Every day we come across tips that are meant to help us lead healthier lives. Five tips to a flat tummy, 13 ab exercise to burn flab, 20 ways to eat cake and stay skinny, 30 ideas to stay stupid etcetera. Truth is, none of those tips work. At least not the way you think they will work. There is truth to some of these tips, but none of them have the potential to change your life. But there are some tips that have the power to produce changes that are larger than life and those are the tips I’m about to spill.
1. Stop coming up with excuses.
You genuinely want to focus on your health. But something or the other keeps coming up. Works gets crazy, your child falls sick, you have to travel or, if nothing else, it rains. I’m sorry you lead a tough life and I agree that your excuses are legitimate. But they are still excuses.
The problem is you don’t prioritize well. You let work, partying, chores and the weather take precedence over your health and that’s not going to help. Next time, instead of trying to justify to yourself why you couldn’t exercise, think about what you can do differently so you don’t end up with the same excuses.
2. Start by doing something, anything.
You don’t need the world’s best nutritionist and coach to jointly come up with the world’s best training and nutrition plan that is customized to your specific needs. What you need to do is to “start”. And for that you just need to do something that is better than what you do right now. Anything. It may be going for a walk or reducing your sugar intake or taking the stairs or trying your hand at a sport or even just paying more attention to what you eat. Do anything other than sitting around waiting for things to happen.
3. Quit whining and get professional help.
I know you have been trying to lose weight for many months now. You exercise regularly, follow a diet that worked for your friend and have even replaced you dinner with a giant bowl of fruits. But nothing seems to work and you’re frustrated. You tell everyone about your failed efforts, you convince yourself that you’re never going to reach your goals and you even post on Facebook and ask equally uninformed and confused friends for suggestions.
Here’s a thought - how about you stop wasting your time and talk to a professional who knows how it’s done?
4. Stop typing and start moving.
Leading an active life is critical for health and fitness but you work a desk job. It is impossible for you to get any activity during the day because your job forces you to sit for many hours at a stretch. Also, you are very busy during work and can’t afford to go for a run or to the gym. And home is a war zone. It needs your undivided attention and uninterrupted services from the second you walk into that door.
My sympathies. But again, it’s just another excuse. How about you set an alarm and walk 10 minutes for every 50 minutes of sitting? You can take your phone calls standing, you can convert some of your meetings into walking meetings, you can go for a 30 minute walk during lunch catching up with a colleague and eat at your desk or, for those of us who like to be extreme, you can even go for a standing desk. These tips may not be as easy as drinking honey and warm water every morning and may even sound insensitive. But they work. Every single time.
Noted for his passionate, no-nonsense approach to healthy living, coach Raj Ganpath is a fitness and nutrition expert and entrepreneur.
