Lately, words like “Fitness”, “Healthy Eating”, “Low-Carb Diet” have become very common. People’s food choices are becoming more thoughtful. We all want a healthy lifestyle. We want to stay fit, live a long and happy life. But the challenge is whenever we start on a fitness regime, initially, the enthusiasm is at the top but slowly, it starts to fade away. People re-organize their pantry in a hope to bring a positive change in their lifestyle & eating habits. Many stay on track but there are a few who find it very challenging to keep up with the promise they have made to themselves. I am not at all against such efforts. In facts, I truly admire and respect those who have the will power and self-discipline which is needed to abide by the commitments. But I also feel that just by doing it for a specific period of time and then once you get the results you want going back to the previous state is not right. It is like you have wasted all your efforts.

Sometimes, taking something very basic and keeping up with it can also give you good results. I am sharing my 5 fitness mantras. I am not a trainer or any fitness guru but I do like to stay fit. I do very basic things to keep myself active.

 

 

• Limit screen time: Yes, fitness also includes healthy eyes. And these days, we tend to ignore it. It’s not that we don’t know how excessive screen time can harm our eyes but we save that rule for our kids. Am I correct? I know technology has made our lives very easy and these days, most of the things are technology driven. But if we can spend a few hours in phone detox mode then that will help us big time. Social media is taking charge of our lives. I am a blogger and I have many important things that are possible only through social media but if that is affecting my health then I will let that go. I do not have the Facebook app on my Phone. It’s okay if I miss out on some notifications or messages. These days, everyone is on Instagram and the urge of posting everything immediately has become a habit. Is it really required? It’s okay if you get late in posting some of your vacation pics. We need to put certain limits on ourselves. We feel since we are sleepy let check WhatsApp. Or since I am not able to sleep so let me check my messages. You can listen to podcasts instead of spending time on the screen. I have made a habit of listening to at least 1-2 episodes before going to bed. It’s a good dose of positive thoughts before I go to sleep. Do give it a try.

 

• Home-cooked meals: Who won’t like to take a break from the kitchen? But eating out frequently can affect our health. Oily, spicy, food may feel good to our taste buds but it’s not good for our tummy. Also, when I am cooking then I do not compromise on taste. I use homemade Ghee on a regular basis in my cooking wherever needed. No, I do not follow Rujuta Diwekar. 🙂 I like the taste of homemade Ghee and I cannot have Chapati or Daal without Ghee. I also consume sweets that I like. Cooking at home not only gives us a chance to keep a check on the ingredients and their quantity but also help in developing healthy eating habits in kids.

 

• Early to bed: I am not a late-night person. I can get up early in the morning but don’t ask me to stay up late. I can’t do that. Once in a while, I do movie nights with my daughter but we start the movie early so that we can finish it before 11:00 or max 11:30. But this is only on Friday as she doesn’t have school on Saturday. Some of my friends ask me about my favorite TV shows and if I don’t stay up late then when do I watch them. So, yes, I do have a few favorite shows. I usually follow one show at a time. These days, I prefer web series more. Luckily Netflix has many good list of web series. Some of my previously watched are How to Get Away with A Murder, Revenge, Grey’s Anatomy, Downton Abbey, Yeh Meri Family, Mahi Way, Rishta.com, Zindagi Gulzaar Hai, Humsafar. Apart from these, I am a big-time fan of Agatha Christie movies. It’s manageable to finish one movie in one seating as they are just 1.5 hours long. So, when do I watch all this? While folding clothes, or chopping veggies, or while cooking. Sometimes, I take a break from my writing schedule and relax. But again, no late night watching. And yes, if it is a web series then it is very easy to feel tempted to watch the next episode. So, control yourself.

 

• Walking & Exercising: Walking has always been my favorite exercise. With Texas heat, evening walks are a little hard as it gets pretty humid and it’s not good weather to step outside before 7:30 pm. Since it gets close to our dinner time, I go in the morning for walks. At least by following this routine, I feel good of not missing out on walking. Other than walking, I enjoy doing stretching combined with some Squats and Planks at home. I have followed Classical Stretch Workout by Miranda Esmonde White for quite some time. Now I can do those deep stretches on my own.

 

• Drink water: Don’t know if I drink 8 glasses or not but I try to keep my water intake as much as I can and consume water based seasonal fruits. Also, I prefer lemonade or fresh drinks like Aam Ka Panna or coconut water over sodas. Once in a while, I do drink Sodas too but I that’s very rare.

 

So, these were my 5 fitness mantras. I feel that fitness is not just about losing weight or giving up your favorite food. It’s about staying fit. By following something that you and body can take can be your fitness mantra. There is no point if losing weight and feeling tired all the time. Discipline, positive attitude and regularity go a long way. And try to create healthy habits not restrictions.

This post is a part of #SlimTurns4 Birthday Celebration hosted by  Slimexpectations and ThoughtsbyGeethica.  

Prompts used: 

My 5 Fitness Mantras 

My favorite Movies/TV shows and why

 Screen time- a boon or curse for moms