So today is Mental Health day, and it got me thinking…how much of our mental health is impacted by external factors.
It kinda makes sense really – we are receiving so much information every day as to what we “should” be doing and how we should be living our lives.
The is no other industry where this is more apparent than the health & fitness industry. We are constantly being told that this “magic” workout/diet will solve your issues…only to be told in the next breath that it’s bad for you and you shouldn’t ever do it again. I don’t know about you…but I get so bored of the merry go round!
Now if you’ve been following me on this journey from the start, you’ll know all I want to achieve is to live a healthier and happier life. It’s a simple goal, but with all of these conflicting messages, it can be difficult to even know where to start.
No such thing as one size fits all!
Now I’m not going to be a hypocrite about to sit here and tell you how to do it – I’m nowhere near qualified enough to give that sort of advice.
What I will do, however, is continue to share my experience. Maybe you’ll find something that works for you, maybe it won’t and that’s ok. What I’ve come to realise throughout this whole journey is that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach to health and fitness and I’m constantly learning and discovering what works for me.
Now I think we all know that exercise is good for us – our bodies were built to move after all. The general message is the more you move, the healthier and happier you’ll be. I can definitely confirm that this is the case, but I feel like there are a few key things missing that are key in making it a long term commitment and more accessible to everyone:
- Exercise doesn’t mean going to the gym every day – I know…I love going to the gym so this seems totally mad for me to say. But the truth of it is that it’s not the only thing out there that will help you be more active. I have a few mum friends who are incredibly fit and strong and wouldn’t go near a gym…why would they when they have both their cardio and weight lifting rolled into one? I tell you now spending an afternoon with my nieces/nephews is just as much of a workout as a HIIT session…if not more!
- Moving your body is a FREE activity – Again, as someone who pays for gym membership and classes I know that I’m kind of going against myself here…but it actually doesn’t cost you any money to move your body! It’s something most people can do every day without even thinking about it…isn’t that just brilliant.
- You can do WHATEVER you like, just make sure it’s fun! – So thinking about the first two points here…the world is literally your oyster when it comes to moving your body. There are literally no rules! If you want to go to the gym everyday and lift heavy weights…go for it and smash that PB! If you want to shake that ass dancing…choose your best playlist and go for it! If you want to walk around the block…awesome, why not take a moment and appreciate all the lovely things around you! I could go on forever but I think you get my point…however you decide to move your body the only thing that’s important is that you ENJOY doing it!
I would totally class myself as a bit of a fitness magpie – I like to have variety as I can get bored easily. I used to beat myself up over it as it felt that I “should” be committing to one activity, otherwise I’m not doing it properly and “failing”.
But looking back over this year and my fitness journey I have realised something…I am still leading a pretty active lifestyle…so I haven’t failed at all, quite the opposite. I really enjoy moving my body and can see what a positive impact being active has on both my physical and mental health. I do these things because I WANT to.
Oh yeah, the weigh-in!
I almost didn’t want to post this update today…as it didn’t really feel relevant.
Then I realised I’d forgotten the biggest “should” or in a lot of cases “shouldn’t”. How many of you have sat there and thought… I “should” exercise because of my weight/size/fitness level? Or even worse…I “shouldn’t” dance or do those fun things because of my weight/size/fitness level?
I’m here to tell you now that it’s bullshit! I used to be one of those people…I often thought to myself that “I can’t do that thing…only fit people do that” and the only reason I would exercise is to lose weight and try to get that elusive “perfect” body.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know how I feel about this idea of the “perfect” body – you already have it!
You don’t have to be an “active/fit” person to lead an active lifestyle (I sure as hell am not). All you need is the desire to move your body in a way that makes you feel good.
If you don’t want to move your body at all then that’s ok too…you do you! I’ve just found that through personal experience having a more active lifestyle has been crucial in helping me maintain better mental health.
Let’s face it, this year has been a bit of a challenge…so why not bring yourself a little bit of joy by moving your body.