We’re almost at the half year mark and while we started the new year with renewed optimism and resolutions, have you found it challenging to stick to your fitness and nutrition goals? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Adjustments to our lifestyles involve a huge change of habits, something individuals have long found difficult due to a myriad of reasons. In the case of exercising, individuals who have mostly led a sedentary lifestyle typically start off too strong as they are just getting started, making it increasingly difficult to sustain their exercise habits. Among these are also individuals who might not be adopting the correct forms in their exercise, leading to injuries and an inability to continue on with their active lifestyle.

There are common misconceptions and pitfalls when it comes to adopting a new lifestyle – from easing into a new diet and exercise plan, to understanding the lifestyle factors that impact your healthspan. That’s why we spoke to Professor Brian Kennedy, Chief Scientific Officer of Regenosis, to get an expert opinion on the above topics as well as to how to close the gap in fitness and nutrition literacy, such that everyone can self-sufficiently improve their health. Thus, living their lives to the fullest potential, even in old age.

Q: What are some common misconceptions when it comes to adopting new lifestyles?

I think the biggest misconception is that changing your lifestyle is a constant battle. Yes, it can be hard to start a new exercise or diet program, but people often find, once they get past a couple months and the changes have stabilised, that the new lifestyle they adopted is engrained. In addition, healthy lifestyle choices will not only help with aging, but will also have short-term benefits such as having more energy or sleeping better.

Q: Do you have any tips on easing into a new diet and exercise plan?

People often try to change everything at once when the think healthy lifestyle. However, this is very hard to sustain. I recommend choosing one or two things that can be done without disrupting a person’s normal schedule too much. That could be a modest change in diet or intermittent fasting, walking up the stairs, etc. Once these are successfully completed, the person builds confidence and the next changes become easier.

Q: What are some typical lifestyle factors that can impact one’s healthspan?

We usually think of four main factors that affect healthspan and lifespan. Those are diet, exercise, stress management and sleep quality. There is strong evidence for each factor and it is likely that improvements in these areas will have short- and long-term benefits. Of course, there are other factors such as smoking and excessive alcohol intake that have negative consequences as well.

Q: What are some lifestyle changes that are recommended through the RealHealth program?

The major advantage of a program like RealHealth is that you are not alone on your journey. Professionals work with you to adopt programs that are healthy and sustainable. I think another major advantage is that you learn a lot about how your own body works. For instance, by comparing what you are eating to your blood glucose levels in real-time, you can see how you respond to different types of food and exercise plans. Lifestyle change is hard, and you need to be armed with knowledge and supported by experts.

To find out more about Regenosis and their RealHealth program, please visit their website https://regenosis.com.sg.

Images: Envato and Regenosis