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Mind and body: how to unite both aspects for a new you
A holistic approach (whole body) to health
Getting fit and healthy requires mental resolve and positive thinking. And staying fit and healthy requires more of it. After years of experience in personal training and health nutrition, I learned early on that minds and bodies aren't disconnected. They influence one another intimately, all the time. The question for those determined to stay healthy and fit is: how can I ensure that relationship is predominantly positive?
Positive self-esteem will influence how well you achieve your fitness and health goals, while too much negative thinking will trip you up and demoralize you. What I'd like to suggest here is that we drop the idea that self-esteem is a "thing" we either have enough of or lack; it's a mental and physical activity that we do, and we need to keep doing it to stay positive. That's the key point to holistic health - mental and physical activity always accompany one another. Here are some ideas on how they can do so positively.
Positive psychological techniques to promote healthy diet and consistent exercise
Picture yourself running or cycling in a headwind: your performance a couple of days ago in a light breeze was on fire, but today you're struggling to go on. As every athlete knows, there are days when everything seems to go against you. It's what happens next that's important.
The athlete who thinks "This is terrible, I'm going backwards, I'm failing" is likely to make each point come true. But while we're all prone to a little negative thinking in tough circumstances, it's important to keep thoughts like that transient. That's where a technique from cognitive-behavioral psychology comes in useful: positive self-talk. Essentially, it's talking to yourself (either audibly while you're alone or silently when you're in company) just like a really good, encouraging friend would. So, for example, you might say something like, "You're doing well to keep going in this wind, it's proving your stamina, you can feel proud of your achievements in adversity." Same conditions, totally different mental responses.
It's also important to "listen" intelligently to the pain that often accompanies hard workouts. Use the pain to adjust your sporting activity/workout: ask questions like "Is this pain telling me to slow down or alter my posture? Is it injury pain? Or is it proof that I'm working well and hitting my targets? Often, how you think about pain determines what impact it has on you physically - but if you're injured, it's always wise to stop and concentrate on recovery.
Also, be kind to yourself and don't see relaxation as a distracting indulgence: your body will need rest periods. If you're seriously tired after a heavy day of activity, take the next one off for resting (and enjoy it).
Also, consider enhancing your diet with good supplements during heavy training. If you keep your mental approach positive and relaxed and you eat healthily, both your confidence and your core fitness will improve.
Recap
Stay mentally positive by practicing the art of positive self-talk, especially when the going gets tough, and take it easy on yourself when you need to rest (overdoing it will more likely lead to burnout than success).
One final point: try seeking expert input from a personal trainer, who'll help you maintain focus and stay on the holistic path.
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