A Beginner’s Guide to Staying Fit and Healthy

Staying fit and healthy can be overwhelming for a beginner, but it is the most rewarding and fulfilling habit we can instill. It means that you change your lifestyle, and lifestyle change is holistic. Hence the fact that it can be hard to know where to begin.

A holistic change includes physical change (i.e., nutrition and exercise), mental change, emotional change, and spiritual change. In fact, instead of seeing this as change, we should rather think of this “lifestyle change” as personal growth or development.  

As human beings, we have a responsibility to grow and develop in all aspects of our lives to leave a better legacy, set and reach goals, and become the best version of ourselves. The most important thing to note is that this change needs to stem from the inside (in more ways than one). 

Feel better inside, look better outside

If we look at our health and well-being from a physical perspective, we think our microbiome is a great place to start. The health of our microbiome is also known as our gut health.

Did you know that we have millions and millions of tiny little bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms living inside our bodies?

The crazy part is that these microorganisms don’t just live in our bodies; they actually make up our bodies and hugely impact our physical appearance and overall health.

In other words, if our gut is healthy, we are healthy. Our microbiomes play a massive role in disease prevention, injury prevention, cultivating more energy, maintaining a healthy weight, and improving our general quality of life.

So, how do we improve our gut health?

There are many small improvements to our lifestyle that will increase our gut health. These include activities like grounding/earthing, eating and drinking fermented foods (like sauerkraut or ciders), participating in a more plant-rich diet, working with soil and gardening, and physical contact with people and animals. Also, check out this healthy foods delivery!

Mindset is key

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” In our experience, mindset can make or break an attempted lifestyle change. The way we experience life relies on precisely that, the way we experience life.

Although we often think we are mentally ready to take on a new personal development goal, our hearts may feel overwhelmed, full of deep-seated doubt, or other trauma that can ultimately prevent us from reaching our goal.

This leaves us feeling disappointed and even less worthy of success, and the cycle is then perpetuated and worsened.

We found a few tips that can help you improve your mindset. The first tip is that incremental upgrades work best; this means taking small but consistent steps to reach your health and fitness goals.

This puts a limit on the overwhelm, and the sense of accomplishment you will get when you complete a smaller goal will keep you going to reach the next one.

Our next tip is not to get overwhelmed by all the information out there. Your health and fitness journal is personal. Although we have access to a wealth of information on the internet, the person who will know best when it comes to your body is ultimately you.

See your health and fitness journey as your own personal experiment. If something just does not work for you, scrap it and try something else.

Get organized, track your progress, and don’t waste your mental and physical capacity on things that do not serve you.

Practical growth goals

At this point, you may be asking, “what can I implement into my life right now?” The first direction we would point you in is healthy eating. What we put in is what we get out.

We need to be more mindful of the fuel we are running our bodies on. We would recommend setting goals of eating more plants.

When or if you eat meat, look for grass-fed beef from regenerative agriculture farms. Make sure you are eating a good balance of the food groups (unlike fad diets that encourage followers to totally leave out food groups.)

Finally, try to grow your own food. Not only is it a ton healthier to eat homegrown food, but it is also a fun way to get your exercise in.

Secondly, make sure you get at least a little physical exercise every day. Exercise increases strength, develops stamina, and puts you in a better position to tackle your day with ease. If jumping into a full-on exercise routine is overwhelming for you, start incorporating yoga and stretching.

There are millions of free fitness resources online (especially YouTube), so pick one that is perfect for your fitness and commitment level.

Conclusion

As we have seen, staying fit and healthy goes so much deeper than the physical level. If we remember to continue to cultivate a great mindset and work towards our goals in small and consistent steps, we are setting ourselves up for an incredible, fit, and healthy future.

-Terry Asher

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A Beginner's Guide to Staying Fit and Healthy

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Staying fit and healthy is something many of us try to do. Here are some tips and tricks to help you along the way!

Author

Terry Asher

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Gym Junkies

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