Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle is a big help to your physical and mental health. However, you might find yourself unmotivated to exercise. Or perhaps your body is not cooperating as well as you’d like. Handling these hiccups is the key to continue living an active life.
When maintaining a healthy lifestyle gets tough, here are some tips you can use to solve this problem:
Take It Slow
People let pride and impatience get in their way of success. They want to appear stronger, faster, or more capable than their skill level. As a result, they tend to overdo things. Some may even injure themselves because of their overexertion. That’s why taking things slow is critical.
Pain is an indicator that you’re progressing too fast. Discomfort, fatigue, and numbness are normal. However, if you’re experiencing too much pain whenever you work out, you might be overdoing it.
Furthermore, visible progress isn’t instantaneous. Improving your body takes time, and overexertion without visible changes can be disheartening. It’s better to be more consistent in your workouts than intense.
Break It Down
Approaching a task head-on can be overwhelming. If you’re making the shift to becoming more active, breaking down your goals into smaller ones could help you.
For example, if you have decided to walk 8000 steps a day, you might get overwhelmed at the idea and sit it out. However, breaking it down into segments —increasing 1000 steps at a time, for instance – can help you reach your goal safely over time.
Just Start
Don’t tell yourself, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Every time you delay, it increases the likelihood you won’t get up and exercise at all.
Even if you don’t feel like getting up and moving, do it regardless. There’s a high probability that you will end up enjoying doing it. One reason behind lethargy is that your body needs to warm up from its cold state. As you’re exercising, your body will become easier to move, and you’ll find that your overall mood gets better.
Reward Yourself
A healthy and active lifestyle may sometimes mean that you should follow a strict plan. These plans can be in the form of diets and exercise routines. Having a plan to reach your goals is good. However, don’t forget to reward yourself, especially when reaching your milestones.
For example, you can have a cheat day when you get to eat your favorite foods and take a well-deserved rest. Doing so prepares you for the next leg of your health and wellness journey. While a cheat day sounds like a bad idea, the idea behind it is that it helps you stay on a strict diet for longer.
Get Checked Regularly
It’s nice to see some changes in our bodies when we start to live actively. However, you might experience some setbacks at first, especially if you’re not familiar with how your body works.
An orthopedic doctor trained in sports medicine can provide you with a personalized plan to achieve your health goals.
With their expertise, they can identify the weak areas in your body and what you can do to build strength in them. They can also help you avoid injuries by counseling you on the correct exercise techniques for your objectives. Aside from that, they can treat you if you injure yourself during your game or exercise routine.
Sports Medicine Center in Austin, TX
It’s hard to maintain an active lifestyle, but with the help of the best practices and an expert, it is definitely possible.
If you’re looking for a sports medicine physician, look no further. At All-star Orthopedics of Austin, we provide personalized treatment and guidance to help with your journey to living an active life.
We’re proud to have Dr. Carolyn Hyde, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine. Sprained your ankle during Zumba? Dislocated your shoulder during a game? Or simply want advice on the best ways to get active? We can help you with any of these issues and more.
To know more about our services, you may contact our friendly staff at (512) 346-4933. You may use this online appointment request form. We look forward to being your partner in health!
