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Every year, many of us promise to put more importance on our health and fitness. Having specific fitness goals is good for our health since those goals will serve as our guide and motivation. However, a lot of people often do extreme things to obtain drastic and immediate results. They often succumb to unsafe workout trends and fad diets, which eventually exhaust them physically and mentally.

Taking fitness shortcuts often leads to reaching goals but being unable to maintain your desired body. Moreover, these often cause demotivation, burnout, and injury in the long run. To combat this, we strongly suggest that you ditch these extreme and unrealistic goals. Instead, you may consider rethinking your lifestyle and making healthy changes. Begin viewing fitness as a lifestyle instead of a 30-day challenge. Doing so will make you more likely to achieve success.

Here are tips to help you make health and fitness a long-term lifestyle. Living a healthy lifestyle will help you grow holistically. Not only will you look better, but you will also feel better inside and out.

Table of Contents

Find the right balance for your new lifestyle.

You will not be able to fully cultivate one aspect of your life if you are neglecting another. For example, all your workout efforts will go to waste if you go out for drinks every night. To live up to your full potential, find the perfect balance.

The perfect balance is the key to living a healthy and fit lifestyle. Make sure to balance your fitness endeavors with school, work, and social life. You will not achieve progress, and you will waste your efforts if you focus solely on losing weight. Remember to indulge in rest days and cheat days every once in a while as a reward.

Start your health and fitness lifestyle slowly but surely.

Slow and steady is the motto when beginning your healthy lifestyle. It is better to make small yet constant changes instead of going full force but failing to maintain it in the long run. You may think that small steps will get you nowhere, but even the most minute changes can make a noticeable difference.

To help you get started, you must first set attainable milestones and goals for your fitness journey. Decide on your definition of a healthy lifestyle. Here are some questions you may ask yourself to help you set your goals.

Do you want to gain pounds, lose pounds, or maintain your current weight?
How often can you exercise in a week, and how much time can you allot per workout session?
What are the junk foods that you are willing to cut back on?

Once you have envisioned your dream healthy lifestyle, you can then start implementing mini changes daily. These small steps will bring you closer to your goal day by day.

Remember to eat healthily and never starve yourself.

Your body needs food to survive. No matter what you do, never starve yourself and remember to eat when you are hungry. Inhibiting yourself from food intake may lead to health complications and even eating disorders. Instead, you may opt to control your portions and eat the right amount that your body needs. For a healthy diet plan, you may consult a dietician.

Look for exercises that you enjoy.

To stay consistent with your workouts, you must do exercises that you enjoy. Doing so will help you avoid feeling emotionally and physically drained. Websites such as Total Shape offer a variety of exercises for beginners and experts alike. If the gym is not your vibe, you can try other physical activities such as yoga and dance.

Be easy on yourself and do not expect immediate results.

Your body does not change overnight. It may even take you weeks or months before you can observe significant results. Remember to go easy on yourself since quality results always take time. Nothing good comes easy, and you have to trust the process and stay consistent.

Do not compete yourself with influencers and other people.

Nowadays, it is easy to become demotivated when we see others on social media with better bodies than us. Remember that no two people are exactly alike, so it is pointless to compare yourself to others. Keep in mind that your progress is your journey. For not, stick to your habits to ensure that you are on the right track.

Be sure to get enough rest to recharge and refuel.

Sleep is crucial to help your body recharge its batteries. You will have a hard time maintaining your progress when your body is tired all the time. Sleep is essential for growth and repair, so see to it that you get six to eight hours of sleep every night.

Good luck on your lifetime journey towards health and fitness!