Weight loss (Credit-Canva)
Weight loss is a big deal. When people choose to take a step towards a healthier lifestyle, their loved ones understandably wish to cheer them forward. But many people have difficulty following through on their journey and end up falling back to step one.
People who do not struggle with their weight often think it is because other people are lazy and do not wish to get better, but that is far from the truth. There are many reasons why someone gives up on their self-improvement journey and falls back into their old habits. It is much more than being lazy and unorganized, they may feel scared and overwhelmed by different things like people’s perception and judgement etc. Addressing these mental and emotional challenges is essential for successful weight loss. Seeking support from a healthcare professional, therapist, or support group can help individuals overcome these obstacles and achieve their weight loss goals.
Losing weight can be a daunting task for many people. It's more than just a physical challenge; it often involves overcoming significant mental and emotional hurdles. Here are some reasons why people may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of weight loss
Fear of Failure
The spectre of past weight loss failures can cast a long shadow, fueling self-doubt and hindering future attempts. Negative self-talk and a lack of belief in one's abilities can further exacerbate this fear, creating a vicious cycle that perpetuates the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Overwhelming Information
The sheer volume of diet trends and conflicting advice available can be paralyzing. From fad diets to conflicting nutritional guidelines, the abundance of information can make it difficult to discern what's truly effective and what's merely hype.
Social Pressure
Societal expectations and the constant bombardment of unrealistic beauty standards can create a sense of inadequacy and self-consciousness. Comparing oneself to others, particularly in the age of social media, can further amplify these feelings and make the prospect of weight loss seem daunting.
Lack of Support
Feeling alone in one's weight loss journey can be isolating and demoralizing. The absence of encouragement, understanding, or accountability from loved ones can undermine motivation and make it difficult to stay on track.
Health Concerns
Underlying health conditions or medication side effects can present significant challenges to weight loss. These factors can make it difficult to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle, leading to feelings of frustration and overwhelm.
Lifestyle Obstacles
A busy schedule filled with work, family commitments, and social obligations can make it difficult to prioritize exercise and healthy eating. Limited access to healthy food options or safe exercise facilities can further compound these challenges.
Fear of Change
Stepping outside of one's comfort zone and making significant changes to one's lifestyle can be daunting. The fear of the unknown and the uncertainty of the outcome can prevent people from taking action and feeling overwhelmed.
Emotional Eating
Using food as a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, or boredom can create a vicious cycle of emotional eating and weight gain. The emotional connection to food can make it difficult to break unhealthy eating habits and feel overwhelmed by the prospect of change.
Self-esteem issues
Low self-esteem and a negative body image can make it difficult to believe in one's ability to achieve weight loss goals. The fear of judgment or ridicule can further prevent people from seeking help or making changes to their lifestyle, leading to feelings of overwhelm and hopelessness.
Many people struggle with insomnia, which means having a hard time falling or staying asleep, or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep. While there are medications and therapies, they can have side effects or be difficult to access. This has led scientists to look into simpler, more natural ways to help.
Many people who have insomnia or other sleeping issues find it much easier to tire themselves out before they go to bed. Whether it is with things like housework, errands, or going out to exercise. A big aspect of good sleep happens to be fitness. Being fit not only helps you keep healthy and your body functions regularly, but it also helps people fix issues like lack of sleep.
The study was done in the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and it delved into the potential of exercise-based methods to combat insomnia. They analyzed data from 22 clinical trials involving 1,348 patients and 13 different sleep-boosting measures. The study focused on seven types of exercise:
The study found some really positive things:
The researchers concluded that exercise is an effective way to improve sleep for people with insomnia. They specifically mentioned that yoga, Tai Chi, and walking or jogging were more effective than other exercises.
Scientists think these exercises help with sleep in a few ways:
Yoga makes you more aware of your body and teaches you controlled breathing. This can help ease anxiety and depression, which often make it hard to sleep.
Tai Chi involves slow, gentle movements and focuses on breathing control and relaxing your body. This can help you manage your emotions better, which is good for sleep.
Walking or jogging can improve sleep by burning energy, lowering stress hormones like cortisol, helping with emotional balance, increasing melatonin (the sleep hormone), and even boosting the amount of deep sleep you get.
The studies showed that people usually kept up with the exercise for four to 26 weeks before their sleep benefits were measured. However, the studies didn't say exactly how many times a week they exercised. For yoga, beginners are usually told to do two to three sessions per week, and doing it regularly is important to see improvements.
The researchers believe that exercise can be a powerful treatment for insomnia. They even suggested that exercise programs could be part of regular doctor visits and community health programs. Doctors can already suggest exercising as part of a treatment plan, and many places have programs where doctors can send patients to local fitness centers.
Exercising is a crucial part of keeping ourselves healthy. Whether it is walking, going to the gym or even working out at the weekends, it is very important for your body. Everybody has their own preferences regarding exercising, while some people find it much better to exercise early, others go for evening exercises.
Research published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal suggests that exercising in the morning could be especially good for the heart and lungs of older adults. The study also found that simply having a regular exercise routine can bring health benefits. Experts explained that getting physical activity earlier, consistently, and more often during the day might help you stay fit as you get older.
To understand how the time we exercise affects our overall fitness and health, scientists looked at health information from 799 older adults (average age 76). Participants wore devices on their wrists for seven days to track their activity. They also underwent tests to check their heart and lung health and had regular doctor visits. Here's what researchers discovered:
There's still a lot to learn about how the timing of our physical activity affects our health and the risk of long-term diseases. More research is definitely needed to fully understand this link.
However, researchers suggested that the connection between exercise and our body's natural circadian clock (our 24-hour internal rhythm) might explain why timing matters. This internal clock controls things like body temperature and hormone release. So, the time of day you're most active could actually impact how well you perform and even how your muscles respond at a very basic level. Depending on the timing, working out could also either shift your internal clock or keep it steady, which seems to help muscle cell function and overall metabolic health.
Lastly, it's worth noting that everyone has a chronotype – whether you naturally feel more awake in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Scientists believe that knowing your chronotype and planning your activities accordingly could significantly impact your health and fitness.
The American Heart Association suggests getting 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. But a growing amount of evidence suggests that even short bursts of movement – even just 20 minutes a week – can significantly benefit your heart.
One sports medicine doctor emphasized that any amount of exercise makes a difference and that whether you exercise is more important than when. Another expert agreed, highlighting that having a consistent exercise schedule is also very important. Both the new study and other research show that sticking to a routine offers many benefits, from preventing long-term diseases to improving survival rates with cancer.
Many times, the things we like to do aren’t easy to do. While it may suit other people, there is no guarantee that it is the best for you. So how does one go about looking for the exercises that suit us? How about picking exercises according to your personality?
A recent study published in the Frontiers in Psychology journal suggests that picking your exercise according to the kind of personality you have could be the best idea. The study suggests that if your workout fits your personality, you're more likely to stick with it and see better results.
Researchers mentioned that our personality affects how we respond to and engage with exercise. Think of it from a different perspective, like a person who enjoys talking and having conversations with people, they fair better in jobs that allow more face-to-face interactions. Similarly, this study explains that some aspects of our personality could help us find better results with a certain type of exercise. Understanding ourselves and others can help create personalized fitness plans that lead to lasting changes in how active we are.
Researchers wanted to make physical activity more enjoyable for people. So, they explored how personality affects what kind of exercise people prefer and how committed they are. They studied 86 individuals over eight weeks. First, participants filled out surveys about their stress levels and personality traits, like how friendly or anxious they tend to be. Then, they underwent fitness tests and were divided into two groups:
Throughout the study, participants regularly reported how much they enjoyed their exercise sessions.
The study didn't pinpoint exact exercises for specific personality types, but it did reveal some general patterns connecting what are called the "Big 5" personality traits with workout preferences:
It makes a lot of sense that your personality strongly affects your workout preferences. Your traits influence your willingness to try new things, how you feel about effort, and your comfort in different environments, making exercise a natural way for these tendencies to show up.
Experts note that this study was stronger because it used objective measurements rather than just relying on what people reported about themselves, which is common in similar research.
However, the study wasn't perfect. More than 70% of participants were described as open-minded, conscientious, and emotionally stable, meaning the group might not fully represent everyone in the general population. Plus, the study didn't account for participants' past exercise experience or why they chose particular workouts.
Tailoring your fitness program to your personality could potentially boost your exercise gains and overall health. Finding workouts that people will actually do and stick with is crucial for consistent physical activity.
If you're thinking about trying a new workout, experts suggest reflecting on your own personality traits and the types of activities you usually gravitate toward. It's helpful to pay attention to how you feel after different types of sessions, whether it's a strength workout, yoga, or a run. Ask yourself if it energizes you, calms you down, or just makes you too tired for anything else.
However, it's also important to think about other factors that might help you stick with an exercise routine, such as how easy it is to access, any injuries you might have, and your specific fitness goals.
Being willing to adapt and create a plan that truly works for you will help you achieve more long-term benefits. Setting clear goals that include measurable progress is an excellent way to build towards success.
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