Taking care of your body and mind isn’t easy. In any bookstore, the self help section will be filled with hundreds of books helping you live a better life. The tie between your mental and physical health is extremely important, and many of us have started to appreciate this connection much more.
Living a healthy life is just exercising. The same way you train your body, it’s important to train your mind! Here are some tips to help you live a healthier life by taking care of your body and mind.
Exercise Your Mind
Mental training, looking after your mental health and addressing negative self-talk when it comes to your body or your abilities, are important aspects of being healthy. In fact, exercising your mind and addressing these areas is equally as important as exercising physically. If you find negative thoughts creeping in or hear yourself saying things like “you aren’t that strong,” or “that run was really slow,” switch to positive instead and be more encouraging of your own progress and effort. For example, “you aren’t strong yet, but you are doing a great job at working to gain strength through your personal training sessions at the gym.” When you talk with positivity to yourself, it boosts your self-confidence and this helps you perform better and get better results.
Sleep More, Stress Less
Sleep is incredibly important to help your body recover from exercise. During sleep your body repairs damaged and broken tissues and muscles, helps facilitate growth of your muscles, replaces cells of your body systems that are old, such as immune cells and those in your digestive tract and much more. Stress inhibits this process because your body does not enter into a repair state. Try to reduce your stress and increase your sleep to gain he most from your training.
Focus on Nutrition
When you sign up for your personal training session at a private gym, your trainer will focus a lot on the exercises for you, but it is important for you to also focus on nutrition. Good results come from properly fuelling your body as much as properly working it.
Whether you are trying to gain muscle, lose weight or build endurance, each of these goals is supported by having a healthy diet that is made up of whole foods, rich in fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein and free from processed foods. Drink lots of water, and when possible, choose plant-based protein options such as chickpeas, nuts and seeds. Don’t forget to also boost your levels of B vitamins through leafy greens and whole grains, as these are the vitamins that give you energy!
When you combine proper nutrition, adequate sleep and better mental techniques, you will be well on your way to reaching the body you always wanted.
For many of us, doing ‘on our own’ isn’t a plan of attack that will succeed. There is nothing wrong with admitting that and knowing your limit! That’s also where professional help comes into play. Working out at a boutique fitness studio in your area is an amazing option for those who are serious about their health goals. Having a professional on your side to offer private training is an approach that is sure to succeed.
