Excitingly, we’ve recently had quite a few new faces join the Precision One Health and Fitness community – new gym members, PT clients and Reformer Pilates members. I’ve had the pleasure of running free gym inductions for some of these people, and when discussing what they want out of their training, so many common threads come up – a big one being that ‘it’s time to make a change’.
When starting on any transformation journey, it can be easy to adopt a “run before you can walk” mentality and go for a complete overhaul of many aspects of daily life.
Many people focus on adjusting their nutrition and training first, as these elements have the most obvious impact on changing body composition. However, what is often overlooked or ignored is the importance of establishing strong foundations for overall health. As we always say, you can’t achieve fitness without health. To be successful in achieving and maintaining your fitness goals, it’s essential to take a holistic approach to health. In this article, I will outline some of the underpinning building blocks which form the solid foundations to build your nutrition and training upon.
Stress is a common issue that affects many aspects of health. Simply put, when you experience stress, your body releases glucocorticoids, also known as stress hormones, that prepare you for fight or flight. While this is beneficial in the short term, the lasting effects of stress can be detrimental to progress. After the stressor is over, these hormones remain in your system and create a need for quick energy. This is why people often crave high-fat and sugary foods after stressful events. If you’re dealing with chronic stress, you may find that your food decisions become poor, and you experience intense hunger and cravings at certain times of the day. Addressing stress management is crucial to making better food choices and achieving your goals.
Sleep is another pillar of health that plays a critical role in stress management. Specifically, the quality of sleep and your ability to reach deep, restorative sleep are what matter most. When you’re sleep-deprived, your stress levels increase, which can trigger the same hormonal response discussed earlier. During sleep, your body cycles through five stages, including REM sleep, but stages three and four, known as slow wave sleep, are especially important for restoring energy and replenishing glycogen stores in the brain. During these stages, glucocorticoid secretion is inhibited, helping to turn off stress hormones. If you’re frequently sleep-deprived, your body misses the opportunity to restore energy and reduce stress hormones. This can lead to heightened stress, poor decision-making around food, brain fog, and overall fatigue throughout the day. Prioritizing sleep is essential for improving mental clarity and making healthier choices.
Nutrition also plays a key role in achieving health and fitness goals, but it’s important to understand that quality matters. While approaches like If It Fits Your Macros (ITFYM), intermittent fasting or intuitive eating are widely promoted in the fitness industry, the quality of food consumed still significantly impacts satiety and overall well-being. Not all food is created equal. In addition to tracking calories and macronutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins; micronutrients must also be considered. These include vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. Many processed foods lack these vital nutrients, which can lead to deficiencies and negatively affect energy levels and hunger cues. A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates will support energy, improve satiety, and help prevent nutrient deficiencies. Proper hydration is also a crucial component of a healthy diet.
In the pursuit of fitness, it’s easy to focus heavily on nutrition and exercise. However, you can’t achieve fitness without health. Managing stress, improving sleep quality, and focusing on nutrition are foundational elements that should not be overlooked. By addressing these areas, you set yourself up for long-term success when your training and nutrition are built on solid ground.
If you need any help with lifestyle, health or fitness – be sure to speak to one of the team or click https://p1coaching.co.uk/personal-training/ to enquire into working 1:1 with one of our Personal Training team.
