Fit is a broad definition.
You can be a fit person who has been living in a gym on an almost exclusive protein shake diet for a year and has reaped the ‘benefits’ of a ‘healthy’ lifestyle. You can be that if you want to and have time to do that. I highly doubt that this is truly healthy, but I am not going to argue about that.
For the majority of us – people who have families, children, full-time jobs or all three together – the gym rat lifestyle is not realistic. There’s no reason to go into details about the gym rat lifestyle because it’s not going to help you, or even me for that matter.
But luckily there is another kind of fit people – people who enjoy life as well as enjoy being fit. They see life as full of opportunities and colours, they see much more in it than spending their free time in the gym and dieting. And we are going to talk about them. Because that’s what we want, isn’t it? We want to enjoy life while balancing work and family and not forgetting about self-care.
5 Things That Fit People Do
They don’t diet
Food is more than just the means of surviving – to deny this we must deny our nature. No intelligent mammal will eat absolutely any food when they have a choice, and humans are no different. Food gives us pleasure and satisfaction, and it has a strong social factor – it brings people together.
Fit and balanced people know better than to waste time and efforts on things that are not going to benefit them in the long run, like restrictive and fad diets. They make a conscious choice to eat a balanced diet, full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. They enjoy their food and don’t fret over an occasional treat or a meal out with friends because they know that it’s not going to hurt them.
They enjoy being active
Physical activity is not going to do you much good if you don’t enjoy it. Doing things we don’t enjoy places a lot of stress on our psychological minds, plus we are so much more likely to start skipping our trainings or slacking off. Naturally balanced and fit people do not push themselves to do something they don’t enjoy, just like with dieting. Instead they treat their own bodies with physical activity that they really like, be it strength training, running, yoga, dancing, or even hiking and rock climbing. They make time for it because it’s not just a chore, it’s a way of living.
They are responsible for their actions
How many times do we blame our genetics for a few extra pounds that we have or for our lack of progress? How often do we blame our age or use it as an excuse for not starting a new exercise routine? It’s easier to accept a pain in the back because you’re 40 or accept a pooched stomach because you are a mom of 2 or 3, but while these factors do play a role in the way things are, the main factor is the effort that you put into something. Fit people seem to understand that almost everything is a result of their actions and they accept the responsibility. If they want to change something, they make an effort to change their actions. And that is really what we all should learn to do.
They value their sleep
Sleep is the only time in a day when the body can fully recharge. Sleep is so important on so many levels. Sleeping 7-8 hours a day and sometimes up to 9 is required for healthy metabolism and hormone production – things that help you stay fit. The lack of sleep can mess up your entire body, from physical health to mental health, it can negatively impact your sports performance, which directly depends on your energy levels and hormones as well. Naturally fit people know their bodies and let themselves rest when they need it. They don’t sacrifice their health.
They prioritise self-care
Relationships, family, work and personal affairs are unarguably important, but so are your health and body. People who are fit understand that it is no crime to put themselves first. You can’t keep taking care of everything and of the others all the time ignoring your own needs. It is not healthy and it will burn you out. To be excellent in other aspects of our lives, we have to be in the right set of mind and have the energy for it. Just like we can’t make others happy if we are unhappy, we can’t take proper care of others if we can’t take care of ourselves.
If by now you’re wondering what this last one has to do with being fit, I’ll rush to tell you that good nutrition and exercise are one of the first principles of self-care, as well as sleep and rest, etc. Truly fit people know that and they prioritise their own needs and self-care. And no, it’s not selfish – it is caring. We’ve got only one body, we’ve got only one life, we must take care of it. Plus we are more efficient when our heads are in the right place, and our physical bodies are in check.
Do you want to be a fit person? Start living like one. Now is a good time.
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