In the society in which I live, health and fitness is a particularly aesthetic thing. I've always been a skinny girl - for as long as I can remember. For many, that's all there is to the "health and fitness dream". You can imagine therefore the confused reactions to me expressing my desire to get fitter and healthier when I'm already slim - and that's the problem. Health and fitness is very much a personal and biological thing as much as it is simply about appearances. I for one can vouch for the fact that I am fairly unfit and that I definitely do not eat well enough yet people still seem surprised when people with my frame say they want to get fit and eat healthier.
It is often hard to differentiate between looking good and feeling good and many would choose to only opt for the first option because of the pressures put upon from the media. 'Fitness' is often glamourised in a way that makes it seem like we should all look one way and often unhealthy and unrealistic goals are presented to us.
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| Nike Roshe Runs from JD - £40.00 (Junior section, yay for being a size 5!) |
However, I have realised that looking and feeling good are both as important and that actually, they compliment each other very well and both things can be achieved when they work together. I have come to realise at the age of 20 that I want to be fitter and I want to be healthier - I want it for me and for me alone and not to impress others or to adhere to social pressure, but so that I can get the most out of my life, feel the best that I can and do the best that I can. And I think that's where the fitness journey begins: making sure that you want to start this journey for yourself and understanding that it will be a personal journey - one that will be different for all of us so there is no need to compare. Big or small, good health and fitness is something we are all entitled too and I am making the first little baby steps to getting there.
So what are these baby steps? Well for someone who has never really eaten distinctly heathy, I am definitely not going to suddenly turn vegan or anything. I need to make small adjustments that I can gradually increase and adapt over time. For me, that starts with the basics like getting my five a day and drinking enough water. I am also taking beneficial vitamins and trying to broaden my healthy food spectrum as well by trying new things. And of course, excersise. I have found a lot of different workout apps and YouTube channels that have helped me to start working out and I'm starting to recognise what kinds of excercise I enjoy most and what works for me. I think like most things, the most important thing is to have a routine and to have goals - this is something I am also trying to establish for myself and it's helping me to see progress and to feel like I am really achieving.
This is will (hopefully) be the start of a journey that I can share with you and update you on. It may be monthly or every couple of months, but I want to share with you my discoveries, my achievements and my physical development both inside and out. Let's go!
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