Obtaining a level of health to live life healthily, will greatly vary from one person to the next. With that said, the importance of living healthy will vary between people also.
For some, being healthy is assessed by the way they look – physically. The stronger, fitter, slimmer they are, the healthier they perceive themselves to be. For others, the focus is on nutrition. The more wholesome and clean their diets, the healthier they are. A person in their twenties will think themselves healthier than a person in their sixties because they may believe youth to hold greater health over aging people but being healthy encompasses three things –
Mental stability
Emotional stability
Physical stability
Ladies, I want to remind you that you don’t need to have certain things, or even do certain things, in order to feel ‘healthy’. You don’t need to buy the latest workout gear, or the most expensive equipment to be healthy!
If you’ve ever been a bit overwhelmed or thought to yourself, “Exactly what does health mean?”, then this blog is for you. Now is the time to sort out exactly what you want, how you want to feel and understand how to best focus on improving your health and being healthy.
Keep reading to find out what being healthy means to me as well as ways you can try and be healthy in a way that suits you!
What does it mean to be healthy?
Being healthy doesn’t mean following a strict diet or exercise regime, it means finding out what works best for you and your lifestyle and making choices that can help to energise you, treat your body with respect and fuel you with the right nutrients. Being healthy means feeling fit, strong and confident.
I love the quote that says ‘a healthy lifestyle looks different on every body’. We all have different things going on in our lives, so it’s important to make choices that help you to live a positive life, rather than cause you any stress or discomfort in trying to live a certain way.
Here are my top tips for being healthy in a way that’s best for you!
1. Get active
Being healthy means getting active in some way every day. While it is important to make exercise part of your life, simply trying to be more active in some way each day is a good place to start if you want to live a healthier lifestyle. It could be a walk around the block, making an effort to walk more places throughout your day, or doing a yoga session — what’s important is not what activity you do but the fact that you’re moving your body in some way.
When you’re ready to start working out a little more intensely, make a schedule and try to stick to it. You don’t need to be working out all day every day. I do resistance training three times a week and LISS on other days — that’s it! Being healthy is about finding something that you love doing, that suits your lifestyle and committing to it at least a few times a week.
2. Make food choices that suit you and your budget
I often talk to people who say they want to eat better but they think that means heading to the nearest health food store and stocking up on every superfood possible. This idea of being healthy can often make people think that in order to be healthy, it will cost a lot of money, or that you have to limit yourself of certain foods. This is not an enjoyable or sustainable way to live!
It is possible to eat healthy on a budget though, with foods from your local supermarket. You don’t need to spend a fortune on healthy, nourishing food! This is really important to understand if you are a student, or have a limited budget for food every week.
There are SO many delicious meals you can make with simple fresh fruits, veggies and lean proteins that are easily accessible and packed with nutrients. You can find lots of examples of this in the meal plans in the SWEAT app, or in my recipes!
3. Educating yourself about food and fitness
This brings me to my next point — misconceptions about being healthy.
While I believe knowledge is the key to growth, there are certain situations where too many opinions and articles about the same thing can make things really confusing!
Even though it seems like there’s always some new fad diet to try, the reality is that quick-fix diets DON’T work! It makes me sad when I talk to girls and they tell me they don’t think they’re healthy because they like to indulge in certain foods sometimes. Ladies, I want to make this point REALLY clear: this doesn’t make you unhealthy. It makes you human!
Learn more about wholesome foods and why they are good for you, rather than focusing on diets or restrictions, and you will soon understand how to make healthier choices for your body and lifestyle. The education section of my website is a great place to start learning more about what to eat!
4. Don’t forget what’s important
Being healthy doesn’t mean you have to spend money each month on the latest gym clothes. If you don’t have some equipment because it’s not in your budget right now, improvise!
So many of my BBG girls have used things like milk bottles, bags of potatoes or textbooks as weights and still achieved amazing results.
Remember, the ultimate goal is how you feel on the inside — not how you look on the outside. Social media is a great tool for sharing and getting inspiration but try not to get caught up comparing yourself to others.
Measure your health by how you feel: are you feeling stronger, fitter and more energised after working out regularly and eating wholesome foods? Then you’re on the right track.
5. Live a balanced life
The key to a happy and healthy life is to never deprive yourself and feel like you’re missing out on the things you enjoy. It’s all about balance! If you want to cut refined sugar out of your diet, that’s okay. If that’s not your thing, that’s okay too.
It’s about making educated choices and trying to eat wholesome, nutrient-rich foods as regularly as you can, not depriving yourself of food completely.
Remember, your mindset is the most important thing – and so is your happiness. If you want to do or achieve something, there is nothing stopping you from pursuing it, apart from YOU!
Believe in yourself and put in effort to develop positive habits day-in and day-out, even on days you can only manage a small amount!