Life has this sneaky way of creeping in and throwing curve
balls left and right. Life will always happen. There will always be a busy day
at work or family problems or relationship highs and lows or sick children.
Once conflict arises, it seems like health and fitness routines go haywire. We
seek comfort food or we just don't feel like moving. These are the things that
help us stay clear and balanced in both body and mind though! So what do we do
when conflict smacks us in the face (and it happens to everyone so if you're
reading this - you're not alone)? Avoiding the conflict is not reasonable
because we can't always control what comes at us. Figurine out how to navigate
through any issues is what needs to happen to stay on track.
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I think so many times we approach health and fitness goals
with an "all or nothing" mindset. For example, you might think your
day is ruined because you veered off of your diet with an unhealthy meal or
snack. Or, you decided not to workout today because you couldn't do the
allotted 60 minutes that you had planned for. Instead of doing something, you may
have chosen nothing at all. You gave up on day two of 30 days of clean eating.
Do any of those sound familiar? It doesn't have to be all or nothing and
something is better than nothing. My tips below might give you some perspective
on how to reach your health and fitness goals even when life throws you a curve
ball.
My philosophy is nourish, movement, mindset. If we can work
on nourishing our bodies, moving them mindfully and maintaining a healthy
attitude, we can function a little better day by day, week by week, month by
month and eventually get into the healthy habits on a regular basis that we
need to achieve total body balance.
1. Nourish.
Focus on one small thing at a time. Start simple and work
from there. Don't expect to change your eating habits overnight. Small changes
executed day after day, week after week and so on can lead to really big
change. So pick one small nutrition action and practice it for one to two weeks
before adding in a new change.
Examples: Work on portion control (without regard to food
quality), add one colorful food in at each meal, take 15 minutes to meal prep
tomorrow's healthy food or omit your sugary after dinner snack (swap it out
with a healthy alternative). You could eat slowly and chew your food completely
or focus on balancing your meals so that you have protein, carbohydrate and fat
at each meal. Omitting processed foods at one to two meals per day is also
another great option. These are just some examples but it's up to you to figure
out which little step you can take to improve your nutrition.
2. Movement.
Take advantage of the time that you DO have. Carve out space
in the small pockets of your time. We get fixated on time so often that we
don't realize that a little is always better than nothing. For example, it's so
easy to think that you have to do a workout for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Wouldn't
15 minutes of that workout be better than nothing though? The answer is yes! So
squeeze in what you can, when you can.
Get unconventional. Maybe you don't have time to get in a
"workout". Do what you can with what you've got. Maybe you take the
stairs that day instead of the elevator. Park in the parking space furthest
away from the building (gasp!) to get some extra steps in. Stand up from your
desk and walk around for a minute every 15 or 20 minutes. Run around at the
playground with your kids. Movement doesn't always have to be in the form of a
straight up 30 minute HIIT workout. It can be moving and active - outside or
inside. What are the ways that you could get in some more movement?
Move mindfully. Pay close attention to your body and what
it's trying to tell you. Your body and energy levels will fluctuate day by day
so take advantage of more vigorous workouts when you can and also add in active
recovery, lighter workouts or even yoga or stretching when necessary.
3. Mindset.
Don't give up. Don't throw in the towel on eating right and
moving your body. It's seems easy to take the "all or nothing"
approach but that's not necessary. Something is always better than
nothing.Don't beat yourself up! Life ebbs and flows for everyone. Take a look
at where you're at right now and what you can make work right now.
The most important thing is to honor where you're at. Only
you know what you're capable of at this point in your life. Make sure the small
steps you take are 100% doable for you and your lifestyle. Small steps over
time can add up to big change.
Margot Rutigliano is a freelance writer as well as the owner
of Vita Vie Retreat. She has been a fitness trainer, wellness coach and healthy
living adviser since 1999. Vita Vie Retreat is a fitness retreat offering
healthy lifestyle transformation programs for men and women of all ages and
fitness levels. For more information or to contact Ms. Rutigliano, please visit
http://www.bvretreat.com.