8 Things I Wish I'd Known About Health and Fitness BEFORE I Became a PT
Updated: Sep 25, 2021
There is no quick fix boot camp or magic pill you can take for a few weeks that can "cure" you or make you "healthy" for life - you have to make small alterations to your lifestyle gradually over time and work on yourself every single day to start seeing true benefits.
Women can lift weights and eat protein without getting bulky or being perceived as "manly." It's 2021 and this is still one of the biggest myths and subsequent barriers to the industry and it's annoying!
There is no single correct way to be healthy - health looks different on everyone and what works for you might not be suitable for someone else. Unless you know the full details of a person's medical history or are a qualified professional LEAVE THEM ALONE and stay in your lane, no one asked for your unsolicited advice.
Getting visible muscle definition such as a 6-pack is really difficult to achieve and maintain for the average person. It takes 24/7 dedication to achieve this to the level you see in films or on social media. To make your 6-pack dreams a constant reality you would have to quit your life and make having a 6-pack a full-time job with zero room for error!
Lots of different things can affect your health such as the amount of sleep you get, financial or social limitations and your daily stress levels. It's not just about eating less and moving more. Whilst that is a fair part of it, you genuinely need to take a look at your life as a whole to make long lasting change.
How you feel about yourself is so much more important than how much you weigh or your clothes size. Far easier said than done but learning to accept yourself as you are, flaws and all, is the most important and helpful thing you can do for your health not just physically but mentally too.
You can eat a real variety of tasty and interesting foods and be healthy. You don't have to eat plain chicken, broccoli and wholegrain rice everyday! Use salt and butter in your cooking, cover your plate in all the sauces, gravy or cream! Life is too short to eat bland food that makes you unhappy and sometimes making a small compromise so you can enjoy your favourite foods without feeling the guilt is worth it.
Understanding how and why products/services are marketed is SO IMPORTANT. Companies pay well for good marketing and thought through #ad posts that show their products in the best light. These campaigns are designed to make you feel inadequate and like you MUST buy that product in order to be happy or fit in. Once you start to understand marketing techniques you'll quickly be able to tell the ones that are tricking you into parting with your hard earned money and the ones that are actually worth your time.