I think it’s safe to say that we all have our fair share of unhealthy habits. Whether it’s drinking too much, exercising too little, overeating the bad foods, under-eating the good foods, smoking too often, abusing stimulants to stay awake, and/or popping pills to fall asleep – none of us our perfect.

And as much as many of us try to quit and give up some of our unhealthy habits, the reality is that it’s really fucking hard to do it. Let’s be honest, life can be challenging at times. There are times when work becomes stressful. Relationships end. Global Pandemics begin. Feelings of boredom, sadness, depression can easily arise when our lives feel as if they are in turmoil. Yet at the same time, when things are going well, it can become just as easy to take our feet off the proverbial gas pedal for a few minutes/days/weeks/years and “let loose” and “relax” on being disciplined with building our new and improved healthy habits.

But what happens when our healthy habits are broken and are left unrepaired for too long?

When does the saying “it’s never too late to get started” become really just a meaningless saying?

And how can we turn our bad habits into good habits without giving up a lifestyle that we love and enjoy?

Shit Happens

I have clients that beat themselves up and put themselves down when they cheat on their diets and/or miss a few workouts.

I have clients that put others down for being too boring with their diets and too disciplined with their workouts.

And I have clients that train frequently and eat cleanly the majority of the time, yet understand that sometimes shit happens and that’s okay.

I am without a doubt one of the most unconventional Trainer/Coach that you will ever work with. I understand that not everyone aspires to have ripped abs, bulging biceps and striated glutes. And I also understand that some people only go to the gym to improve upon their aesthetics. Regardless if a client’s goal is just to be happy and healthy, or walk around with a God-Like Physique, it’s my job as Fitness Professional to help them achieve that goal to the best of my ability. And as much of a physical struggle it is to go the gym and train with the utmost amount of intensity (phones don’t make an appearance during our sessions), it’s even more of a mental struggle for the majority of people just to get there.

And when some people don’t get to the gym they begin to feel worse about themselves. At this point, in my experience, these people can either go one of two ways:

1) They begin to restrict calories because they know they are not exercising enough. This ofcourse can lead to a series of eating disorders which if left untreated can eventually turn into severe consequential health issues.
or
2) They justify eating anything and everything because they missed the gym anyways and promised themselves and they will start back tomorrow/next week/next month etc. This action will only lead to a downward spiral of events that will only push the person further and further away from getting back on track with his or her diet plan and exercise program.

Talk about a mind fuck right?

Is Exercise Really a Healthy Habit?

The argument has been made time and time again that exercise is in fact a healthy habit. However I tend to disagree with this statement when that healthy habit becomes self destructive and a breeding ground for narcissistic behaviour. Thanks to the growing prevalence of Social Media, filtered progress photos and self-centred fitness journeys are all the rage. People are thriving off “likes” from their followers and starving for self validation from complete strangers. It almost seems as if being fit has now become a fad. Whether or not you think this is a good thing, the long term effects can only become disastrous in my opinion.

Social Media will always be around. However as people become more accustomed to seeing fit, strong and muscular bodies in their daily newsfeed, I worry that just like most things that become overplayed, the image of health will slowly become less and less relevant and thus, less and less important.

Turning Bad Habits Into Healthy Habits

It’s completely out of my scope of practice to offer advice to someone who is looking to quit something that is potentially detrimental to their health. However when it comes to cleaning up a diet and starting a regular exercise routine, I think I have some credibility in this area and my advice is warranted. Therefore I’ll leave you with this –

Exercise Regularly For YOU.

Follow a Healthy Diet For YOU.

Live an Active Lifestyle For YOU.

And If You Don’t Want To Take Care Of Yourself For YOU, Then Do It For Those That Love You and Need You In Their Lives.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance