Keeping Fit: A Route to Sanity

In a world where many people act based on what they see, it is vital to focus on both the outward and inward aspects of your life. Many people will judge you based on your appearance. In fact, some people of the opposite sex can turn you down because they feel you aren’t sexy enough for them.

Indeed, it is not ideal to judge people only based on their physical appearance. Nonetheless, you need to realize that we aren’t living in an ideal world. So, while developing your intellect and emotional strength, you’ll do yourself a lot of good by also investing in your physical appearance. Some people will never give you the chance to show what you can do because of the way you look.

Therefore, it is critical to improving your physique. Besides, the insensitive comments you can get, especially on social media because of your body shape, can be depressing. Therefore, keeping

fit is a route to sanity in the modern world. This chapter will explore what a workout plan is and the link between your physical and mental health.

What is a Home Workout Plan?

Indeed, we cannot deny the added advantages of visiting a gym or hiring a physical trainer to develop your physique. An expert has both the knowledge and experience to give you a customized routine that will get the requisite results. Nonetheless, you don’t need a gym membership to build your muscle or lose weight.

If you’ve been observant enough, you’ll notice that many people post pictures and videos about their home workout routines online. It is true that you shouldn’t believe everything you see on the internet because many people post false information just to get likes and positive remarks. Nevertheless, the reality is that many people are improving their physical appearance without leaving their homes. You can be one such person if you’re ready to pay the price.

A home workout plan is a deliberately structured routine to improve your physical appearance by carrying out various

exercises. Indeed, there are equipment and facilities that can make this process easier. Nonetheless, you don’t have to break the bank to get a good sweat, lose weight, or develop your muscles. You can still lose weight or build your abs with minimal or no investment by choosing the right plan and tasks.

Vital Features of an Effective Home Workout Plan

Just like any activity, there are vital components that are integral to the success of your home workout plan. Once these features are missing, you’ll only have a plan but will never execute it. They include:

Purpose

When you fail to define the reason for an activity, it will eventually become redundant. You need to ask yourself why you need to start regular exercises. Do you want to start so that you can post a picture on your social media profile? Do you want to do it because it is the current trend? If your reason is flimsy, you’ll stop very soon.

Therefore, you have to ensure that you have a clearly defined objective before starting your plan. Endeavor to write your targets down so that you can tailor your plans in the right direction. Your goals will also help you to develop an effective diet plan that will support your commitment to physical activity.

Vision

A vision is something you see long before it happens. Having a clear vision about the kind of person you want to determine the kind of commitment you’ll have today. It enables you to channel your energy and resources in the right direction.

The purpose of starting a workout will affect your vision. Meanwhile, your vision will determine the kind of exercises you’ll perform. For example, if you’re doing exercise to develop your abs, you’ll not have a workout plan that encourages the development of butt muscles. The kind of physique you imagine yourself having is what will determine your routine.

Gradual Process

Nothing you do in a hurry can stand the test of time. Rushing may earn you some quick results, but you’ll not be able to sustain it.

Besides, impatience often leads to desperation, which often leads to disastrous outcomes. In the context of physical activities, it can make you engage in strenuous routines that can have adverse effects on your health.

You must never forget that developing your physique is a gradual process. Impatience and desperation can make you injure yourself or become discouraged along the way. You need to enjoy the process to make your home workout plan a success. It is good to use the body shape of others as inspiration, but you must never forget that it took them time to achieve that physique.

Motivation

The fuel of any aspiration is passion. Zeal spurs you to follow up on a plan or strategy to ensure that you succeed. Your home workout plan will never become a reality when you lack motivation. You must be excited to do your press-ups every day.

Once you lose the desire to go on, you’ll quit. So, use your vision as a springboard to get going, especially during days when you’re tired or in a bad mood. Joining a fitness club may encourage you to sustain your momentum. Nonetheless, if you’re self-motivated, you can still be consistent all by yourself.

Commitment

You cannot separate motivation and commitment. When you’re motivated to carry out a task, you’ll commit to it. A plan that lacks commitment will only remain on paper but will never be executed. Laziness is one of those factors that can stop you from achieving your desired body shape. So, ensure that you don’t allow laxity and boredom to set it. Anyone can start working out, but only committed people can sustain the momentum in the long run. There are some critical tips that can help you sustain your plan. You’ll learn about them in subsequent chapters.

Link Between Physical Health and Mental Health

It is impossible to separate physical health from mental health because one affects the other. In other words, if you have poor physical health, it will affect you mentally. For example, if you’re battling a chronic disease, it could lead to depression. In the same way, your mental health can also affect your physical health. For instance, if you’re battling depression and anxiety, it could affect your eating habit and exercise.

Meanwhile, you cannot maintain your physical health if you have bad eating habits and don’t exercise. Moreover, the definition of health, according to the World Health Organization, shows that both physical and psychological health must be constant before you can term a person as “healthy.” Besides, social wellbeing is also a key part of overall health.

The following are ways your mental and physical health are interconnected:

Depression and Terminal Diseases

Research has shown that people with low self-esteem are 32% more likely to die from cancer. Also, depression increases the chance of suffering from coronary disease. This claim is not farfetched because you’ll not eat healthy meals when you’re not in the right mental state. You’ll not stick to a healthy plan by just eat whatever is available, which can have adverse effects on your physical health.

Schizophrenia and Terminal Diseases

Experts have observed that schizophrenia patients are at double the risk of dying from heart disease. They are also thrice at risk of dying from respiratory disease. This connection is because mental health patients aren’t likely to receive routine checks such as weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

Exercise and Depression

Research has proven that regular exercise affects the release and uptake of endorphins. These are chemicals in the brain that makes you feel happy. So, lack of exercise increases your chances of depression.

Physical Exercise and Mental Alertness

Scientists have discovered that you can generate positive energy and improve your mental alertness through physical exercise. In fact, even a short burst of ten minutes of fast walking can be a difference-maker.

Images courtesy of:
Free-Photos, ID 12019, Pixabay, Ales Krivec

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