Health and Fitness : Don’t get lost!
Health and Fitness : Don’t get lost!
Nowadays it is easy to be somewhat lost in the ever expanding world which is the health and fitness industry. The main reason is because we don’t try to be healthier but more performance related. In western societies we are driven by the idea to always go harder, push further, reach new limits, which is good to a certain extent but not with a smart game plan and not for any price. Building a strong and healthy body takes time and all the quick fixes such as the ‘Summer Body’, ‘Lose 5kg in 30 days Challenges’ fat burners, detox teas,etc. etc., are, in my opinion, not the right approach. Because as always, these methods simply promise us fast results. But does fast always mean healthy? The simple answer is no.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer of adaptation (more about that however in my article: Adapt your training to your Situation) but do we want these high performances and impressive PBs for the right reasons? Of course it is always satisfying to post a video of yourself lifting a barbell off the floor which is loaded up with a massive amount of plates or posting a picture of your shredded abs or overly generous sized booty on IG. Cnce again there is nothing bad with this. It can be deemed a reward for all the hard work you put into your training and this is great!
However, we should first try and see the bigger picture and attempt to understand from the core the real aim of physical activity. Our bodies are designed to move, nothing simpler than that! Move in different ways or ranges of motion, alternate positions and at varied speeds. And when I’m talking about moving, I’m not only referring to complex gym exercises but simply walking, running, cycling or even crawling. But let’s have a look at the rate of physical activity practice in Europe. In 2017 46% of the population didn’t perform any sport or fitness related activities. But what is even more worrying is that 35% of this same population didn’t even complete some form of basic movement such as those we mentioned previously: walking, cycling, dancing or even gardening. As of now 17% of Europe’s population are obese and an alarming 52% are overweight. So more than half of our population doesn’t move at all and this same population is considered overweight. Battling for the perfect biomechanics for your squat or deadlift makes you sharply realise that we are leading the wrong fight.
A lot of the time what we read and see about fitness is pure marketing. Every week you hear new terms, learn of new methods and new ways to fix your lower back pain but we also have to realize that the main cause of those pains is not due to incorrect or lack of training but by not actually training at all. Sedentary lifestyle and bad food habits are the real source of this global fight. The International Journal of Epidemiology led an experiment over a period of 29 years involving 1, 317, 713 people which highlights that those with a high level of fitness activity have a lower risk of early death than those who led a non active lifestyle. More interestingly however it showed that unfit people with a normal weight had a 30% lower risk of death than fit obese individuals.
So let’s keep it simple! There are a few tips to start moving, eat well and get healthier without getting lost along the way :
1 - Take it easy with your training
Moving shouldn’t be that difficult. The most common reasons expressed to not train are the lack of time and the fact that fitness can be rather expensive. But that’s actually a misconception. You don’t have to hit the gym for two hours every day. Try to follow the government guidelines to start. Focus on what is easy for you, walking for 30 minutes or going for a quick run is a good start! Remember, your first goal is simply to be more active! For example during your lunch break, why don’t you go for a walk or do some mobility work? When you wake up there is nothing stopping you from taking some 10 minutes to crush some push ups or to complete a few rounds on the jumping rope. The same goes before you sleep at night; take another 5 or 10 minutes to stretch, that is a great way to relax and to add some extra time to your daily bout of physical activity. Obviously we all start at a different point and with distinct goals and skills. It is not easy for anyone so be kind to yourself and remember that a little bit of something is better than nothing at all! And once you start, you just have to build up from there.
2 - Enjoy your meals but also the prep
First of all, let’s make it clear, I don’t like the term ‘eating healthily’. Why not? Because way too often we use the words ‘healthy food’ to designate food that will magically make you lose weight. An avocado or a banana are as healthy as baby spinaches, just a different amount of calories in them. Another thing that is very well said by the genius trainer Joe Holder is that instead of focusing on cutting out food categories or certain foods altogether, maybe we should just focus on adding more vegetables and unprocessed food back into our lives. But I hear you from here: fruit and vegetables as well as meat seem to be an expensive way of eating. But once again, it is a misconception that we can have them. If we wanted to swap a bottle of Cola for a kilo of apples, what would you say? It starts from there, the very bottom: changing a habit or two for your own natural good.
Now you have nice food in your fridge but what exactly do you plan to do with it? We weren’t all born with the soul of a chef, trust me! My journey with cooking has been quite the funny story. I thought for a long time that grilling chicken with white rice accompanied by a jar of green beans was great cuisine. But soon after I started to enjoy cooking because cooking can become a wonderful moment to take care of yourself and your loved ones. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just try, fail even at first attempt but taste it and enjoy every savouring minute of it and you will see that it will become second nature! We don’t all start with the same aptitudes but be sure that if you try, at least practice, you too can become a great cook !
3 - Leading a healthier lifestyle
Adding healthier habits to your life shouldn’t be something stressful. Don’t pressure yourself, you don’t have to stop smoking, eating Nutella or chilling on your couch and drink 3 liters of water all on the same day. Adding new habits will take some time but will also lead you naturally to add more habits to your routine overtime like explained in Charles Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit. My best advice is to just start with something, choose a positive habit you want in your life and stick to it. It could be to read 10 pages of a book each day, reduce the time spent on your phone by 30 minutes a day, exercise a bit more, it literally could be anything. Pick something that motivates you, be serious about it and trust me, it will lead you to where you want to go. Don’t be in a hurry, life is not a race!
Sources :
https://www.sportsdenature.gouv.fr/sport-et-activite-physique-en-europe
https://www.touteleurope.eu/actualite/epidemie-d-obesite-en-europe-un-enjeu-de-sante-publique.html
https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/45/4/1159/2951637
https://www.sci-sport.com/en/articles/Snacks-Training-It-takes-little-to-improve-his-health-174.php
https://g.co/kgs/bFBctK
https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-boost-your-immune-system-with-food