Fitness goals: Are you working out or are you overworked?

The toughest thing is to find right balance between training and over-training

When it comes to exercising, one needs to understand that there is a certain balanced approach that needs to be taken. Sometimes, people do not understand what balance means, and how it can be applied to fitness, in order to achieve desired results.

Sohrab Khushrushahi, the founder of SOHFIT says that for fitness, health and well-being, one needs consistency over a period of time. Or in other words, “balancing and not boosting”. He shared with indianexpress.com some tips on how one can find this balance and work towards their everyday fitness goals. Read on.

1. Being consistent

“We hear a lot of people say: ‘I’m not dying after today’s workout, did I do it right?’ It’s become a norm these days, if you’re not breathless after every workout, the workout wasn’t good enough. But, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Working out is about enjoying yourself and what your body can do, it isn’t about beating yourself every single time. Yes, it’s great to feel adrenaline rush, but not at the cost of your health.

“One session will not make or break your body. Consistent work over a long period of time is what will give you the results you desire. Also, you can only be consistent if you’re being good to your body,” he said.

2. Evolve every day

The toughest thing is to find the right balance between training and over-training or working out till you reach a state of pure exhaustion, Khushrushahi said.

“Sometimes, just moving and enjoying the movement is good enough. Surely, you can have a session or two in a week where you go all out and enjoy that burn, but you can’t do that for 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the rest of your life. Your body needs down-time, too.”

 Consuming lots of protein shakes every day is not the answer; try and get your protein from natural foods. (Photo: Pixabay)

3. Clean eating

The fitness expert said people keep hopping from one diet to another, in the hope that they will magically get the body of their dreams. “Diets are a short-term fix and you can’t really sustain it for the rest of your life. The minute you go from restricting yourself to eating everything you want, you’re back to square one. And that’s why adopting a clean and balanced eating strategy is the smarter and more long-lasting choice. Consuming lots of protein shakes every day is not the answer; try and get your protein from natural foods.”

4. Keep it simple

“The simpler you keep it, the more chance you have to succeed. The end result is never in our hands, the process is. And if we focus all our energy in just staying the course, we will get to where we want to be,” Khushrushahi concluded.