Namaste!
Have you ever said to yourself "This summer I'm going to lose/gain weight" ?
Last year I caught myself saying this, even though I had worked for years before that to GAIN weight. I was probably 4 kgs lighter last year, but I distinctly remember telling myself that I would lose some weight because I didn't think I looked good enough.
This summer, however, my goal was not weight related. My goal was strength and flexibility related. I do Yoga almost every single day and I have been keeping up with this ever since lockdown was announced.
I concentrated on my upper body strength, arm strength and core strength. On the flexibility side of things, I wanted to work on my hip, hamstring and shoulder mobility.
These have been my only goals. I was almost about to do the Chloe Ting 14 day Shred challenge, but I realised that this kind of explosive workout was not sustainable, so I didn't try.
Today, as I spoke to my two roommates, I realised why some of us find it difficult to lose or gain weight. Why is that?
I have understood the importance of doing a whole-rounded practice.
Whether that means Yoga in my case or gym, Zumba or dancing in your case, your choice of workout should always help you be healthy, to be fit.
What I mean by this is, when you target on only one aspect of fitness, you tend to lose out on another.
To give you an example, if you want to train only your core muscles to have a more defined shape, then by doing this you're forgetting the muscles on your back. So essentially you're tightening all the core muscles and strengthening them, but you aren't working on the back, so your back muscles will remain weak. Why is that an issue? Because this is how you will suffer from back pain, incorrect posture, Lumbar lordosis and other back related issues in the long run.
So working out on a single aspect will never give you the kind of results you're looking for in the future. If you do core strengthening, do back strengthening as well. I know many people who have unbelievable core strength but zero back flexibility. And this, in the long run is not sustainable. You will find, later, that you have to put in more effort to correct these mistakes. We all know correcting our old habits are harder than learning new ones from scratch!
I always get asked "How do I Lose weight" the answer is, practice the right kind of fitness mindset, always aim to work on all aspects of the body, and you will automatically see a change in your weight and overall health. Strength and Flexibility should ideally go hand in hand. This is how you will be able to bring balance in your body and your lifestyle.
Hyper-flexibility is a huge concern, although you might not think so. With this much flexibility your muscles can lose the ability to hold their shape, you can also suffer from bladder control! You will be unable to hold postures that require strength.
On the other hand, the downfall of a lot of strength is the inability to allow your muscles to relax, muscle tears, stiffness etc.
When you start your fitness journey, start it with this mindset, not with the goal of attaining your ideal weight, and your workout will be more sustainable. Soon it will become a lifestyle, it will be something you just can't go without. It will become as important as the food you eat.
I assure you, your body is capable of balancing the weight out on its own, but what you need to do is take the conscious effort to actually workout, and aim to be a healthier version of yourself. Forget about that flat tummy you've been wanting, or that sculpted body look. Aim to get FIT, mentally as well as physically and everything else will fall in place!
Stay Safe, Stay Aware!
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