Common sense

As in everything, in sports quality matters, not quantity. Approach your workouts with common sense and without haste. Nothing will happen immediately, and due to overly intense or frequent workouts, you might only discourage yourself, possibly overtrain, or give up on a sporty lifestyle for a long time. Most of us, when we feel that exciting surge of motivation, are capable of spending the whole day at the gym just to see the desired results as soon as possible, but that's not the way to go! Take it easy, give yourself time, and the fruits of your labor will appear faster than you think. Step into this world consciously and sensibly!

For exercises to yield the expected results, a training trio is essential: diet, effort, and recovery. The golden mean that allows you to approach effort with your head and full awareness of your body. If you're just starting, you can plan your week to train every other day and use the other days to rest. It is precisely then that your muscles strengthen, your body slims down, and your fitness (even though you spend the day watching Netflix) improves. Over time, as you become stronger, consciously increase your training days, but remember to dedicate at least one day a week to recovery. And if you encounter people who consider a rest day as an excuse and laziness... Just keep your distance from them ;).

Alright, but what if lounging around doesn't entirely convince you? You can spend your rest day productively! If you feel like doing nothing, then boldly, this day belongs to you! But if you still aren't fully convinced by the idea of that, we have a few suggestions for you:

- choose to walk or bike to work
- go to the pool and relax
- roll yourself on a foam roller - it soothes tense muscles
- take a long walk with your dog
- opt for gentle stretching of your body

One thing is for sure - a beautiful, sculpted figure is not possible without a balanced diet. It is said that the universal recipe for success is 70% diet and 30% exercise. There is a lot of truth in this, but it is also worth approaching the issue of nutrition with an open mind. Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? It is a nutrition method used even by professional athletes. It involves incorporating 80% healthy, unprocessed, low-calorie foods into your diet - for the body, and 20% of all the remaining foods - for the mind. We are talking about "small indulgences," which during a strict diet we can allow ourselves only during so-called cheat meals or cheat days. This model of nutrition is exceptionally friendly for beginners and those who still struggle with their strong will. It does not impose too many restrictions on us, but offers a lot of possibilities. In this way, we take care not only of our figure but also of our well-being, win-win!

However, this is not an option suitable for everyone, so decide for yourself, or in consultation with a dietitian, which diet is the most appropriate for you.

It is worth remembering that eating pizza, ice cream, a chocolate bar, or a burger while on a diet is not the end of the world. When you allow yourself small pleasures, and instead of one workout, you choose to go out for drinks with friends - nothing will happen! You won’t gain weight, you won’t ruin your hard work, you won’t jeopardize your dreams. Have fun, and the next day return to your habits and keep going. Find balance, strive, and remember - we are only human. Treat small stumbles and failures as lessons. Remember that a healthy lifestyle can be highly addictive! This is both good and bad news. Sometimes it can go in the wrong direction and even lead to eating disorders (e.g., orthorexia), so it is worth finding a golden mean.

Taking care of your figure is not a race, so remember to do everything in harmony with yourself. Trust yourself, listen to your body, and act with common sense!