A Fresh Look at Fitness

A recent article from MSNBC titled "Too much exercise can lead to overuse injuries," draws attention to the lack of balance in the lives of most "fit" people. When the average gym-rat becomes plagued with an injury, feelings of frustration and weakness often begin. Many feel as though their body is failing them after weeks, months or even years of working hard to keep it "fit." Professionals in the health and fitness industries are beginning to realize the necessity of a well-rounded approach to "fitness." Looking at "fitness" from a broader perspective can help promote balance and prevent burnout, both in workouts and in life.

To truly achieve our highest level of fitness, we must become proficient and consistent in four main areas: healthy eating, intelligent training, mastery of stress and mindful living. We may feel "fit" even though our eating habits are poor, or we are constantly stressed, but the reality is that each aspect of fitness is linked to another. For example, we simply can not train intelligently if we have not mastered our stress levels, because stress has a direct effect on how quickly our cells can regenerate and recover- including our muscle cells!

To take a deeper look at our current fitness levels, we must further define each of these areas and evaluate whether we are achieving a balance between them.

Healthy eating: Eating a balanced diet, complete with a variety of fruits and vegetables and limited processed foods, needs to become a way of life. Eating healthful foods in appropriate portions is one of the most basic things we can do to take control of our health. We need to realize that healthful eating is something we get to do, instead of something we have to do, and that it will give bring us good health and ultimately more happiness.

Intelligent training: Determining what we are training for will give us more direction in our workouts, which will in turn help prevent injury and boredom. Have a goal in mind, and continue to make steps towards achieving that goal. Once the goal is met, create a new goal. This will give us a greater sense of accomplishment and motivation to be the best versions of ourselves.

Mastery of stress: Stress is an unavoidable part of life. Sometimes stress comes from a place of motivation or excitement, but chronic uncontrolled stress takes a tole on overall fitness levels. Chronic stress keeps the nervous system in a constant "fight or flight" response. While in this state, the body and mind are unable to properly recover from physical and mental stress like a challenging workout or a busy day at the office. Stress management is an important aspect in achieving overall fitness. This can come in the form of adequate sleep, rest days, regular massages, Yoga, meditation, time with family and friends, and religious or spiritual practices to name a few. Practice recognizing when stress levels are becoming chronic, and be proactive about managing it.

Mindful living: This is a concept that may mean different things to different people. Living with a sense of purpose and identifying our core values can have a positive effect on our performance at work, in family life and even during workouts. Being mindful of our goals, values and purpose can boost performance in the other three areas of fitness. Mindful living can and should be applied to the way we eat, exercise and manage stress. Bringing more intention to each of these activities will help us find the balance needed to achieve optimal fitness.

Start small by evaluating and applying changes to just one of these areas. Healthy eating is a great one to start with. Finding peace with our eating habits will help teach us how much control we really have over our lives. The lessons learned from developing healthy eating habits can be applied to the cultivation of positive new habits down the road.