Sustainable Fitness

Merriam defines fit as ‘being sound physically and mentally’ and fitness is defined as ‘the quality or state of being fit’. So, in your head it’ll be if I exercise frequently and eat healthy, I technically am fit. Now let’s take a look at lifestyle. Same thing goes, Merriam defines lifestyle as ‘a person or group’s particular way of living’. Fair enough.

But we here at Oxie believe fitness and lifestyle are intertwined. Fitness is dependent on your lifestyle and your lifestyle will have an effect on your fitness. Fitness is an ever-evolving pursuit and you will be surprised to find out more and more every-day on how it defines your lifestyle. But we want to explicitly state that if you intend to make fitness your lifestyle, the key is happy sustainability. We believe, a healthy body and mind and the best version of yourself needs some space to let go and be happy. Even though you will not want to believe in it, it does get boring after a while. So today let’s start with our thoughts on how we believe fitness and lifestyle go hand in hand.

As mentioned earlier, there are multiple elements to making fitness a lifestyle. If fitness and lifestyle are the Power puff girls, then the key ingredient or the chemical X of this recipe is sustainability. And that too happy sustainability where it should not feel like a burden but just a way to live your life contently. That’s what helps make fitness into your lifestyle. There are ways to go about that. Look at most of the fitness programs and regimes available on the click of a button now, or the ever-increasing number of blogs and video logs showcasing each and every aspect of a person’s daily routine to achieve the desired physique. Chances are if you are reading this, you might have tried some yourself and experienced how they are. The number of exercises with their sets and reps defined, their day to day splits added with the particular diet associated with it. Be it 4 weeks, 8 weeks or any different time frame, you are told what to do and when to do. And don’t get us wrong, this provides you with a system and discipline that will help you develop as a person, not only physically but also helps you grow mentally and become better. But if you practice this for prolonged periods, chances are you will lose your zeal at some point of time.

So, we like to practice what we call the 80-20 rule. To explain that a bit, set a goal and work on it, and if you fail like many others do, pat yourself on the back on the success of the 80 odd percent that you attained and do not be disheartened by the 20% failure. So, if you eat clean 80% of the time and 20% of the time you don’t, it’s okay because it is much more sustainable that trying to eat clean all the time and then losing motivation. That does not mean you should settle for that but you as a reader should know that, that’s no cause to be too hard on yourself either. Because your body and your mind will tell you what it needs, and it probably needed the 20% relaxation. It will only make you happier and healthier as a person and that is what everyone hopes and tries to achieve.  So, listen to what your body and mind tell you instead of over burdening yourself and fighting against it. Now yes you do have to find that line where you have to go against them a bit if you want to grow, otherwise that habit becomes too comfortable to move forward from and you’ll probably start procrastinating. The science behind it says it takes on an average 66 days to make a behavior automatic or so called a make/break a habit, so it’s a cliched line that we’ll quote here but ‘find you balance’.

Now everything mentioned above is not only related to physical and mental fitness, it also applies to every aspect of your life and personality. When you first start working out, you yourself will start to feel the differences. You’ll see growth and it will motivate you and push you to become better.The same concept applies to every other aspect of your life. Practice what you want to do but know your limits. Everyone has them and there is nothing wrong with it. The best of us will be able to know them and work on improving them without killing themselves over it. 

So, enjoy your day offs, spend time with yourself and family or do things you love, have a drink or two and chill out with your friends. And when you can incorporate that into your lifestyle along with the fitness goals you set for yourself, you will probably be able to create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle and become the best version of yourself. As in one of our favorite quotes from comedian Conan O’ Brien, “it is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It’s not easy, but if you accept your limits and handle it right, your perceived failure will become a catalyst for profound re-invention”.

So, go ahead, have a happy and sustainable lifestyle and embrace those limits. You don’t have to be perfect; no one is!

Hope to see you here for the next one. Cheers !