If you’re reading this article, there is a good chance that your health and fitness are important to you! But where are you in your journey? How do you know how fit you really are?
Fitness refers to ability of the body to function with vigor and alertness. Nutrition refers to our ability to nurture our body by providing it with all the necessary food, vitamins, and minerals we need so that we continue to thrive in our daily life processes. Let’s evaluate the aspects of life that have the most impact on your overall fitness. Rate yourself on a scale from 1-5 in each category (and be honest!).
Exercise
First, you might want to examine your exercise habits. If you are not adding exercise into your day, you are not leading a fit lifestyle. fitness. Everyone, no matter their age, benefits from exercise. It keeps our bodies conditioned, our mental acuity at top speed, and boosts to our cardio health and calorie burn. Exercise even results in more oxygen to the cells in our bodies! Exercises that demand total body involvement are the best for maintaining and improving your level of fitness. Running, swimming, jogging, dancing, cycling, and very brisk walking are some of the best total body involvement exercises.
Nutrition
Do you take in more calories than your body needs? Are you eating a variety of whole foods to make sure you are getting your recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals? If you’re not making the most basic of efforts to take care of your nutritional needs, you aren’t a fit individual. You may not look sick, you may not have any noticeable symptoms of ill-health, but you’re not as fit as you you could be.
Stress
What about stressors in your life? Do work in an environment with high levels of stress? Is your personal life a source of comfort or does it add to your stress level? Do you engage in some form of stress-relieving activity? Stress is the number one contributor to heart attacks and strokes, since they manage to speed up the effect of the real culprits. Too often, stress becomes a normal part of daily life. We manage to schedule every moment of our free time, and leave ourselves with very little or no time to relax and reflect quietly. In order to be truly be fit, you need to find ways to rid yourself of built up stress. Massages are a great method for ridding our bodies of stress. Also, be sure to carve out time for yourself in your day and try to calm your mind. Even a few moments of peaceful thoughts can make a huge difference in your mindset/outlook.
So, how did you do? Reflect on the scores you gave yourself and make a plan to focus on one (or more) of these areas this week. You won’t be sorry!
