Why Fitness and Nutrition Both Matter

When trying to get healthier people often go one of two ways: they either start exercising all the time and don’t change their eating habits, or they transform their eating patterns and stay physically inactive. Although focusing on either one individually can show you some results, these two areas of our lives are so integrated that we will never reach our full potential without working on both together. In fact, we may actually be setting ourselves up for failure if we aren’t being intentional with both activity and nutrition at the same time. 

Why Physical Activity Matters

First off, we have to realize that there is so much more to being physically active than the calories you burn. So often people use exercise as a way to burn off the food they ate or are about to eat. Yes, we do burn calories through exercise, but that should never be our driving force. The relationship between food and our bodies is so much more complicated than a simple calculation on a computer or watch telling us how many calories we burned or consumed. In fact, there is really no way to know exactly how many calories are burned in any given workout due to the fact that calorie burn can be influenced by gender, height, weight, time of the month, muscle mass, and so much more on any given day. So if we are focusing on calories when we exercise not only will we be focusing on an incorrect number, but we will never be able to mentally and emotionally enjoy all of the other benefits from being active because we will be so preoccupied with the number in our head 

So instead of calories, we should be focusing on enjoying the activity we are doing and celebrating all that our body can do. Just 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week can help prevent heart disease, strengthen our joints, support healthy aging, increase stability, and deepen sleep quality. This moderate intensity activity can look so many different ways too. It can be yoga, running, cycling, hiking, rowing, lifting, aerobics, jump roping, etc. As long as we are moving to get our heart rate up, our bodies will still get the benefits lifted above. Furthermore, all of these activities wake up our digestive system and help us tune into our bodies hunger cues. Moving our bodies intentionally- no matter the number of calories we are burning- helps us better utilize the nutrients we consume through food. As a result, we may find ourselves eating more or less than we would have otherwise since we are better able to know when we are hungry or full. 

In the end, we need to commit ourselves to being physically active consistently and make it a lifestyle rather than a punishment for food we may have eaten. As a result we will see ourselves growing stronger, better able to do the tasks set before us, and better able to understand our hunger. Our bodies are capable of so much, and being active is a way for us to celebrate those abilities and tune in with what our bodies need from us nutritionally. 

Why Nutrition Matters

So how does food fit into being healthy? In a lot the same way as being physically active. Again, eating is not something you have to earn. No matter what our lifestyle looks like or how physically active or inactive we are, we all need consistent amounts of fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Food is fuel for both everyday life and physical activity. What changes when it comes to exercise is the amount and timing of those carbs, protein, and healthy fats. Neglecting this relationship between timing and portion size of food and physical activity limits our capacity for weight loss, energy, healing, and performance. In fact, often the root cause of injuries from exercise is improper nutrition. Food is both fuel for our bodies before a workout and replenishment to aid in healing after a workout.  Tune in next week for more details on what nutrition specifically should be looking like around exercise, but essentially what is important to remember is that nutrition and physical activity are integral parts in helping us reach our full potential in whatever health related goal we may have for ourselves. Failing to address both will only result in stunted growth as an individual and hindered performance both in activity and life in general. So stop exercising as a punishment and start eating to honor and fuel your body, and be active to celebrate what you can do. Food and fitness should be enjoyed in freedom, any other way is a disservice to ourselves. 

For more information and help finding this balance between nutrition and physical activity reach out to us today through our website nutrition502.com, instagram @Nutrition_502,  or email us at natalie@nutrition502.com.