Originally published on collegian.csufresno.edu.
If you’re engaged in regular fitness training, that’s great. Vigorous and frequent exercise is vital for maintaining a strong, healthy body and mental well-being. However, once you commit yourself to a fitness routine, it can become all-consuming at the expense of other aspects of your life if you’re not careful, says David Reagan, Atlanta fitness trainer. Here are four pointers for balancing your fitness needs with other commitments for a happy lifestyle.
1. Manage Your Time
You may have to fit your exercise sessions within a tight schedule, but be careful not to squeeze out other commitments in the process. Sure, you’ll need all the time you can get for your trips to the gym or your runs around the park, but when time is precious, priorities have to be weighed. Of course, open-ended commitments, such as spending time with your family, improving your career prospects, or arranging your finances, are more important than they seem. Still, with no specific time requirements, it’s tempting to defer them when faced with a tough choice. To avoid this dilemma, keep all your key commitments – fitness included – at the top of your agenda and divide your time equally between them.
2. Preserve Your Energy
If your workouts leave you worn out for hours, reduce the challenge. It’s pointless to overexert yourself, as it can damage your work, social life, and other matters. There’s no shame in cutting back your exercise to reserve energy as needed; quite the opposite, in fact. A wide-view approach to training and energy control will promote the best outcomes all around.
3. Keep Up Your Other Interests
However keen you are to get exercise, remember your other hobbies and pastimes. If your mind is full of targets and achievement figures, it’s time to look up and broaden your focus. While it’s fine to monitor your speed, steps, heart rate, and so forth, you’ll need to free up your mind for fun and laughter now and again and to appreciate the wonderful world around you. This way, you can take care of your mind, soul, and body.
4. Listen to Your Body
Over-exercising can defeat the objective and cause injury, strain, and stress. While it’s commendable to push yourself to a safe and manageable limit, going beyond can be risky. Injuries such as pulled muscles and twisted ligaments can be inconvenient as well as painful, putting workouts on hold and sometimes causing long-term damage. More seriously, over-exertion can put a dangerous level of strain on your heart. Bear in mind, too, that an injury of any kind can have a negative impact on your mood and mental well-being. For all these reasons, you need to listen to your body as you go.
With this simple checklist, you can keep up your body-building and fitness training without cutting corners off other aspects of your life. A healthy body combined with a healthy lifestyle will set you on the road to happiness and success.
About David Reagan
David Reagan is a NASM Certified personal trainer from Atlanta, GA, specializing in weight loss, personalized workout plans, bodybuilding, and nutrition. He caters to high-end clients and executives, helping them achieve their fitness goals by accommodating their busy schedules. The client’s needs come first, and David’s fitness plan will set you on the path to success.