How can a food intolerance impact my fitness?

Having a food intolerance can impact your fitness if not managed correctly. You need to manage food intolerances by identifying the issues that are causing your symptoms and, from there, eliminate them from your diet. If you eliminate troublesome foods causing symptoms like bloating, headaches and nausea, your fitness will be affected. Read more on getting back to fitness and how food can impact your fitness.

Do you need help getting back into fitness after some time off?

Once you take time off from your regular exercise, getting back into the swing of things can be incredibly difficult. Getting back into your fitness routine needs to be a lifestyle change, not a ‘quick fix’ to get back into shape; incorporating more exercise into your daily routine is more sustainable than going hard in the gym for a short period of time, as you will eventually become fed up if nothing works quickly.

How many times should you exercise a week?

There is no correct answer to this. It is recommended to exercise 2-3 times a week to keep your health in good form, but you can exercise as much as you want to, keeping in mind the stress it may cause to your body if you try to do too much after some time off. There is also no correct answer for which form of exercise you should do; you could go for a short walk, a run, lift some weights, swim, do yoga, and so many more; you should be doing what feels comfortable and doing exercise that makes you feel good.

Don’t put pressure on yourself

One of the worst things you can do is compare your fitness journey to anyone else’s; some people may have been on their journey for years, and others a few weeks. Incorporating fitness into your life isn’t easy straight away; it takes dedication and discipline to stick to a routine; this is why it’s crucial to enjoy what you’re doing; there is no point in doing something you don’t enjoy as this will condition you to hate all fitness.

Lastly, do not compare yourself to fitness influencers; fitness is their job; they have a lot of time to go to the gym because they need to get content for their social media platforms. Having less time than them to exercise and work your fitness journey around your own time is normal.

Exercise carefully with your diet

You may have heard the saying, ‘you can’t out-train a bad diet’; this is true if it’s your goal to be in the best shape of your life. However, if you’re goal is to improve your fitness, you don’t need to have a perfectly clean diet; it’s best to stick to the 80/20 rule; eat clean 80% of the time and eat whatever you want for 20% of the time. It is recommended to eat healthy each day, but healthy can have different meanings for different people. Set yourself a goal, for example ‘I’m going to have 5 home-cooked dinners this week’; this way, you will slowly adjust your lifestyle.

It is also essential to consider any food intolerances you may have; it is impossible to follow the exact meal plan of someone else because everyone is different. If you do have food intolerances, this may be why you’re struggling to get back into your fitness; they can have a big impact on your daily life. Intolerances affect your digestive system and can cause tiredness, low mood and weight gain.

Bloating is a common side effect of an intolerance

Bloating is a common side effect of intolerance, which can make exercising harder as you may experience pain in your stomach and decrease your energy. It’s important to take your diet into account as you could experience inflammation due to stress on your body. As you can see, food intolerances can impact your fitness.

It doesn’t matter how long your break has been; you have already stepped in the right direction by wanting to get back into it. Get out your exercise gear and start working towards your goals. If you have a target fitness goal to aim for, a food intolerance might get away. However, if you manage it carefully, your fitness might not be impacted. We hope you’ve learnt a few things about food intolerances and their impact on your goals.

Does a food intolerance impact your fitness?

Food intolerances can impact your fitness – especially if not managed correctly. We recommend ordering a food intolerance test to help you identify if you have a food intolerance. This would allow you to understand your body better as you aim to reach and achieve your fitness goals. Shop your food intolerance test today and live a healthier, fitter life.