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LIFE IS ABOUT BALANCE

Life should be about balance, this should be something we aspire to at any time of year. It is almost a cliché, but to live a full life, we need to really focus on this detail of our lives so that we can be the best for ourselves (and therefore others) in all that we do.

We don’t mean just work-life balance but balance in all areas.  Obviously as a fitness/training club we advocate physical development and fitness.  However, as owners and trainers we are acutely aware that as human beings we need to develop in other areas to be healthy, mindful and happy.

“Getting in balance is not so much about adopting new strategies to change your behaviors, as it is about realigning yourself in all of your thoughts so as to create a balance between what you desire and how you conduct your life on a daily basis.” Wayne Dyer, Being in Balance
Inspirational Thoughts

From a physical perspective, boxing has many benefits, however, it is one of the sports that helps us mentally to some degree by helping us to release stress and frustration in a safe & fun environment.  Fitness should encompass more than just cardio-vascular and strength training. Overall fitness should include flexibility, agility, coordination, balance and muscular endurance.

But, as we know physical fitness is only one aspect of our total well-being.

We need rest, eat well, we need to quiet the mind, we need to recover, keep learning, have fun, spend quality time with our family/friends and have periods away from our usual routines.

Balance is a feeling derived from being whole and complete; it’s a sense of harmony. It is essential to maintaining quality in life and work. – Joshua Osenga, 12 years a Cubicle Slave

It can seem daunting to feel like we have to include all these factors in our schedules at any one time, but you can take small steps to finding your balance, bearing in mind that this is different for every person.  Including a rest period, scheduled time away from work, meditation/journaling or adding a fun activity to your week can all help towards equilibrium and then this in turn will help boost your productivity, reduce stress levels, and help you feel satisfied and even peaceful within yourself.

When we feel centred, we have greater capacity to deal with life. Focus on what is important to you, take one day and one moment at a time.

Wishing you and your loved ones the best for 2023.

What will you do this year to be more true to yourself?

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You Can’t Out Train a Bad Diet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life is about balance.

“It’s about having an active lifestyle, staying healthy, and making the right decisions. Life is about balance. Not everybody wants to run a marathon, but we could all start working out and being active, whether you walk to work or take an extra flight of stairs.” Apolo Ohno

Part of our decisions include what we eat, how often we eat and how much we exercise. Nutrition for life is really what it is about.  And a combination of regular exercise and healthy eating assists in long term weight management and weight loss, particularly as we get older.

Many people start an exercise regime in order to kick start their weight loss however, without a change in eating patterns, they may become fitter but not necessarily healthier, and the scales may not show any improvement.   Alcohol intake and excess saturated fat, sugar, preservatives and carbohydrate intake are particular issues when it comes to weight loss.

To lose weight the equation is simple.  Calories Out > Calories In.  So, basically you need to burn more energy than you are consuming.  Anyone who has embarked on a weight loss program knows how difficult this seemingly easy equation actually is in practice.

Here’s a visual representation on why it’s so hard to out exercise a poor diet.

HUFFPOST AUSTRALIA (approximate values only)

 

The reverse is also true, not eating enough of the right foods and restricting caloric intake can also affect your exercise program and therefore, weight loss.  If you don’t eat enough, your metabolism will slow down as the body goes into ‘protection mode’ to sustain itself.  This could result in lethargy and a lack of energy to exercise. The overall affect can be no (or very slow) weight loss.

It isn’t just about losing weight either, it is about building lean body mass.  “Lean mass requires more energy for your body to sustain than fat, so it also offers a metabolic boost — making weight management easier”.  Lean Body Mass Diet, ANDREA CESPEDES

Maintaining a very restrictive diet for a prolonged period can lead to a reduction in muscle tissue and can decrease the ability of your skeletal muscles (the ones needed for lifting, walking, and other forms of exercise) to perform well, found a study published in the journal Advances in Nutrition.

It is quite common for people to say “I am training so hard but not losing any weight”.  In some instances, depending on how bad their diet is, a person may even continue to gain weight at a slower rate. As soon as you start discussing their eating, it becomes apparent why.

Most people are not professional athletes nor aspire to be so it is unrealistic to suggest junk food is cut out completely.  The 80/20 Rule is always a good guide to living. If you’re good 80% of the time, you can be ‘bad’ 20% of the time.  Eat clean and enjoy that glass of wine or molten chocolate mud cake occasionally.

80/20 Rule of Thumb

Life is about balance.  You can always exercise and not change your diet, or change your eating patterns without exercising.  Either will have an impact on your body, however, a healthy combination of both will give the best long term results.