To be physically fit is a decision. We make this decision based on multiple reasons, and Everyone has his reason. What is more important is to keep up with the decision. Why do we slip, break or get demotivated to keep up with the decision we made. Probably one wanted the result too fast and lacked patience and adherence. Fitness is more of a mental challenge than a physical one, which most people think is the opposite.
In this article, I want to talk about the foundation of fitness that will help you achieve your goal.
I want to call these four pillars of fitness.
| HABIT | CONSISTENT |
| TRAINING & DIET | MENTAL HEALTH |
HABIT: My first pillar
To be fit, one needs to change the way we live, change our old habits. For example, a habit of procrastination, leaving things for tomorrow, an excuse for not training and eating wrong or believing it is impossible. So the first step to attaining any fitness goal is to change how we live. Work on improving your habits. Take things by one day at a time. Example: set goal for the day, exercise, clean eating, sleeping on time. The next day repeats the same. By doing this, we are changing our old pattern to a new one.
“ Habit is a cable, we weave a thread of it each day, and at last, we cannot break it “ Horace Mann
CONSISTENT:
consistency is one of the most important pillars of fitness. In the absence of consistency, even the best training/diet program will fail.
Whatever we do, unless we are consistent, we won’t reach our fitness goals. So why do most people fail to attain the fitness level or the physique they want? They lack consistency and patience. We should not let minor setbacks hinder our progress. Stick to the plan and be consistent. Consistency is the only way “seed will bear the fruit”
Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come—Dwyane jhonson.
TRAINING & DIET:
This is not rocket science. Strength training with proper nutrition will help us to achieve our desired goal. Whatever your goal is, consistent training with good nutrition is key to success. What is very important is to understand the difference between training and overtraining. Majority of the population tend to overtrain and eat too little or crash diet to achieve the goal in a short period. Is this the way to be fit??? No. There is a method and plan for training and diet. what trainng split to start with, as we progress what changes to be made, how to break the plateau, all these factors to be considered when we plan our training and diet.
MENTAL HEALTH:
Mental health and physical health work very closely with each other. Mental health plays a crucial role in people life to maintain good physical health. Mental health includes our emotional, physiological and social well being. Being healthy emotionally help us to improve our productivity at work, have happier relationships, better mood, and better mental state to handle any adversity in life. On the other hand, a deficit in mental health leads to many health issues.One should keep a very close check on how he/she is handling life stress or any emotional issues. Any issues should be addressed with the family members, friends or seek professional help.
“Mental health needs a great deal of attention. It’s the final taboo and it needs to be faced and dealt with.” – Adam Ant
Being fit and healthy is about finding balance in life and a continuous process of maintaining the balance.
HARISH SHETTY 