Working on your fitness can provide many benefits, including improved health to increased self-confidence. Physical activity helps you become a better person because you learn to deal with stress and feel more optimistic. These benefits occur even if you only walk your dog in the park three mornings a week. However, people frequently use their fitness quest as an excuse to justify indulgences.
In this post, we’ll look at whether working out can justify indulgences and vices. We also discuss what you can do to achieve a good balance. The vices we speak of are more akin to the bad habits that are worth changing but can be resolved, like drinking on the weekends, smoking, or overeating.
Discussing The “Work Hard, Play Hard” Attitude
Many believe concentrating on their fitness justifies indulging in vices or bad habits because of the “work hard, play hard” ethos. However, it’s crucial to note that vices like overeating, excessive alcohol consumption, or smoking might offset the health benefits of exercise. It’s important to remember that balance is essential and that “Work Hard, Play Hard” does not necessarily have to imply engaging in bad habits – or that this can prevent you from really feeling the full benefit of fitness. For instance, a smoker would have better running performance and breathe much easier if they reduced and tried to quit.
Discussing The “I Deserve It” Mentality
It’s easy to believe that because you’ve worked hard on your fitness, you deserve to indulge in vices. However, indulging in vices or bad habits is not a reward for exercising. Instead, consider rewarding yourself in other ways, including getting a relaxing massage or going on a fun day with friends.
It doesn’t have to be too clinical. In some ways, the “I Deserve It” mentality can be worthwhile for mental health. For instance, you don’t have to spiral when eating birthday cake at a friend’s celebration just because you’ve worked out that week. Instead, you can eat it knowing that it’s okay and your health isn’t affected. So by the same token, you can use this idea to stop making excuses while giving yourself an easier time. You just need to be careful with your approach.
Finding a Happy Medium Instead of Trying to Justify Indulgences
While working on your fitness can provide many health benefits, it is critical to strike a balance between working out and engaging in vices or harmful behaviors. Rather than using your fitness quest as an excuse to overindulge, look for healthier methods to treat yourself or relax.
For instance, fitness can be the rock upon which you start to lower your drinking habit. Perhaps it will also help you avoid sitting in front of the computer playing video games all weekend, as a local sports club, or attending Fitness 19 with a friend can become the way you relax with someone close to you.
Recap: Can You Justify Indulgences?
With this advice, you’ll be able to make these decisions and do so with the healthiest perspective possible.
