The word fit comes from the word knit.
To be knitted.
The cross stitching of fabrics that make things look and feel, tight, durable and looks good.
But what fabrics need to be knitted and work together to make you feel and look knitted and fit.
Physical Fabrics
Emotional Fabrics
Healthal Fabrics (it’s a new word that needs to be invented to make it fit!)
To be fit and knitted, all three elements need to be apart of your fitness journey.
Yes, sometimes, things will pull towards physical and less to the healthy or emotional fabrics,
Sometimes the emotional fabric will look bigger and use more material than the others.
That is life. There will be things pulling on your fabrics in different ways, house moving, getting married or divorced, having a baby! there are things in life that will drain on you emotionally, physically, and health-ally (I’m telling you it should be word!)
How do you make sure your fabrics are equal and you are making a fitted life for your life?
Well, first you need to accept that not all lifestyles are created equal. Don’t compare your life to someone else’s. You can not say or do what they do exactly how they do it. You need to accept that life isn’t as balanced as we all would like.
All you can do is do your best in your circumstances with the tools at your disposal.
So ask yourself these questions:-
What am I doing to make sure I’m doing my best for my physical health?
What am I doing to make sure I’m doing my best for my emotional health/
What I am doing to make sure I’m doing my best for my internal health? (meaning your insides)
*note that it is about doing your best, not living up to what you see on instagram or social media. But let me tell you. We all could doing a little better to achieve our best.
This way of thinking about getting ft and healthy takes a bit of pressure off yourself to get results the next day.
You do it to the best of your ability right now in your own circumstances.
“Little and often, over the long haul” - Dan John
This is the only way to achieve long lasting results.
How do we make sure we are physically fit?
Go and see a doctor, dentist, optician: get weighed and some sort of summary of how you are physically. What hurts? any aches and pains that you have had for months or even years? it’s time to get that checked and start knowing where you are physically.
To improve yourself physically - start moving more - go for walks or a bike ride 3 - 4 times a week even if it’s for 10 mins. That is 10 mins of movement more than you used to do and outside. The benefits of being outside will help you 10 fold.
Pull something towards you, Push something away from you, Squat, Lift stuff off the ground and carry things as you walk . Basically if you want to do any kind of workout have those elements of exercise in there. This will improve muscle tone, strength and burn body fat. Therefore, making you physically better!
How do we stay fit internally?
1. If you can, see a therapist for a few sessions to see where you are emotionally and mentally. There maybe things that you maybe holding on to, there maybe anxiety, depression or ego that maybe needed to be spoken about. I’m not saying that we can all afford this, I certainly can’t for the long term But maybe 3 - 4 sessions maybe just be enough to let it go.
2 .The next best thing… coffee and wine… Yes, I'm recommending wine and coffee for overall emotional health. Why? There is something magic about coffee and wine that helps people relax, keep calm and just give that sigh of relief. (when they aren’t used in excess) but there is a proviso… The wine or coffee if always with someone. Isn’t it funny when we have something going on in our life we always call a friend and say “lets go for a coffee” or “fancy going for a drink?” and things are talked about over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine or two. And somehow how you come away with a little less weight on your shoulders and rocks being thrown around in your head. Now is it the wine, coffee or the company? does it matter? It seems to work.
3. Get outside - There is something about being outside that just clears the cobwebs not only in your muscles and joints but for the mind too. I have worked with people that don’t leave the house and sit in front of the TV or a laptop 16 hour a day and haven’t got any fresh air. They are always more highly strung, more stressed and overwhelmed than people that just get outside for a walk or sit on bench during 10 minutes during there day. Again, I’m not a scientist but observation is the best way to conclude results and being outside for some part of your day will help your mind and your emotions.
4. This may sound strange but I highly recommend ending your shower with a cold spritz. Shower with warm water, wash your hair, your body and whatever and for the last 30 seconds - 2 mins turn the temperature to cold and allow you breath and body to be shocked and allow the cold water to run on your head and down your spine. Your breathing will become deeper and faster. Your job is to be able to control your breath and get your body relaxed in that cold state. Why do this torture? Well, your body will tense up for a short time, your muscles and internal system will be in shock and once you get over the 3 -4 deep breath’s of shock. Your body will get used to the stress and relax and, everything will feel calm. This is a good way of teaching your body to deal with stress and tension and learn to control your breathing and mind. Two Tips: 1) Do this as a gradual thing start with ending your shower with 10 seconds of cold and over time increase it. The minimum amount to get to is 40 seconds but if you can get to ending your shower with cold water for 2 minutes. Amazing! 2) Hold on to something, the switch from hot to cold my may you go light headed so hold on to a shower rail or something just to be safe.
1. Obviously a doctor is a must, that overall health check is a good baseline do know where you are in life.
2. If you can afford it, see a food nutritionist. They will be able to conduct tests for food allergies and vitamin deficiencies and will be able to advise you the best foods to eat for your genes and DNA.
3. If that is not a option, we are going to go back to basics. Start eating more veggies and fruits, Slowly cut out the junk food. This means just start eating what ever junk food in the house or give it away to neighbours and once you go food shopping just buy one packet of biscuits for the week or a couple of bars of chocolate for the week and see if you can make it last.
4. Take a multi-vitamin - You can argue all day long about this. But to boost the vitamins and minerals in your body can’t be a bad thing. And trust me, if you aren’t eating pure organic everything your body isn’t getting enough vitamins or minerals. So for god sake, the benefits of a cheap multi-vitamin out ways any arguments.
5. Take fish oil - we are all getting older everyday - fish oil helps with joints and brain function. I’m not going to repeat myself but the same reasons for taking a multi-vitamin.
5. Track your food intake - do a food diary for 2 weeks and at the end of each week review it, How did the week feel? what does your food diary look like? there will be a coloration between what you have eaten to how you have felt that week and what the scales are saying! Once you review your food diary make small changes - one day at a time. This doesn’t have to be a dramatic change - more veggies, nuts, more fruits and you will find yourself eating less of the junk. (plus you will be eating more!) who doesn’t like that?
I believe people are stronger and smarter than they give themselves credit for but are lost in the bright lights of losing weight and magazine covers.
Let’s start with being fit and start at the beginning of feeling knitted.
All 3 fabrics of fitness coming together to make you more durable, stronger and looking and feeling better about yourself so you can thrive in life!
- Chris
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