Practical Steps in Health and Fitness

When we decide to make changes to our health, there are many options on where to begin. We can make nutrition changes, exercise changes, supplements, sleep, and so on. Once we decide which path to take then we have to create a plan of action. This leads us down google rabbit holes and reading biased books focused on one point of view. Something I use often for myself and our clients is a phrase “Have we done the basics to need to worry about this?”. My friend Dan Fosselman asked me that when I asked about adding a supplement to my regimen. It was a light bulb moment for me. The supplement would’ve been added to my protocol and maybe could’ve improved some health markers, but there were lower hanging things like improving sleep that would have a much larger impact on my overall health. I think this leads to human nature where we look for something we’re not currently doing that could have more impact than the thing we already know could help, but we’re not doing. As my wife and I are watching the TV show Cobra Kai, it reminds me that in all things we need to master the basics until they become automatic before adding new into our routine. Here are some common things in health and fitness that we jump to and the and miss easy practical steps to take before. Whenever you want to add something just ask yourself simply “Is there anything easier I should improve first?”.

Specialized Strength Training Routines

Before you focus on 90 Day Glute Program, we need to examine if we have established the habit of strength training. Are you strength training consistently 3-4 days a week? If your training isn’t consistent and you haven’t touched on basic progressive overload principles, then the glute program isn’t the next step. Develop the habit of strength training 3-4 days every single week. Stick to full body workouts and focus on improving in one exercise each session. Lift a heavier weight, use the same weight for more reps, or improve a challenging movement pattern. 

High Intensity Cardio

There is a ton of data showing the benefits of bouts of high intensity cardio routines. The impact of these routines is dependent on your aerobic base. Simple cardio that people overlook is simply taking a walk each day. This is great Zone 2 cardio. This means you can still have a conversation while doing the exercise. Walking also helps with low back and hip health, digestion, and is great for your mind. Before worrying about adding high intensity training into your routine, try a simple walk each day. Don’t worry about time or distance, just move. 

Supplements

We’ve gotten so far away from what supplements are designed for. It’s simply to supplement what we can’t get from food whether it be our schedule or the micronutrients are difficult to get enough from diet. If you’re not already eating a balanced diet, sleeping well, and strength training then supplements will have a minimal effect. Supplements can be very beneficial when you have your major areas covered. 

Specialized Diet

Isn’t it amazing that people have success on carnivore, keto, low fat, weight watchers, and every other diet protocol. There’s also people who fail miserably on those plans. In all diets, they pull a different lever to calorie restrict. Whether it’s time restriction or macronutrient restriction. Before we worry about the name of our diet, we should create healthy habits like eating 3 meals a day, preferably cooked at our house. Each meal should include protein, complex carbohydrates, and some green vegetables. Getting this habit will outperform most diets long term. 

Hot/Cold Therapy

Hot and cold therapy have gotten a lot of attention the last few years. People suggest that it helps with things like anxiety, weight loss, and mental clarity. This is often accompanied by people taking a picture and posting to social media. Reducing screen time and time on apps would benefit everyone’s anxiety much greater than an ice bath. As for weight loss, the data is very low to support this especially in comparison to eating a balanced diet with caloric restriction. When people ask about hot/cold therapy I generally suggest moving their workouts outside. Taking a long walk in the cold or a tough workout in heat will do wonders for you. While there are benefits to these therapies, they don’t compare to our basics. 

Morning/Night Routines

Sometimes routine can be beneficial, but when routines increase anxiety and decrease action they’re no longer helpful to us. We need to establish better habits that we can adjust based on each day instead of a routine that shackles us. A simple habit to improve health could be shutting your phone off one hour before bed or exercising first thing when you wake up. Action always beats planning and helps us figure out what works or doesn’t work for us. 

All of the things mentioned above do have benefits when implemented correctly. The magnitude of their benefit is greatly impacted by the foundation you have established. There’s no amount of ice baths that can overcome someone drinking 3-4 beers every night. When we begin to master simple habits we notice there is often an association effect. Example ; you begin working out four times a week and walking on days off, you eat better because it makes you feel better and this leads to better sleep. These happen all the time and as a group will have a much larger impact than any single modality. 

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