An interview with Uta about how young people can be fit, healthy, and happy.
Getting started on a healthy lifestyle when you’re young will help you look and feel the way you would like to and can assure you of greater happiness and confidence. It will not only help you perform better in school, have much more fun, and enjoy all the activities you like, it will also give you the best chance to be happy and healthy for the rest of your life.
To better understand some of the issues that young people face when trying to live a more healthful life, we asked a group of teens and college students to share some of their concerns with us. Here are some of the questions they had for Uta:
What’s the most important message you can give us, young adults who want to improve their fitness and eating habits?
My most important message would be simply—congratulations! You have a head start since you’ve already made the decision to make some changes. Believe that change is possible!
What’s important to remember is that if you are not happy about the way you look and feel, you have the power to do something about it. Have the confidence in yourself to understand that you already have all of the energy, strength, and willpower you need to start a fitness routine and develop better eating habits—even if that might not be obvious to you right now. Once you become aware of your natural abilities, you can learn how to use them.
How can people our age get started on the right path?
You can begin to make positive changes if you just put your mind to it. Imagine how you would like to be—and what you would like to change. Getting started on the right path can be challenging because there are so many influences you have to deal with: family, friends, school, and the media—especially all those deceptively ”perfect” Hollywood images we’re confronted with in magazines, on TV and the Internet.
Your first step will be to find the right tools and then learn how to implement them into your daily schedule. It’s a good idea to start out by learning from someone you respect and who inspires you. Just be careful not to totally imitate that person, or it will block your ability to discover how to best develop your own unique talents.
Try to set small goals you can reach without getting discouraged and coming down too hard on yourself.
Do you ever compare yourself with other fit women?
Sometimes, yes, but I don’t simply compare our bodies. “Compare” isn’t even the right word for what I am trying to say. I try to see the whole person and I am most impressed by people who inspire me with their unique, honest charisma.
I believe that “comparing”—in terms of copying an attitude or something physical—is pointless. If you always imitate others, you’ll never develop your own unique personality.
Of course, if you are inspired by some attribute another person has, there’s usually nothing wrong with seeing how it feels to “wear” it—but in your own way. We are all so unique, and to look and feel our own individual best, at any time or at any age, is far healthier than to try to be someone we’re not.
How can I be happier with my body and not so influenced by others?
If you are not happy with something about yourself, you have the power to do something about it! When you live your dreams rather than someone else’s, you can learn to be happy with your body and mind. Give yourself a chance to love the way you look and feel and most likely, you will learn to better accept yourself. In fact, the changes you decide to make for yourself, rather than for others, could last your entire life.
This is all about your own life, your own happiness—not that of others. So, why not “take the magic step” and do what you know you need to do? Changes, especially when you‘re young and energized, can happen very quickly if you become determined and take action. You may surprise yourself by positively influencing those who made comments that kept you from being happy with your body in the first place.
Take some time to think about your strengths, the positive aspects of your personality, and who you really are. Good looks can be beneficial, but more importantly so can a kind heart, a beautiful mind, and a winning smile. The worst thing that can happen to anyone is to feel unappreciated, laughed about, or ignored, when in fact you might be a good artist, athlete, scientist, a fun story teller, a great friend, or many other positive things. Rest assured your real friends care more about who you are than what you look like.
Many of us young girls and women want to have a perfect body. To achieve this through exercise, however, takes a lot of effort. Is there a way to make it easier to exercise?
Absolutely! The easiest way to exercise is to learn to enjoy it! Just give it a try! Most people feel so good when start exercising that they wonder how they ever could have lived without it.
It might require a little effort on your part initially, but the key is to find activities that you like so that you begin to see regular exercise as play, as something enjoyable, rather than as an obligation that you wish you could get out of! All you need to do is choose the activities you like best, and make regular exercise an adventure that’s fun and rewarding. You may surprise yourself and find yourself looking forward to your chosen exercise.
Here are three tips:
- Check out the sports programs and classes that are offered in your school or near your home.
- Invite a friend to join you! Starting a new fitness routine together makes exercising much easier and a lot more fun.
- Set small goals for yourself that can be achieved in a short time. Take time to celebrate after reaching each one and then set another small goal. If you make sure not to overdo it in the beginning, your success is almost guaranteed!
Do we necessarily have to exercise in order to get in shape? Can’t we get all the benefits just with the right diet?
You can get in better shape with the right diet. However, when you add exercise to good nutritional habits, you’ll get better muscle tone, strengthen your immune system, be less tired, concentrate better in school, and build up reserves to help you better withstand stress.
You’ll have the double benefit of increasing your energy reserves while your body works more efficiently, which means you’ll have more stamina and endurance.
So, if you’d like to have an attractive and fit body, eating healthy and exercising is the only way to go. Just remember that change is easier when it is gradual and the best way to succeed is to start out slowly.
How do I stay fit without having to exercise daily?
It’s important to exercise regularly, but that doesn’t mean you have to work out every single day no matter what. Having a day off when you’re tired or recovering from the previous day’s exercise isn’t a problem, especially if you have good nutritional habits.
But unless you’re sick, hurt, or overly fatigued, why would you want to stop exercising when you can feel it’s helping you? It shouldn’t be an obstacle to exercise for a half an hour a day, especially when it makes you feel great afterwards! Again, the best tool for sticking to a good fitness routine is realizing small and easy-to-achieve goals that you keep setting for yourself. Having those goals in activities you like will increase your likelihood of staying on your unique path to better fitness.
Once you are fit, it’s easy to start worrying that you might gain weight again, and you sometimes start thinking before and during each meal about what and how much you’re eating. This is not only annoying, but also takes away the fun of eating. How can I avoid thinking like this?
If you’ve changed your fitness routine and eating habits and are now happy with yourself, there’s no reason to be worried about gaining the weight back. You have taken the magic step to changing your life—and your happiness and feeling of wellbeing are now powerful forces within you.
The key is that you have achieved your fitness goals. Your body and fitness levels reflect how you’re taking care of yourself, and you are feeling the rewards physically, mentally, and emotionally. And believe me when I say that you will not want to lose these feelings of wellbeing. Of course, if you stop your good exercise habits and you eat unhealthy food, you will gain weight. But certainly you can have some treats once in a while—that’s not a problem and shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
If you focus on eating well and exercising, you won’t have to constantly focus on “getting in shape” or “losing weight,” because they will become a natural part of your life. It’s important to think about what you like to eat and why—and whether it is really healthy for you—but if this philosophy becomes a part of your new lifestyle, you won’t have to worry about what to eat, it will come to you naturally. Eating should be fun!
How important is eating regularly during the day?
To stay energized and fit, eating regularly is a necessity. It will put less stress on your body and digestive system since you won’t be making them work so hard to digest large amounts of food at once. Eating small amounts every two hours will keep your metabolism high, which helps to maintain a good weight. It will also provide a constant energy supply throughout the day.
Many young people skip breakfast, which is a big mistake! Eating a good breakfast will help you perform better at school and in sports. It’s also a habit that prevents calories from being stored as fat and enables your body to burn more calories throughout the day. Studies have shown that people who enjoy a nutritious breakfast eat less, have more energy, and are often slimmer than those who skip it. For some tasty ideas, see our article “Kick Start Your Day.”
How can I make all these changes by myself?
You can do it when you believe in yourself and understand that you have lots of energy and strength. The key is simply starting with small changes and adding more changes slowly, one small step at a time. After all, there’s no pressure to change, so make it fun! Reward yourself after each achievement. You’ll be happier and more confident, you’ll want fitness to be a part of your life—and eventually it will become a habit.
PLEASE don’t feel alone in your quest for better fitness and health. There are many ways you may be able to get help in reaching your goals. Your parents, friends, and teachers—as well as organizations like Take The Magic Step—can be great sources of inspiration, information, and support. Try letting other people know about your goals, and you may discover that they are anxious to support you.
I hope that some of my suggestions can help you get off to a good start. Follow your dreams and instincts and believe that change is possible.
Above all, remember to keep it fun! You can do it!
