Ever since the first novel, most of us have fallen in love with Harry Potter and the wizarding world. However did you know that the lessons we take away from this magical experience can be applied to our lives as we pursue health and fitness? Oh yes, I did just combine your favorite things- you’re welcome. Keep your favorite wizards close to heart as you read through these 10 lessons and tips and how they apply to your quest for a healthy lifestyle:
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Pumpkin Juice Is Actually Good
Unlike the coveted pumpkin pasties, pumpkin juice is actually great for your health! This satisfying drink is jam packed with vitamins and minerals- such as B1, C, E, potassium, calcium, and iron- that keep us running smoothly. No wonder Harry Potter drank it all the time. Guzzle up, muggles.
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Keep A Positive Mindset
Whether it be Hermione being taunted by Draco or you by the small voice in your head telling you aren’t good enough, don’t listen to it. To draw from the poem Invictus, “[you] are the master of [your] fate, [you] are the captain of your soul,” and don’t let anybody or anything bog you down. As pursuers of the high ground in lifestyle choices, it can be hard to maintain an optimistic outlook: true progress takes a long time, and quitting is easy. But keep your head up; keeping a healthy mindset makes it easier and more enjoyable to walk down this path.
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Your Perceived Enemy Could Be Your Friend
For Harry Potter, it was Severus Snape. A looming dark figure who in fact loved (in his own way) and protected the boy, despite Harry seeing him as a foe. For us, the concealed friends are vegetables or burpees ( a particularly hard but helpful exercise) or any thing else that might actually beneficial to our existence despite our griping and reluctance. So, despite your hesitation- and we both know you’re hesitating- keep up with that exercise that’s difficult and bothersome and leaves you trembling: it’s good for you.
- Challenge the Status Quo
Yes, in the Harry Potter novels this may have been directed at authority, but this applies to health and fitness more readily than you would believe at face value. Whether it be in workout routines or your diet, don’t be afraid to challenge the way you’ve been told to do things. Make it your own; make it unique. But most importantly, do not do something simply because you heard that was the way to do things.
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Respect
In all of the novels, Harry Potter treated each and every walk of life with respect. It’s about time that we take a page out of his book and treat our bodies with respect. Honor it. Treat it like the temple it truly is. Nourish and exercise; allow your body to reap the benefits of the love it deserves. In doing so you are both improving your own life and setting a positive example for others to follow- something that makes you even more similar to the wizard boy wonder.
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Age is just a number
Age is in no way a limiting factor to what you can accomplish. This goes for the wizarding world- home to a boy who destroyed the most powerful and dark wizard- as well as our world- home to you, a strong independent individual who destroyed the gym last Tuesday. How many years you have graced this planet will never be a factor in your success at living a healthy and fit lifestyle. Be you 25 or 65, you are equally capable of achieving your health and fitness goals. We have a great example in our article here, about 8-year-old girl and 78-year-old woman kicking butt in their fitness goals.
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“I am what I am, and I’m not ashamed.” —Hagrid
When building a healthy lifestyle, many people will more readily accept a new dieting fad than accept themselves for who they are at the time. In order to truly make strides in the proper direction, it is important to love who you are and to love the decisions you make to improve your lifestyle. Positive self-regard and acceptance; these cannot be replicated, nor can they be replaced.
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“Anything is possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”—Ginny Weasley
We have been told this in various forms ever since we were in diapers; the sky’s the limit, anything can happen if you just believe, etc. Now we hear it from the Harry Potter franchise. However, it’s not wrong. You can really accomplish anything- be it magical or health related- provided you have the nerve and courage to pursue it. We too often invest in things half-heartedly and fail to see them through, convincing ourselves that it is impossible. But it isn’t really, not if you believe in your efforts.
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Persistence Persistence Persistence
Even from the early days, Harry never gave up. Whether it be against the Dursley’s and their attempts to beat the magic out of him, or in his quest for horcruxes, he always found the motivation to continue his efforts. As we pursue a healthy and fit lifestyle, it would behoove us to remember this; sticking with something even when it would be easier just to quit is what builds habits and success in our efforts.
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True Progress Only Occurs When You Challenge Yourself
Your comfort zone might be cozy and warm and welcoming, but nothing grows there. In order to see progress, you have to push yourself and that can be scary. Don’t worry: it’s normal. Harry Potter experienced this while learning to produce a patronus- he had to repeatedly face Dementors, a soul-sucking creature of the shadows. We experience this in our fitness regimes and diet- progress requires sweat, sore muscles, and foods that will never taste as good and comforting as pasta, cake, or a juicy burger. Know this: if it seems daunting, you’re headed in the right direction.
