In today’s information overload society, it can be hard to sift through it all and land at some specific answers about our health, especially on questions such as:
What kind of diet is best? Should I eliminate _____?
How much water should I drink? Do I need electrolytes in it?
How much movement do I need and what kind? All weights? Heavy weights? What is “heavy”? HIIT? SIIT? Zone 2? 10,000 steps?
Should I drink? What is sober-curious? If I drink, is it one a day or one a week?
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To be honest, it’s really darn confusing, even for someone like me who is in the industry all the time with all of the information available at my fingertips.
I want to dive into these topics, but as a trainer, my favorite topic is movement so I will start there.
But before I do, let’s chat about a couple quick ways to debunk the junk!
1️⃣ First, use common sense. No matter how convincing the author/influencer might seem, remember that $$$ is usually driving most of these things. (Even in seemingly neutral, scientific studies, there is often an agenda! Scary, I know!) If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
2️⃣ Second, if it sounds extreme, it probably is. Boring doesn’t sell. Advocating moderate sensible diets, walking a lot, and lifting weights a couple of times a week is not particularly sexy or headline making. It’s much flashier (and sells more) if you can make it a bit more controversial or morning news-worthy.
3️⃣ Finally, beware the swinging pendulum. Back when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, fat was out and sugar and carbs were ok! Around the turn of the century, fat became ok again as diets emphasizing keto/Atkins were in vogue and sugar and carbs were public enemy number one. I can’t wait to see what’s next - protein is out?? 😂 The older you get, the more you realize that your grandma was probably right - everything in moderation. Sure it depends on your goals and activity levels but completing banishing something or putting all your eggs in one basket is never really a good idea in any facet of life.
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Now that we have that out of the way, let’s take a look at the movement/exercise side of things. We had the jogging boom in the 70s and 80s, then the gym got big in the 90s and 2000s, pushing cardio down a few notches til HIIT (high intensity interval training) was all the rage, then it was big arses in the 2010s (sorry, this craze drove me crazy and I really hope it’s settling down), and now heavy lifting + walking + zone 2 are the buzz words I hear most often.
A couple of years ago, I came up with my own Movement Pyramid (no TM unfortunately). This is my version of how to think about movement. It all fits in, it just depends on your goal, your current and past fitness experience, and your health.
BASE OF PYRAMID
At the base of the pyramid is moving for life - walking a lot (ie, not being sedentary) and doing daily things like gardening, playing with your kids, taking the dog on a walk, taking sitting breaks if you work a desk job, opting for stairs vs an elevator, going for a hike in nature, etc. These items are not particularly structured but they are about emphasizing a base of movement in your life, versus too much time spent sitting.
NEXT LEVEL: MOBILITY, CORE, & STABILITY/BALANCE
In the next level up, we have three equally important things:
Mobility - being able to move your joints through optimal ranges of movement. If we lack basic range of motion, we probably get more aches and pains, which can them limit our ability to do basic movement (base of pyramid) or more specific training (next level up). Mobility can be facilitated through things like foam/stick rolling, using a massage gun, compression boots, getting a massage, and of course stretching.
Core - Your core is basically your trunk (not just your “6 pack muscles”). So it includes everything from your shoulder girdle, to your hips (so everything but your limbs!). A strong core is all about having a strong foundation for your body as you go about daily activities or athletic pursuits where you have to move. A strong core = lower risk of injury, the ability to balance and move more fluidly, and the ability to generate more force if you do participate in athletic endeavors. The best way to think about your core is the saying, “You can’t shoot a cannon from a canoe.” In other words, if your base is like a canoe, easily moved in the water with any wake that comes along, you certainly can’t shoot a cannon with any force or accuracy. Our bodies are the same - if we have a weak middle, we can’t generate as much power at best, and at worst, even daily movements are apt to cause us injury.
Stability/Balance - Similarly, we absolutely must have at least a foundational level of strength called stability - the ability of our body to activate our core and only move the things we want moving (think being steady on a ladder while hanging a Christmas wreath). It comes from having a strong core and having adequate mobility, and it plays into our ability to balance properly.
NEXT LEVEL: FORMAL CARDIO & STRENGTH TRAINING
After this level comes more formal training - cardio training + resistance training. Notice I put these on the same level because, no matter what the current fitness craze is, they are equally important in my book! Without sufficient cardio training, you will lack stamina to do much of anything in life without getting winded, and without resistance (or strength) training, you won’t be strong enough to do anything beyond your basic daily activities and worse, strength sadly degrades easily with age. Cardio + strength training is, in my opinion, the training you need to stay younger! And, should you crave any higher fitness pursuits, this is what you need. It does require though having a base of movement + mobility/core/stability training.
PYRAMID PEAK: PERFORMANCE
At the very peak of the pyramid is a stage that not everyone cares to participate in and there’s nothing wrong with that - in fact, some of these pursuits are quite extreme! Think of bodybuilding (specifically manipulating your body composition to achieve a specific aesthetic) or extreme endurance sports, which might require more intense bouts of exercise that can increase the risk for injury. These are certainly not required to live a full, healthy life, but some folks crave the spirit of competition and camaraderie that can come with them.
SUMMARY:
So, to sum that all up, at the very least, you want to be moving. Find a way to manage this that is relevant to you and hopefully in a way that is enjoyable. For example, I use my Apple Watch and try to “close my rings” each day (a little bit of formal “exercise,” a decent amount of moving, and standing breaks from longer bouts of sitting). Some people measure steps, some measure mileage, some try to get to a favorite class (live or virtual) a few times a week. The current guidelines set forth by the American College on Sports Medicine are a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise (ie, a brisk walk level). Start here and really master this before you add anything else in.
Once you have this down, then you can start to add in the next level and go from there!
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If you have any questions on how to start your own fitness adventure or are ready to add to what you’re currently doing, please don’t hesitate to reach out and we can discuss a plan for you together!
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