Today’s topic is how to enjoy exercise and healthy eating and make getting healthy fun. It will be a short post today as it’s Saturday and we have been out all day enjoying nature. It’s getting late and I am tired and hungry. We drove down to Saronida this afternoon and went for a walk on the beach even though it was pretty cloudy and windy. We just needed to get out of Athens and get some fresh air. This lockdown has been loooong! Even though we managed to get out for a hike and to see some friends over Christmas it is really starting to drag now and there’s still no end in sight.
Anyway, I thought that today is as good a day as any to remind you to have fun as you work towards your health and weight loss goals, in case you forgot! And give you some tips on how to enjoy exercise and healthy eating so that you can stick to your healthy lifestyle and reach your goals. Wherever you are on your health journey. Whether you are just starting out changing your lifestyle or you have been focusing on health and fitness for years.
Don’t forget that the purpose of improving your health is to enjoy your life more. Getting healthy really doesn’t have to be a chore. If you hate your diet and your workout routine feels like hell, try something different. If you hate yoga and meditation, you have to don’t do it! There isn’t one road to health so experiment and find what works for you. Find how to enjoy exercise and healthy eating and make getting healthy fun and it will be much easier!
I used to believe that controlling everything from restricting the foods on my plate to sticking to the same, high intensity workout regime was what I needed to do if I wanted to reach my health goals. I never really thought about whether I actually enjoyed it or not it was just something I had to endure. Nowadays my approach is definitely more fun! I practice yoga because I love it and dance because I love it. And I eat in a way that I genuinely enjoy. If I’m not enjoying something and my body is sending me a hell no signal, I listen rather than push through it.
Of course I still challenge myself. For example, right now me and my boyfriend are working up to running 5km in 30 minutes. But if we had planned a run and I am feeling exhausted on the day, I won’t feel like a failure if I skip it. I know when to push and rest. And I remember how to enjoy exercise and healthy eating!
I always recommend to focus on building healthy, sustainable habits that you enjoy rather than a quick fix. You don’t want to lose weight and also lose your sanity. Even if your goal is to lose weight, focus on health first and your body will find it’s happy place. If you focus on weight loss alone and you just might lose health in the process. Remember that health doesn’t always equal weight loss. On that note, here are a few of my tips on how to enjoy eating healthy food and how to make fitness fun!
How to enjoy eating healthy food
- Get creative and take the effort to make your plate look pretty, even if you’re eating alone
- Have plenty of variety in your diet
- Try out a new food or recipe at least once a week. Even more if you have the time and the energy
- Get your family involved and share your healthy meals with them so that you don’t feel left out
- Don’t feel like you have to deprive yourself of all treats, remember the 80:20 rule!
- Remind yourself that your taste buds adjust over time and you will genuinely start to crave healthy foods
Fun ways to improve your fitness
- Try out a dance class, learn salsa, street dance or ballet
- Experiment with gymnastics, acro-yoga or rock climbing
- Get fit with friends, join a running group, cycling club. Or try out group exercise classes (as long as you can social distance)
- Mix things up, if you normally exercise in the gym then get outdoors or vice versa
- Listen to music or a fun podcast as you walk
- Try out a yoga or fitness challenge at home to keep you motivated
And finally, remember that even though things might feel difficult and impossible to enjoy at the beginning, it does get easier! Once you start to eat healthier foods on a regular basis, your taste buds will change over time. I promise, there will come a the point where you actually enjoy and even crave them. As you improve your fitness you will start to enjoy moving your body more and more. Keep things simple, have fun and be kind to yourself.
Today’s challenge: Reflect on your own health regime
I hope you enjoyed these quick tips on how to enjoy exercise and healthy eating. Your challenge for today is to reflect on your own “health regime”. Ask yourself whether you genuinely enjoy the things you are doing. If not, how could you make it more fun?
Over to you…
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