Demystifying Fitness: 9 truths that bear looking into

The food one consumes does have a bigger impact on one's weight than exercise. To lose weight, one has to be in a calorie deficit. But understanding what that means looks different for each person. 

People may think that the calories they take in are burnt by the energy they expend. But like other parts of fitness, complex factors affect this process. Our appetites, stress levels, gut microbiome, sleep quality, and hormones also impact our health and appearance. These factors all contribute to our overall health. Understanding these unique factors helps people find the best way forward. 

Focus on a rich, diverse diet that integrates food you enjoy. The goal is to develop a healthier relationship with the food that fuels your body. Depriving yourself of certain foods only infuses the journey with shame, which makes the journey towards self-care difficult. It’s more realistic to manage the portions of sweets and other snacks. 

It may be helpful to swap out certain foods for similar ones instead. Try eating whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat bread instead of white rice and white bread. You may also want to explore low-calorie options like konjac rice and noodles, a delicious substitute.  

It’s important to stretch before and after exercising. But not all stretches are made the same. Static stretches like reaching for your toes may cause an injury since you overextend the muscles. It’s better to undergo dynamic stretches or light cardio activities to increase heart rate. It can also help widen the range of motion in one’s joints. Stretching should not be underestimated. Warm-ups and cool-downs can help the body transition into the exercise well. 

Stretching after exercising is also important. Especially after strenuous workouts like weightlifting, there’s a tendency for lactic acid to build up, causing sore muscles. By stretching afterward, you also minimize potential injuries from exercise.

Your heartbeat also speeds up during a workout. Stretching helps you return to your baseline heart rate without overwhelming yourself. 

Contrary to popular belief, weightlifting will not necessarily ‘bulk you up’. Lifting weights can increase the amount of energy-burning muscle, helping you achieve your weight goals. This activity can also be mapped out over time. You can increase the heaviness of the weights, watching your strength levels improve greatly. 

Weightlifting can also help people maintain bone density and muscle mass, which lessen as one gets older. It can also help manage PCOS symptoms. Lifting weights encourages new muscle cells to grow, which helps balance blood sugar levels.  

More from Tatler: How women can exercise their way to a longer, healthier life
 

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should spend at least 2.5 hours a week working out. But that doesn’t necessarily mean strenuous workouts. You can go on brisk daily walks around the village or city. These are especially beneficial after meals, as these walks help you digest your food better. 

For people who menstruate, it is also important to stay in tune with the menstrual cycle. Understanding your current menstrual phase can help plan workouts of varying intensities. It can also help you add variety to your routine, to keep exercise engaging over time. 

Some workouts target certain body parts, like the arms, abs, or lower body. However, we still rely on our entire body to engage in different movements. It’s better to have a realistic perspective. Gradually, the entire body will become more toned. But reaching one’s fitness goals doesn’t happen overnight—it takes a lot of time and dedication.  

Some days, you may feel motivated to do a high-intensity workout. On other days, you may want to engage in slower activities like Pilates or yoga. You may even have busy days where you lack the motivation to work out. On those days, it is perfectly acceptable to rest instead of working out. 

Productivity means finding different ways to approach a goal. The same idea applies to meeting one’s fitness goals. Approach each day with curiosity and gratitude for the bodily cues on what you can handle. Increasing your fitness level means finding a wide variety of activities. But finding time to let your body rest can help your muscle fibres rebuild. This will maximise the impact of your exercise. 

While it is important to eat healthily and exercise, it’s also important to reduce stress. We encounter stress every day, activating our nervous system. This causes responses like fight, flight, or freeze. Once the source of the threat is resolved, we’re supposed to reenter the ‘rest and digest’ state. But in our fast-paced, information-saturated lives, it may be difficult to achieve a calm state. This buildup of chronic stress can have severe negative impacts on our health.

Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress physically. People often find that going for a walk clears their heads. Other ways to improve mental fitness include meditation, journaling, and opening up to loved ones about your struggles. 

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