be difficult. This is where experts come in. Personal trainers can guide you in achieving your health and fitness goals. With the knowledge they gained through training, certified trainers can help you set proper boundaries based on your goals and capabilities, so you can get there with ease.
Following said limits is more difficult and requires a great deal of discipline and control. Aside from having access to professional advice, personal trainers are also great accountability partners for that added control and motivation.
If you’re ready to take that next step towards fitness and nutrition or if you’re interested in how to become a certified personal trainer, be sure to check out the National Personal Training Institute — where we teach you the art of science to transform yourselves and others.
