The Journey!

The path to a healthy lifestyle is not one you can walk in a day. It is a journey you traverse throughout your entire life. It is an adventure filled with heart pounding moments and breathtaking sceneries. It is the path that leads to a fulfilled life without regrets. Take the journey!

Getting started on the path to a healthy lifestyle can seem like a daunting task. With so much different, and sometimes conflicting, information out there it can get quite confusing. There are hundreds of fad diets you can choose from and weight loss centers everywhere you look. You have exercise and fitness “gurus” all over the media, each with their own “end all, beat all” exercise routine designed to whip you into shape. Let us not forget all the pills and supplements for weight loss, some touting that you can lose weight in your sleep if you just take their product. They sound a little more like Jack’s magic beans than a science to health. The options out there for you to choose from seem just about limitless.

With all these options and information being thrown at you it is easy to see why people have a hard time getting started. You begin thinking about starting up and lots of questions start popping into your head making the quagmire of endless options even worse. Should I join a gym? Do I need to start on a low carb diet? Do I need to lift weights or should I go out and buy an elliptical machine? Where and how do I begin? For many people this overload of information leads to hesitancy and for some it can stop them all together.

So where do you begin? The good news is you already have! You are here reading this page which says you have already taken that all important first step and made the choice to start living healthy. The path to a healthy lifestyle doesn’t start in a gym or on a treadmill. It starts inside you. Your journey began with your resolve and determination to change your life for the better.

So, where do you start once you have made the choice? A healthy lifestyle begins with proper nutrition. Notice I said proper nutrition and not diet. The word diet is used far too often to describe a temporary solution to an issue that needs a permanent one. Proper nutrition is something you will learn and do the rest of your new and healthy life. Your body’s performance and limitations depend greatly on what you put in it. The better your nutrition is the better your body’s health and performance will be. For me that choice is being a vegetarian. It is a lifestyle choice that I both support and promote as a way to a healthier life. (Read my post on Vegetarianism here)

What about all those options on exercise routines? Where do you start with that? Ultimately, the path you take from here depends largely on you. You need to first ask yourself what is your goal? What is it you are trying to achieve? Are you trying to attain that large, chiseled muscle, hard body look or are you trying to slenderize and attain a lean body. The exercise routine you do depends on what you are trying to achieve. One thing that doesn’t change is simply, you have to exercise regularly with a mix of both cardio and strength training. All too often people get in a groove and do just one or the other. It is a mix of both that will give you the best results for your overall health. I am a big fan of yoga. It is a wonderful way to help keep you in shape both physically and mentally. It is also a discipline that I believe should be worked into the daily routine of anyone serious about their health. (Read my post on Yoga here)

Another tool you may want on your journey to a healthy lifestyle is support. Start to surround yourself with people who have the same interests and goals as you. Join a yoga class and get to know the other students. Get your spouse or a friend to start exercising with you. Whatever it is don’t try to do it alone. At some point we all get tired or discouraged. That support will help pick you up and keep going. If for some reason you can’t find someone around you for support there are plenty of online groups specifically for health minded groups to meet, share and give support. Here are a few that I know of.

Health for Life: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=138850349495253

Healthy Living: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=319840717178

Everydayhealth.com: http://www.everydayhealth.com/forums/weight-loss-support-group

Although the path you take to a healthy lifestyle is your own, you don’t have to walk it alone. We are here to help you in making the right decisions for yourself. Through knowledge, information and inspiration we will be a guide to you on your path. A healthy lifestyle, it’s a wonderful adventure and a beautiful journey.

A Vegetarian/Vegan Lifestyle! Is it right for you?

Yoga! Much More Than Just a Fitness Tool.