At present, talk of the mosquito-borne Zika virus is dominating media headlines in the UK. After a suspected outbreak in Brazil, health experts believe that the disease will spread across all of the America’s and Britons have also been asked to be vigilant while looking out for symptoms. Given our awareness concerning potential ailments and tropical diseases, it seems strange that we remain oblivious to the leading health issue in the UK (and indeed across the globe). This is obesity, which is continuing to spread as a global epidemic with an independent panel commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently reporting that 41 million children under the age of five are now clinically classed as being overweight or obese.
A Lack of Knowledge: Understanding the Pillars of a fit and Active Lifestyle
Perhaps this is less to do with ignorance and more to do with understanding, however, as overweight individuals in the UK tend to become preoccupied with fad diets in the mistaken belief that they will enable them sustain a fit and healthy lifestyle. Citizens are also impacted by the challenges posed by a work-life balance, which according to recent data is impacted by job roles that pay in excess of £37,000 per annum. While extreme diets may help you to lose weight quickly, this cannot hope to be sustained while they also ignore the relationship that exists between eating habits and exercise. This is why fitness groups such as Super Body are so unique, as they focus on enabling users to build diverse and manageable fitness goals that can be maintained over time.
With this in mind, here are the three pillars to living a fit and active lifestyle:
Diet
With the New Year now upon us, millions of UK citizens are making good on their resolutions to lose weight and get fit. The problem is that many choose extreme diets that completely eliminate dietary elements such as carbs, salt or Trans fats, without realising that a truly healthy diet requires all of these things to function properly. In fact, the key to a healthy diet is moderation, as you balance your calorie intake alongside the levels of fat, saturated fat, sugar and protein that you consume. By following the traffic system in place on ingredients and balancing your diet, you can create healthy and sustainable eating habits that can stand the test of time.
Exercise
As we have already touched upon, the relationship between diet and exercise is pivotal to the development and continuation of a healthy lifestyle. There is no point in losing weight if you do not exercise, for example, as this will weaken your body and potentially create a plethora of additional health issues. Exercise helps you achieve a range of goals from burning calories and building muscle to increasing endurance and boosting your immune system. The key is to develop a regime that is manageable and suited to your diet, while also diversifying where possible and scaling your efforts as you build superior fitness.
Mental Focus
Now we reach the most important point, as your balanced diet and exercise regime must be maintained if you are to live a healthy and active life. This demand mental focus and discipline, especially during the formative weeks when you are attempting to change life-long habits and thought processes. Over time the process will become easier as you develop new dietary and exercise habits that are beneficial to your lifestyle, and you must use this as motivation as you look to remain active and dedicated to the cause as your first begin to lose weight.
