Fitness Tips
Losing Body Fat
When you think of being fit, you probably think of 6 pack abs and a great looking tush. However, when you stop to think about it, fitness involves more than bodybuilding and those well toned muscles you see in magazines and on TV. It's
possible to have the image of health while not being what your doctor would consider fit. If your body looks good, but you're unhappy, you're not really fit! You can be picture perfect, but anemic. On the other hand, you might have a poor self image, yet be very physically fit! So the point here is that when you're looking to be fit, you want to have a holistic approach that addresses appearance, nutrition, mind and spirit. Let's take a look at some fitness tips that will get you in the very best state of health.
Your state of mind and mental health play a primary role in true fitness. Most people work too much and play too little for their own good. Sure, a good work ethic is a fine thing and should be developed. Have you ever heard anyone say, “You've got to work on your play ethics?” Probably not, yet many of us feel guilty when we kick back and do something fun. Leisure time is important for a healthy and positive attitude towards life. A negative attitude can literally make you sick. For example, a major study, conducted in the 1940s, found that people who thought that they would ultimately develop a major disease, such as cancer, eventually did! So, our all-over fitness tip here is, take time to relax, laugh, and enjoy life to it's fullest! Your state of mind does affect your health.
Exercise is an essential fitness tip that we all know about. People who aren't really into a regular program of exercise come to think of this as a dreaded task. After a long day at the office, exercise may be the last thing you want to do. Fifty crunches? Yuck! Jogging? Hey, it's raining! The trick to getting enough exercise is redefining it, according to your likes. Do you enjoy dancing? Turn on some music and dance! On a recent daytime talk show, they showed a video of a middle aged woman who danced, while listening to music, as she did her normal daily chores, from vacuuming to hanging clothes on the clothes line. It was funny, but it was obvious she really enjoyed it. Do whatever you truly enjoy doing to get your muscles working and your heart pumping. Your exercise needn't and shouldn't be a grueling task!
One of the best fitness tips concerns those 6-8 glasses of water you should drink on a daily basis. If you dislike water, flavor it with lemon or pomegranate juice, but make sure to drink it. With all the environmental pollutants and food additives and preservatives, you accumulate a lot of toxins over your lifetime. Water helps flush these from your body, easing the toxin induced stress on all of your internal organs. If you really hate water, try a 'sports drink' that athletes are so fond of drinking.
Americans are notoriously fond of soda and sweets. Try to reduce your intake of sugar. This fitness tip may even save your life. Even if you don't develop diabetes, excess sugar will mess up your pancreas, tax your liver and kidneys, and ultimately land you in a poor state of health. There's really no such thing as too little sugar in a balanced diet. Implement a gradual reduction of sugar intake. You'll find that mood swings disappear.
Most fitness tips you hear about focus on a low fat diet. You should actually watch the types of fats you consume. One of the healthiest fats you can use with abandon is olive oil, which contains no cholesterol, trans fats, or saturated fat. Instead of using butter, try brushing a slice of bread with olive oil, then pile on some sliced olives, diced tomatoes and a little basil, Italian style. Your heart will thank you.
Good nutrition and a balanced diet work from the inside out to make you fit. Practiced over a lifetime, you can avoid many common illnesses associated with aging.
The best fitness tips are just common sense. You don't need a personal trainer to be fit!
