Understanding My Body Series- The “Trio Foundation”

Hi everyone! Thank you for your enthusiastic response and messages- you kept me busy whole last week responding to your emails and queries, and I am really Honored by your enthusiasm for this site!

In this series, we will focus on understanding our body- before we actually jump to fitness routines etc. This is of vital importance, since without the basic knowledge of how this works; one is bound to make costly mistakes in her/ his fitness journey.

The “Trio Foundation”

The foundation of the human body’s fitness is primarily governed by “The Trio”- three basic factors (can’t get simpler, eh):

1. REST (sleep- the time when internal organs can rest and skeletal tissue can repair)

2. DIET (but of course)

3. EXERCISE (includes our overall activity profile- not just workouts, not just squash games)

Think about The Trio as three dots in an equilateral triangle. Even if one of them moves from its original position, the triangle won’t be equilateral anymore- and the rest of the 2 dots will need to readjust themselves to get the formation back on track. The FIRST thing one needs to realize about fitness- without a proper balance between The Trio in one’s life, holistic fitness is impossible.

I know that would emancipate some sighs and “I don’t agree” lines, but true it is. A lot of us (which included me of course) fall into the trap of believing that even though one is sleeping less than 4 hours a day and eating on practically anything that comes by during that working lunch, further pushing oneself hard on the gym floor would be a great investment to one’s fitness.

Which it is not.

And there are very sad stories around us that I don’t want to directly quote here, but which prove that this imbalance is good enough to kill perfectly “fit and healthy looking” people.

All of us studied about the “Early Man”- I am sure saw pictures of him/ her too. Ever wondered why you never saw the picture of the Early Man with a paunch? It is simple- The Trio in their bodies was perfectly balanced- they slept full, ate right, and their lives were full of physical activities (of course, all those complex gym machines hadn’t been invented back then!).

A very important factor to fitness is that one should realize their situation, look for the right balance between rest-exercise-diet, and follow a regime that is suited specifically to their body. “How”- is that your next question? Well, the next few posts will delve deeper into that. But as a rule of thumb, here is what a perfect trio balance would look like:

1. REST- Sleep for 8 hours each day

2. DIET- Eating all dietary requirements in balanced proportions (including water, carbs, proteins, fats, fibre). Also includes NOT starving

3. EXERCISE- Figure out your calling- gym/ sports/ activities- but use that skeletal structure fully

Remember- I said “rule of thumb”. There are very few days in my life where I get to meet the above three. But I readjust the dots, as explained above. It has taken time and I have found the right ways to do that after committing some mistakes, but once I did understand how/ when my body needs this readjustment, life became a breeze. So it’s important to understand that there will be deviations, and if one is working towards holistic fitness, those deviations would be negated by The Trio.

What to Do to Fix My Trio

Glad you are asking. Very simply (and in this particular order of importance)-

1. Give yourself adequate rest. Sleep adequately- try to restore your sleep every 3 days if you are in a very tough schedule (total sleep time in 3 days should be between 22-24 hrs)- don’t push harder than three days because after that, your body will start reacting with defense measures to the additional stress- the first line of defense?- PRODUCE MORE PROTECTIVE (FAT!!) TISSUE.

2. “Know” what you are eating- counting calories is tough and doesn’t work for all, but knowing the food that you eat helps. Also, keep to limits with your portions, and eat at least 6 meals a day (don’t fall of, it’s doable, I’ve done it, and it works. We’ll talk of that in coming posts).

3. Stay Active. Good news is that most of us try and do something here, so this one I am not too bothered about till the time you get the first two right. For extreme cases who aren’t doing anything here- with all due respect- find your calling and move that ***. Future posts lined up for this one too.

Remember:

Fitness is a way of life, and it doesn’t come easy. It needs discipline and thought to itself

This TAKES TIME. And it shouldn’t matter to you how much time. It’s a complete life that you will live in your body- so invest into it worthily

The good news is- The Trio is your foundation, and many times just about all that you need to do in your schedule. It’s important to fall into the habit, if you are really serious about getting and staying fit

My Confessions and Realizations:

I was never a very active person for most of my past life- “slug” was the right word to define me. What does an inactive person do when he realizes he is too fat? He starves- and that’s what I did at times. And all this didn’t really help my fitness much. I was a fat but weak person, who would occasionally commit heroics at the gym- only to end up being weaker.

I had this liking for tennis though, and when I started playing tennis seriously (around 7 years back), I realized that my body is not as fit as I think it is.

I then joined a gym which had a fitness and diet coach, and they guided me to this gyan. That gyan worked- and I have seen it working for many, not just me.

I have been a sheer foodie, and like to eat food that I love, in heavy quantities! I also love chocolates, and cannot live without them. But when I got my Trio in place, that changed a bit. I still eat all that I love (including chocolates), just keep my knowledge around what I eat, and it’s good enough to keep my fitness.

So start working on your Trio from today. It will not matter if you don’t succeed right away (which you will not, it takes time and practice), but once you start on it, the future posts coming in will benefit you immensely.

So I am back to you again this Saturday- and it’s only going to get better- now that I have so many of you interacting with me! Keep happy, and be healthy.