How to become more fit
We all want to get healthy, and usually for two reasons. One, we don't want to die from a cheeseburger trying to force its way through out bloodstream. Two, we want to walk up the stairs without wheezing and panting, we want to feel good, we want to hike, walk, experience things. I should add a third reason as well: we want to look good, be more attractive to our spouses and girlfriends and boyfriends, and just look good in a nice, all around way.
The great thing about this arrangement is: once you've accomplished one of these goals, you've either (a) accomplished the others, or (b) come a long way toward accomplishing the others. For example, let's say your main motivation in getting fit was to look attractive to the opposite sex. Well, that's going to take some hard work, it's going to take strength training, jogging, eating well, and so forth. But you may not go as deeply as you could if your motivation was simply to live longer. You may not learn as much blood cholesterol, and so forth. But hey-you're more than halfway there already, should you decide to keep going. Getting fit, in other words, can have a variety of motivations behind it, but if we do it healthily we'll benefit in a lot of areas.
|
|
1. So, we want to get more fit, which means the motivation's there already. Even if it's a very small motivation, it's a motivation, and that's all we need to get started. The key thing about motivation, though, is that it disappears very quickly if we don't act on it pronto. This means that the first day you really feel motivated to get in better shape, you should start moving toward it. It could be something as simple as not eating those Doritos you had saved for later. That's actually an accomplishment to be proud of. It could be something as simple as taking a brisk walk in the evening. But do something, so that your motivation won't stagnate, but increase.
2. It's also important that we see our physician, get a general checkup, inform him or her of our plans, etc. A physician can play an important role in our getting fit. He or she knows our body better than we do, and can make suggestions regarding diet and even exercise that we couldn't get anywhere else.
3. Ideally, you want to get fit with a partner, someone who will help motivate you, someone you will help motivate. There is an extraordinary power in helping someone else, as proven by successful programs such as AA. If you can't find a partner, you might want to consider joining an aerobics class (e.g.) at your gym, as that's a fine way of meeting people with your mindset. You can also try to start your own group of morning walkers, joggers, and so forth, just by asking around at work or at church.
4. When trying to get fit, we have to keep in mind that the best process is a gradual one. It'd be nice to lose 15 pounds in two weeks if it could be done healthily, but most of the time it can't. Most of the time it involves some sort of crash course diet, and the minute you come off of it the 15 pounds jumps from a closet and slithers back to where it came from. Think in terms of months, not weeks, and even more preferably, think in terms of six months, a year. Six months goes by fast. Six months ago you were unfit and happy, and today you're unfit and not as happy as you'd like to be. So don't be in a hurry, be methodical, systematic, and responsible, and at the end of six months you won't be the same person.
5. When getting fit, remember that diet is one of the key roles, if not the key roles. For example, a young man I know lost forty pounds just be eating half of what he normally would at a place like Burger King. That's right, he didn't stop eating at Burger King, he merely cut his usual intake by half. And he didn't do any exercise, either. Now, I'm not a doctor and this essay isn't intended to introduce you to new diets. But you can rest assured that a combination of healthy eating and slow, steady exercise will have you looking fabulous in what will seem a really short amount of time.
