Being active and eating healthy doesn’t come easy with all of the binge-watching available binge-watching tv and tasty snacks. But I do not find any reward in only partaking in those activities.

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy the occasional binge-watching of a show or movie and all the snacks. I love some sweet snacks, for sure. But I never feel as good when I choose unhealthy foods and do less activity than if I eat right and get moving.

So I choose to live a healthy and active lifestyle for a few different reasons; some are pretty obvious as they’re the same as most people’s reasons for being active and healthy.

Health

Okay, so this one is pretty obvious, as most people know that eating healthy and being active is good for your health.

I tend not to feel so great if I consume some foods in excess. Milk makes my skin react and break out, but other dairy is okay. Sugar and refined carbs are significant sources of inflammation, and I can feel the effects of eating them in excess.

So as often as I can, I limit my sugar intake and eat whole-grain bread and grains over anything with refined flour. Please read my post about Inflammatory Foods for more information on how certain foods can cause inflammation and other health risks, such as weight gain. As well as my post about Anti-Inflammatory Foods to learn about what foods can help reduce any effects of inflammation in the body.

That said, to limit sugar and refined carbs, my choices tend to be whole foods. Anything processed or prepackaged tends to be high in added sugars and refined carbs. It is good that I enjoy whole-eating foods with a significantly higher overall nutritional value.

Productivity

Humans, by nature, are creatures of habit; well, once habits are formed, that is. That is good and bad habits. So in my everyday life, I have noticed that I tend to thrive in a general sense when I have a structured routine with my health and fitness.

Being active and having a solid fitness routine helps me overall feel my best. I know I am doing good things for my body and clearing my mind. It provides me with some mental clarity. For some people, their self-care may look different, but to me, mine is fitness and working towards my goals. During my workout, I can be in the moment and set everything aside, let go of the day-to-day stresses, and focus on myself.

When I eat right, my body feels great, I am more energized, and I am more likely to have a more productive day. When eating whole foods in a balanced diet, I tend to feel full longer and snack less than when I choose highly processed, caloric-dense foods. So my productivity is not interrupted by the urge constantly to snack.

Confidence

This one may also be pretty obvious too. Eating healthy foods helps to look good from the inside out, plus working out also maintains fat gain and makes you look good. In addition to those obvious things, eating healthy and being active helps me build my confidence, not just for vanity reasons.

When working out, doing yoga, or any physical activity, I am also actively thinking about utilizing those activities to improve my posture and present myself to the world. I don’t necessarily care about what other people think about me, but I feel how I give myself. What I mean by this is if I have poor posture, am hunched over, and my back is curved, I feel awful. Sad, depressed, and overall not confident. But I feel much more confident and happy when I stand tall, shoulders back, and lift with my upper abs. So while I am doing my workouts and working towards specific goals, I always have that element in mind maintaining proper form to constantly improving posture.

I Love It

Simple as that, I LOVE healthy foods, being active, and how my body feels when I am busy. I love building strength and seeing what my body is capable of doing. The act of setting goals and being committed to reaching those goals - any goal, whether it be fitness, health, marathon training, school, entrepreneur, etc. - then actually achieving those goals and remembering that I am capable of reaching any goal no matter how hard, no matter how long it takes. It is such a great feeling once you get there.

I love cooking with fresh, healthy ingredients and creating flavorful meals that are also great for my body. Food is fuel for the body and mind. I love junk and unhealthy foods, too, don’t get me wrong; they are designed to be addicting. But I don’t love how I feel when most of my diet consists of unhealthy foods. So I balance out my love for food. Most of the time, I eat healthy whole foods, but every so often, I’ll indulge in an unhealthy snack or meal, but in moderation.

The activities I love the most are:

• Yoga - the beginning of my health and fitness journey. I love how it makes me feel both physically and mentally. My intention behind my yoga practice is to complement my strength training, increase mobility and create mindfulness in my everyday life.

• Strength training - I love gaining strength and seeing what my body is capable of doing. I love seeing the muscle growth as time goes on. I love learning areas of the body I can target and create workouts based on that.

• Hiking and backpacking are very similar physical activities and require a bit of endurance, depending on the trails. Backpacking is an extended hike lasting for days with 20 lbs minimum worth of gear. Both can present their challenges. Since I live in Colorado, the best part of these activities is the views I see while hiking.

• Running - I am learning to get into running. I have never liked it since I do not have the most muscular cardio vascular endurance due to my asthma, so I am trying to improve on that. I notice that when I am hiking or backpacking, not only am I plodding (which is fine), but as I climb in elevation, it becomes harder and harder for me to breathe, thanks to my asthma. Like, I am slower than my 50-year-old father. So my new goals are to condition myself; for all I know, I may have to be slow, which is okay too. But all I know is I must try something to improve my cardiovascular function.

Please read my post about my Fall Fitness Goals to see where I am at right now. Since I’ve been out of the gym for about a year and because of current events, I am still not going to the gym or anywhere but to work and the grocery store; my focus is on running and getting a home workout routine down.

Longevity

Since my passion is being active, doing yoga, lifting weights, hiking, and backpacking, I want to be able to do all these things even when I am old. I do not want to lose mobility. I don’t want to gain excess weight that could cause significant health issues like heart disease. I don’t wish to bad postural habits that I have now to force me to lose functionality and mobility when I am old.

I want to continue to be able to go on adventures and see all the sights. Life may be short, so I’d like to take advantage of all the time I have, even when I am old. There is only so much time we have while we are young, which I plan to take full advantage of. But I know there is no way I can do all the things I want to do “while I am still young.” So while I am still young, I plan on taking care of my body because it is the only one I have so that I can continue doing all the things I love doing.

If you are here and reading this, that means you have an interest in your health and fitness levels. Great, I am so excited for you! Taking care of your body is literally the best thing you can do for yourself long term. I read this quote, not sure who said it though

I just find that so inspiring. Hard work will pay off in the future, but you also have to live in the moment and I feel like taking care of yourself is doing both. You are doing good for yourself now as well as for your future self.

If you are interested in learning more about all things health and fitness, follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram @myactivelife_stacey. I’ve got big things coming and I’d love for you to join me on this journey. Stay tuned!

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