An old fitness adage says - "If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got" and when it comes to health, that is something we all strive to do and some of us are already working on it over years. We all want to be physically in shape, active and also the fittest version of ourselves but with the advancing unhealthy lifestyles, stress, anxiety and irregular routines, the idea of being leaner, fitter and stronger seems bleak and burdensome. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Vansh Chhabra, Senior Nutritionist at Wellversed, shared, “Human body stops adapting to any new routine once it becomes comfortable with it and ultimately the results cease to exist. In order to break this cycle, one needs to constantly change and renew forms of interventions to achieve desired outcomes.”
He listed some tips that might help you kickstart your journey to being leaner, fitter and stronger -
1. Best form of nutrition: “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. Fitness is the most direct result of good nutrition, consistent efforts and a relaxed body. Load on a diet that surrounds veggies, lean protein, fish, low-fat dairy, and clean foods. Introduce carbs in the form of whole grains and quinoa, add anti-inflammatory foods like green leafy vegetables, avocados, olive oil, etc to the diet and cut down sugars to reduce inflammation. Protein requirements usually surge above normal to maintain muscle growth and repair. Get the best form of protein with every meal (lean protein, fish, nuts and nut butters, legumes, tofu, soy milk, whole grains, etc.) nutrition to attain greater outputs. Stay hydrated and avoid fancy-carbonated and sugary beverages.
2. Eat as per needed: Keep yourself satiated and stop when you are full. Over-eating or starvation will only hinder progress. Do mindful eating and listen to the signals that your body sends to you. Your body is the best teacher that tells you about you at the earliest, be honest to your body and let it be honest to you.
3. Avoid severe restrictions: Strictly keeping the body away from what it loves can have detrimental effects and lead to binge eating. However, to counter this, eat in moderation. Avoid feeling guilty and work on it the next day, the more you restrict, the more it's difficult to sustain.
4. Fitness progression: Practice transition from one form of exercise to another, begin with low-to-moderate workouts and lesser durations while gradually embracing yourself to train harder towards high-intensity cardio or mixing a few of them like running, cycling, swimming, weight lifting, etc. can do wonders together by building stamina and endurance. Play with different sets, frequencies, intensity, and duration of exercise to build a more effective routine. Lifting weights helps you maintain the muscles that break during cardio. Intervals of building muscle and cutting fat can also be opted. Enhance your speed with stronger and powerful arm movements. Nevertheless, in an attempt to build strength, do not forget to give your body a break and adequate recovery time. Give time to injuries, breakdowns and ensure proper rest and good quality sleep.
5. Break your goal: Having sub-goals of a greater goal often accelerates and polishes the overall output. It not only keeps you motivated but also dedicated as small chunks of success fuels you for the larger game. Make specific, achievable, measurable goals that are realistic and time-bound. Enjoy the process of attaining your end goal of fitness and record your progress at every step.
According to Gaurav Bansal, Health Coach at MyHealthBuddy, “Inside this enormous world of health and fitness exists a small world of facts, evidence-based information and data that all the top fitness gurus seem to agree with. You’d already know this by now but it starts with exercising regularly, eating healthy, sleeping well, and prioritizing recovery. If you’ve mastered this,
