Whenever most of us think of the word "fitness", we invariably tend to associate it only with the physical aspects of it - as in the exercises themselves, or the very movements and activities that the term conjures.

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However, in reality, fitness is so much more than just physically sweating it out!

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The following highlights 5 key factors - other than exercise - that play vital roles in affecting and influencing our overall physical fitness, regardless whether we're a mid-life adult, a senior or an individual with chronic health conditions.

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These 5 components are vital to the success of any fitness program, and are vigorously implemented, emphasized and interwoven into our private fitness sessions for all our clients.

 

In a nutshell, for a fitness program to be truly effective and efficient in the long run, the following 5 components must be ever-present:

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• Nutrition

• Rest & Recovery

• Positive Mindset

• Stress Management

• Correct Lifestyle Habits

 

A) Nutrition

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What we eat has a great influence not only on how we look, but also how we feel and how we perform.

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For optimal fitness, focus on eating a nutritionally-dense diet that is based on whole foods, lean proteins, and a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes as well as whole grains.

 

Eating such a balanced and healthy diet will ensure that we fuel our bodies with the right nutrients to support our fitness pursuits. 

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In my fitness program, I'll be guiding you on what to eat, when to eat and how to eat for maximal fitness benefits.

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B) Rest And Recovery

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When we partake in physical exercises, we are actually subjecting our bodies to tremendous stress as well as making micro-damages to our muscle fibres in the very process.

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Hence, rest is absolutely necessary to give our bodies the time and opportunity to recover, repair and rebuild.

 

Those enrolled in my fitness programs will be equipped with the necessary knowledge on how to implement a personal rest-recovery plan that involve: ensuring quality sleep, having adequate hydration, performing self-myofascial releases, and implementing "active rest" periods (the inclusion of low-intensity physical activities) in-between your workouts to help you get the most out of your fitness journey.

 

C) Positive Mindset

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Thinking positively and optimistically are important facets that can help to enhance one's fitness.

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Research has shown that optimism and positive thinking not only help us to be more focused, confident and motivated when working-out, but can also help in boosting our exercise performance and productivity.

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As such, I often incorporate mind conditioning exercises such as positive auto-suggestions, creative visualizations and motivational mantras throughout my fitness programs to help my clients achieve success in their fitness pursuits. 

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D) Stress Management

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Uncontrolled high levels of chronic stress have been linked to everything bad: from heart attacks to cancers, from depression to poor fitness.

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In fact, stress has such a BIG effect on our overall well-being and health, that I am convinced that NO fitness program can succeed in the presence of ongoing tension and excessive strain in our lives.

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As such, as part of my fitness coaching services, I always make it a point to identify the various areas that may contribute to stress in my clients' lives, lead them to recognize and address their stress triggers, and to implement realistic safeguards and solutions to avoid stress from overwhelming their lives.

 

E) Correct Lifestyle Habits

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Like it or not, our fitness will always be intimately and intricately linked to our lifestyle habits and choices.

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Bad or unhealthy lifestyle habits like keeping late nights, excessive alcohol intake, unrestrained screen time, smoking and drug abuse are all known to be extremely detrimental and deleterious to our health and fitness levels.

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Therefore, in my mid-life, older adult and medical fitness programs, I constantly spell out to my clients the need to adopt good lifestyle practices that are congruent with their fitness pursuits.

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Working hand-in-hand with my clients, I help them to identify and eliminate old, negative habits, while replacing them with new, positive behaviours and routines in their stead.

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Conclusion

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As you can see above, fitness encompasses so much more than just exercise alone.

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To get the most out of your fitness program, do ensure that you pay equal and significant attention to the above contributing factors as well.

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For those who feel they need help in getting started on their fitness journey, do feel free to seek out a good Holistic Fitness Coach in your area, or get in touch with me by clicking the button below.