Nutrition is Important to your Fitness Journey

It’s not hard to notice the vital role that your eating habits play in how you feel, how you look, and how you perceive yourself. Research has shown that nutrition has the largest impact on our fitness (Leal, 2020a). Your nutritional habits will play the biggest role in achieving your fitness goals, more so than any other fitness component. Successful body changes happen when there is a well-balanced combination between exercise and healthy nutrition (Leal, 2020b). 

Diet and fitness

Having a good diet helps maintain your body, giving it enough nourishment and energy to tackle anything without you feeling dead tired or broken afterward. Incorporating the right amounts of calories, carbohydrates, fluids, minerals, and protein into your diet is vital to keeping your body in good condition (medlineplus.gov, 2022). 

Lifestyle and fitness

Having an active lifestyle and partaking in exercise is only a part of the recipe for keeping your body healthy and energised. Your nutritional habits are important because they affect so many aspects of your life like sleep, mental health, performance, and physical health. All these aspects form part of the balance needed for your fitness journey. 

Do your research

It is important to learn about healthy eating and about how to incorporate all the necessary food groups into your diet. Myths and misinformation being spread about nutrition and fitness can be harmful. When trying to get fit and lose weight it is easy to be tempted by the ‘miracle fixes’ that promise quick results. Often, these include cutting out essential food groups from your diet. This can lead to negative effects on your health and wellbeing. 

Health and fitness, like many aspects of our lives, are not just phases or temporary fixes, it is a lifestyle. Health and fitness is about listening to what your body needs and adjusting your regiments accordingly.

Bibliography

Leal, D., 2020b. Is Nutrition More Important Than Exercise?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.verywellfit.com/nutrition-vs-exercise-80-nutrition-wins-3121406
[Accessed 27 January 2022].

Leal, D., 2020a. Why Nutrition Is the Most Important Part of Fitness. [Online]
Available at: https://www.verywellfit.com/eat-healthy-feel-healthy-and-look-amazing-3121363
[Accessed 27 January 2022].

medlineplus.gov, 2022. Nutrition and athletic performance. [Online]
Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002458.htm#:~:text=Nutrition%20can%20help%20enhance%20athletic,a%20casual%20sport%20or%20activity
[Accessed 27 January 2022].

Written by Zoë Johnson