Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body. As soon as you start moving more, you can start changing your life. We all know this, but few of us realize that our attitude towards exercise can also make a huge difference to things like the results we can expect to see.
This is because, as well as helping with our physicality, exercise, and its results, have a lot to do with our mindsets. If you’re doggedly exercising for one goal, or begin exercising too much, then positive results will be a lot harder to come by.
Luckily, the fact that you’re reading this article at all means you’re at least somewhat aware of the importance of approaching exercise in the right ways. But, let’s delve a little deeper into what exactly that means in reality.
Harnessing healthy attitudes toward exercise
In a sense, approaching exercise with any attitude is inherently healthy. But, some approaches are less positive than others. In particular, not feeling good about yourself or your body as you exercise can leave you feeling self-conscious, and set you up for failure before you’ve begun.
It’s far healthier to approach exercise as an act of self-care. Rather than exercising because you dislike your body, approach a new exercise routine from a place of love, and wanting to feel good in yourself. Rather than needing to fix a specific issue that exercise may instead make you fixate on, this more rounded and loving approach can make exercise feel good in and of itself, even if you only do a little bit to start.
Setting reasonable goals
Too often, people exercise in mind of reaching a set weight or building muscle. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but such stagnant and specific goals can result in an imagined lack of results. And, if you feel like you aren’t improving through exercise, you’re at risk of either pushing yourself too far or giving up too easily.
It’s far more beneficial to set reasonable, loose goals when you start exercising, such as toning up, improving your stamina, or simply feeling better about yourself. These are more tangible changes that you’re sure to feel early on. They’re also ongoing goals, which can help you to get into a regular, long-lasting exercise regime rather than just pushing yourself to reach a goal and then putting exercise to the side.
Taking recovery breaks
It’s tempting to stretch yourself with your workout routine, and in some sense, pushing boundaries is the only way to improve. But, recovery is almost as crucial as exercise itself. Experts recommend leaving at least 24 hours after even a general workout, while it’s recommended you leave as long as 72 hours of recovery time after a high-intensity workout. During this time, it’s important to give your muscles plenty of time to relax by avoiding heavy lifting, taking soothing baths, or just spending a little time on the sofa as you work out how to change Netflix region so you can catch up with your favorite shows.
This may feel like wasted time, and many people feel the need to jump back into exercise before their bodies feel fully ready. But, as well as being vital for avoiding injury, recovery time is when your muscles start repairing themselves to be stronger than before. So, take this time. Even if it doesn’t seem like anything is happening, these days off are the days when real improvements take place.
Pairing exercise with healthy eating
Exercise should never exist in a silo, especially not where food is concerned. You could do the best workout ever, but your body is still unlikely to see any results if you fill yourself with fast food right after. Failing to eat right when you’re exercising can altogether negate benefits like muscle growth, because your body won’t get the nutrients it needs to rebuild. Weight loss goals can also be impossible to reach if you continue to eat the wrong things.
Instead, you should always pair exercise with healthy eating that includes plenty of vital nutrients from greens and fresh produce, as well as protein if you’re aiming for muscle growth. This is the best way to make positive lifestyle changes and guarantee lasting, reliable results off the back of your exercise efforts.
It’s easy to approach exercise with an unhealthy, unsustainable quick fix in mind, but real results require a more lasting outlook. Find it when you approach exercise with a healthier attitude by keeping these tips in mind.
This is a collaborative post.
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