Let’s be honest: most of us feel at least a little guilty when it comes to our eating or exercise habits. One of the most characteristic problems of affluent societies is too much food and too little physical activity. Of course, we’re grateful to have enough to eat and that we don’t need to produce every bite of food through hard physical labor, but without awareness, these two aspects of well-being can also work against us. And they often do. Fortunately, many people recognize the importance of conscious nutrition and regular exercise, but we hear less about how someone who works out regularly should eat – or how someone who wants to be fit should exercise.
Most people would be satisfied just to get their weight under control. To achieve this, many buy gym memberships, hire personal trainers – which is not cheap. “Diet” foods are also expensive. So how can we become fit without spending a fortune on healthy food and sports?
1) Exercise regularly!
The emphasis is on regularity. Don’t expect miracles from short-term “campaigns”! During more intense exertion, the body does indeed lose weight, but much of that is water, which it quickly replaces. It’s important to know that fat burning only really begins after about 20 minutes of movement. So even if we work out for 15 minutes every day, we may get stronger, but we won’t lose fat.
2) No need for special exercises!
Fancy gym machines may look impressive, but to be fit, it’s enough to walk regularly, or perhaps jog, swim, hike, row, or cycle. Don’t choose forms of exercise that put too much strain on your ligaments and joints! Ball games can be great fun, but they carry risks and are hard to organize three or four times a week.
3) Listen to your body!
Many believe that gardening or running errands in the city replaces exercise. This is partly true, but while gardening or taking care of tasks, we focus more on the job than on our body. Yet the foundation of fitness is to pay attention to our body’s small signals and respond to them appropriately. The same goes for nutrition! It’s not about following the latest diet trends from magazines, but about meeting our body’s real needs. Special teas, protein powders, and “superfoods” are unnecessary – you can create a fit menu from local ingredients!
4) Eat smaller meals more often!
It’s better to eat smaller amounts more often throughout the day than to eat a lot in just a few sittings. When our body receives excess nutrients, it begins to store them. If we never stuff ourselves, we prevent the “storage mode” from kicking in. Meal timing also matters: never eat directly before or after exercise, and not right before going to bed!
5) No need to punish yourself!
Fasting is completely unnecessary! If we deprive ourselves of food, we only become irritable and eventually give up on the whole fitness idea. It’s better to eat delicious foods that bring joy – but not for the “happiness hormones.” Instead, aim for balanced nutrient intake! Pay attention to the right proportions of vitamins, fats, fiber, protein, carbohydrates, and minerals.
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