Keep a jingle in your stepping for a happy holiday
All too often, when we talk about living a healthy lifestyle, we say we want to change, we want success, but we don’t really want to do what it requires to make change happen.
With success comes challenges and growth, and not everyone likes what stepping outside of your comfort zone feels like. Especially this time of the year when motivation and consistent workouts can drop off because we find ourselves in holiday mode.
The shopping, the cooking, the decorating, the eating…oh yes, the eating! And with all of that can come STRESS. So it’s really more important than ever that you don’t skip those workouts for that excuse we all use — I’ll start back tomorrow!!
Having plans and goals is important, but we have to be willing to be flexible, too. If not, we find ourselves getting discouraged and we talk ourselves into quitting instead of remembering why we started in the first place. We have to embrace the challenges that our success can bring.
I get it, living a healthy lifestyle means something different from one person to the next. In general, what we hear is that a healthy person doesn’t smoke, is at a healthy weight, eats right, and exercises. It does sound pretty simple, doesn’t it?
The trick to healthy living for most is making small changes — taking more steps, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water, taking the steps instead of the elevator. These are not drastic changes but over time can make a drastic difference.
Too often, however, we take for granted the opportunity that our health gives us. Good health allows us to actively participate in our life. Not everyone chooses to live fully, but if you’re not physically fit then you can’t even make the choice if you wanted to do so.
One of the best ways for improving our mind is by improving our body. Not every person who is strong mentally pushes themselves physically. But I have yet to find someone who pushes themselves physically that isn’t strong mentally.
Push yourself to do more. Do not accept a life of average. Work hard, train hard, and be the best you can be. Your body is a reflection of your lifestyle. I tell someone this most every day — fitness is not about being better than anyone else. It’s about being better than you used to be.
Success is usually not found at the end of an easy, well-paved road. There are no shortcuts. We have to stop looking for a quick fix. We have to live healthy to get healthy. What comes easy won’t last long and what last long won’t come easy. Say hello to stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing the process.
As we enter this holiday season, wherever you are on your fitness journey, do your best to live a physical life, connect with family and friends (even if over ZOOM!), and participate in life. Live well.
Matt Molnar is the owner of Atlas Fit, a fitness facility at 711 N. Monroe St. Visit his website at atlasfit.co.
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