By Naomi Rabon, NW Fitness Team Trainer
 

“To have success in fitness, you have to find something you enjoy doing – and eating. If you hate it and complain every second, I promise it’s not going to last. That is the key to long-term results.”

~ Nicole Wilkins
 
It’s no secret that if you dread doing something, you are not likely to do it very often – if ever at all. This is true in any situation: a job, chores, playing sports, going to school, etc. We all have relationships with different areas of our lives and the people we come in contact with along the way. These relationships can feel very positive and enjoyable, but there maybe some that aren’t so positive and enjoyable – but necessary nonetheless. (hello, house-cleaning chores?).

DON’T IGNORE YOUR HEALTH

Whether we like it or not, we have a relationship with our bodies and this includes our level of health and fitness (or lack thereof). Some people go most of their lives ignoring this aspect of their lives, until they start experiencing a decline in their health and poor fitness-related daily struggles, such as lack of energy, feeling tired after walking up a few flights of stairs or a decrease in strength levels.

You can only ignore your health for so long – you will be forced to pay attention to it one day. And if you wait until you are forced to pay attention to it, that’s never a good thing.

But since you are a member of this site, you are most likely more proactive about your health and fitness and are not among those who turn a blind eye until health-related issues start creeping up.

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS

For many people, though, just he thought of daily exercise and eating nourishing foods on a regular basis is enough to make them cringe, lol! How can someone actually enjoy exercising, especially if it is extremely challenging and painful? And eating ‘boring’ healthy food.

The truth is that different people find different ways of exercising tolerable or ‘doable,’ – maybe even enjoyable. There are also hundreds of different ways of incorporating healthy changes in your diet that don’t require deprivation, starvation or anything that seems like punishment or torture or … like a diet!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Here are a few tips to developing a strong, positive relationship with your health and fitness:

1. Check Your Current Status
Where are you right now with your health and fitness? Do you feel like you have a good handle on your program and your current state of health? Do you have regular doctor’s check-ups and know how you’re doing internally? Cholesterol numbers, hormone levels, blood pres-sure, etc.? Are you sure your fitness program – your strength-training and cardio – and your nutrition programs are tailored to your goals?

2. Recognize What You Can Do
Be realistic about what you are able to commit to with regard to your health and fitness. How much time can you commit to workouts and planning your meals? Part of enjoying exercise and eating healthy is knowing you have carved out specific time for it, so you don’t stress over it and end up feeling like it’s just another thing to check off your ‘to-do’ list.

3. Find Your Joy
If you don’t enjoy working out by yourself and think traditional weight-training is boring, there are so many alternatives that you might find enjoyable! Find a class, or find an environment that you feel is exciting and fun for you. Find your joy in exercise by seeking out different methods, techniques or workout styles that you will actually look forward to incorporating in your workouts. The same is true for finding a way of eating that is healthy but sustainable for you over the long term. If you don’t feel like you could manage beyond a temporary basis, then try to incorporate a way of eating healthy – or at least healthier – one you feel you could stick with for the rest of your life.

4. Recognize Your Strengths And Weaknesses
Recognize which areas of your health and fitness may need some work, and which areas you feel you excel at. For example, maybe you love cardio but need to work more on incorporating resistance training. Or maybe you feel you are great at eating healthy during the week but once the weekend rolls around it’s a completely different story. Recognizing your strengths and weaknesses will help you focus on areas that will balance out and improve your overall health and fitness.

5. Keep Yourself In Check
Every so often, revisit point #1 and check yourself. Our relationship with health and fitness is an ever-evolving thing that grows and changes. You may find that at one point, you really enjoy a certain way of working out but eventually it becomes mundane and unenjoyable. Maybe you’ll discover new and different ways to exercise that rekindle your passion for working out and eating healthy and lead to a revitalized, energized and motivated you!

 

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ABOUT NAOMI RABON
Naomi-lighterBIOOne of the trainers on Nicole’s elite NW Fitness Training Team, Naomi is a certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is a NPC Figure competitor who has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 12 years.

Go here to find out more about training with the NW Fitness Training Team!