When you move to a new city like Hyderabad, your focus is on exploring the place, finding a good accommodation for yourself, making friends and settling into your new college or job. Among all these things, your health and fitness can take a backseat. There’s just way too much to do and see. But once you’ve spent a couple of weeks or months in your PG in Financial District, Hyderabad, you suddenly realise that you’re sleep-deprived, eating unhealthy food and can’t remember the last time you exercised. And that’s not a great realisation to have.
Just because you’re busy with your move to a new city doesn’t mean that your health and fitness should be neglected. And that’s why we’re here to help. We’ve got some of the smartest and simplest tips for you to prioritise taking care of yourself and making exercise and healthy lifestyle practices a part of your routine. So, you can just stop thinking about how to get fit and instead become fit. Take a look at these tips and get ready to improve your life.
What’s your reason?
Why is it that most of us don’t “find time” to exercise? It’s because we don’t really know our reasons for wanting to work out in the first place. Most of the time, you think about exercise as a way to lose weight or achieve a future goal (like fitting into your favourite pair of jeans). And that can actually be demotivating as it relies on emotions like guilt and shame. Instead, you need to identify the positive and immediate reasons for you to want to be fit. Think about how exercise can relieve you of your stress, make you feel happier or even expand your social circle. It’s only when you see this as something that adds value to your life that you’re going to make a sustainable change.
There’s no shame in taking it slow
You can’t learn how to run a marathon in a day. If you’ve been living a pretty sedentary lifestyle in your PG in Hyderabad, don’t try to make a drastic change all at once. Take things one at a time. Start eating healthier and changing your diet first and give your body time to adjust. Then try to incorporate some light exercises to your daily routine. You can always build up from there and maintain a sustainable routine, which is better than trying to do everything at once and losing steam quickly.
Change it up
One of the main things you need to know when you start your fitness journey is that it doesn’t have to look the same every day. So, don’t be afraid to have a variety of workouts that you can try and keep up. This will make things more interesting for you and will make your exercise time a lot more fun too. Remember that physical activity doesn’t have to be an hour at the gym, you could opt for a dance class, yoga, pilates or swimming too to get a sweat going.
You don’t need fancy equipment
A lot of the time, what’s stopping you from getting active is a reluctance to invest in expensive workout equipment. And we can totally understand that. But the truth is, you don’t need to buy anything special or break the bank to start your fitness journey. There are plenty of items that you can find around your PG that will allow you to DIY a resistance workout even in a small space. A chair and a few water bottles can go a long way, just make sure to pace yourself.
Let technology help
If you’re someone who needs just a little bit of extrinsic motivation, why not let the world of technology help you get fit and stay healthy. There are tons of apps like pedometers, workout trackers as well as virtual training programmes that you can follow along. These apps record your progress and send regular reminders to ensure that you’re meeting your fitness goals. And if it’s just a support system that you’re looking for, tap into some online fitness groups, communities or podcasts that can increase your motivation and get you ready to move. After all, it’s a lot easier to finish your workout when you know you’re not in it alone.
Schedule it
When you’re trying to build a habit, one of the most important things is consistency. You need to create a routine for yourself to exercise or visit one of the gyms in Hyderabad every week. So, scheduling your physical activity can be a great way to ensure that you don’t end up missing a session. And make sure you’re choosing a time of the day that is actually feasible for you. Once you’ve managed to stick to your schedule for the first couple of weeks, your body will get used to the routine and you’ll find it a lot easier to keep exercising regularly.
Be kind to yourself
There will be cheat days, days when you don’t feel like getting out of bed, or days when you just can’t find the time to keep up your habit. And that’s fine. Instead of beating yourself up about missing a workout, be more considerate towards yourself and try to fit it in the next time it’s possible. This is also where having a holistic approach to health can come in handy. If your attitude towards fitness is not just about finishing your workout but about eating well, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep, then you can ensure that you’re on track for at least a few of these everyday. Even if you miss a workout once in a while, you’re still taking care of your health in general. So, allow yourself space to face some hurdles as well. A good rule of thumb is to consider a four day buffer. Allowing yourself no larger of a gap than four days between a workout session (except in the case of illness and emergencies). This will ensure that you’re not under too much pressure to stay fit but at the same time you can keep your routine going easily.
Fitness is a very personal thing. But it’s also really important, especially when you’re living on your own. Taking care of yourself by performing regular exercise and taking care of your diet will certainly pay off in the long run and help you look and feel better. With these tips, you should find it a little easier to start your fitness journey on the right foot. So, what are you waiting for? Put on your workout gear and get a move on!
