We all want to get fit and stay that way. But it’s easier said than done because oftentimes, we overthink when all we really have to keep in mind are three things. That’s right, to get to your fitness goals just remember there are only three crucial factors. Now, I’m speaking in broad terms here and we’ll leave detailed discussions for another day. The point is for you to wrap your heads around these basic concepts so it’s easier to digest breakdowns in the future:
1) Nutrition
Let’s get one thing straight first. We’re all on a diet. Where people differ is whether one is on a good diet or a bad diet. That depends on the quality of food we’re taking. If a big chunk of what you eat is processed food (i.e. hot dogs, bacon, doughnuts, etc.), you’re on a bad diet. On the other hand, if your daily intake consists usually of whole or real foods (i.e. fresh meat, vegetables and fruits, etc.), you’re on a good diet. You have to realise that food accounts for about 75 per cent of your body transformation. That means what you put into your mouth affects you more than exercise. It’s clear that consuming whole or real foods regularly provide you with better nutrition, so the next time you do your groceries look for foods that ‘you can grow or kill’. And of course, the best liquid you can complement your diet is one that starts with ‘W’. No, not wine … water!
2) Exercise
If nutrition is 75 per cent, this is the remaining 25% of the equation. You have to get off your couch and into the gym, or anywhere that’s convenient for you and work out. If you find the gym boring, choose from a variety of other disciplines. Take up a sport, run, do yoga, just move and do it at least four times a week. What’s even better is when you ‘train’. There’s a difference between ‘exercise’ and ‘training’. You can exercise for days on end and not be training, but you can’t be training without exercising, get it? Think of exercise as a one-off session, and training as a consistent and, most of all, progressive endeavour with clearly defined goals. And as mentioned in last week’s edition of Staying Fit, your workouts can be done practically anywhere and they don’t need to be lengthy. You can be dripping wet and burning lots of calories even on a 10-minute session as long as you keep it intense.
3) Rest
Aha! This is your sweet spot, isn’t it? Not doing anything at all! Well, at least you got one out of three. All right, seriously, you have to earn your rest, so listen up. Contrary to what most might think, you do not build muscle in the gym, you only stimulate growth. It’s when you rest that your body is able to recuperate, repair and build. People vary in recovery periods depending on their lifestyle and nutrition, but at least try to aim to sleep for eight hours. You know this. A good practice as well is not being dependent on alarm clocks. I know that, for many, it’s somewhat of a necessity especially during the work week, but really, consider getting rid of your alarm or use it sparingly because what it does is disrupt your natural body clock. Also, assign one or two rest days in between successive workouts. It’s easy getting hooked to training and forget to take a breather, but our bodies need to unwind too.
— Dwynn Ronald V. Trazo is a multi-award-winning visual journalist who has gone from fat to fit. He’s an active advocate of fitness who firmly believes health is truly wealth, and is now a certified trainer.
