This article is a chapter from my book The Life Actionbook: Tools and Actions for Personal Development. The entire book will eventually be available on this website for free in web format, but if you prefer to read it in ebook or physical formats, you can find The Life Actionbook on Amazon.com (affiliate link).
Disclaimer: I wish I could tell you that I’m a doctor, but I can’t. I’m just an inquisitive author with a background in science and a love for practical research. The content of this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. If you want medical advice, ask a real doctor.
Fitness Assessment
How fit are you? Being fit is not about being skinny or having well-defined six-pack abs. Fitness is about how healthy and resilient you are to take on physical tasks. The following three questions will give you an idea of your overall fitness.
One measure of fitness is body fat percentage. You can estimate it at home with a scale that has bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Many gyms offer more accurate methods of measuring body fat. For this exercise, we don’t need to be precise. We’ll just eyeball it for now.
Question 1: Look at your belly. What do you see?
Your Answer:
- It’s a round mass of fat: 0 points.
- It’s not that big, but I don’t see any abs: 1 point.
- It’s flat with some defined abs showing: 2 points.
Question 2: What happens when you run up the stairs?
Your Answer:
- I can’t run up the stairs: 0 points.
- I can run up the stairs, but I’ll breathe heavy at the top: 1 point.
- I run and take stairs often without problems: 2 points.
Question 3: How many pushups can you do?
Your Answer:
- Less than 10: 0 points.
- 10-30: 1 point.
- More than 30: 2 points.
Add up all your points and see how you fared:
- 0-2 points: read this article now.
- 3-4 points: come back to this article later.
- 5-6 points: skip this article, you’re good.
The Importance of Fitness
Diet alone will only get you so far. A diet without exercise will make you “skinny fat.” You will be skinny, but the mass you do have will be made up of fat, not muscle. It is also unhealthy. You want to be lean and fit. That’s where the exercise part comes in.
There is an adage that holds a lot of truth: diet to lose weight, exercise to gain muscle. To look good and feel good, you need to be fit. Fit means less fat and more muscle. Muscle is not just for men either. Women also look and feel better when they exchange fat for muscle. Some people call it “toning” or “firming.” If you’re female, don’t worry about getting big bulky muscles. You don’t have the hormones for it. It also doesn’t happen overnight, as much as many men wish it did.
There are many different types of fitness, depending on your goals. Cardiovascular fitness involves the ability of your heart and lungs to provide oxygen to produce energy. Strength training involves building and strengthening muscles. There is also a difference between being “gym fit” and functionally fit. Ideally, you want to be functionally fit. That means varying your exercises daily, maintaining high range of motion, and using your body to get real work done.
Exercise is not easy. If it were, you wouldn’t have to read about it, and personal trainers would be out of jobs. It takes special effort and willpower to start a new exercise routine.
Fitness Action #1: Look at yourself in the mirror. Are you as fit as you want to be? If not, what do you want to improve? Set a goal and write it down.
Regular Exercise
Exercise shouldn’t be something you fit into your schedule every once in awhile when you have some free time. It should be an essential part of your day. Exercise should be a habit just like brushing your teeth or eating lunch. Most people would never skip brushing teeth or eating lunch. Why would you skip exercise?
Some people might say they’re too busy for exercise. That is short-term thinking. You want to live to be a hundred, don’t you? Exercise is one of the critical components of health and longevity. Think long-term. Make exercise part of your daily routine. It is something you absolutely must do each day.
If you don’t already exercise every day, use article as your guide to forming a new habit. Make a habit of working out every day. Not once a week, every couple days, or when you have time. Every. Day.
You don’t need to wear a special exercise suit and drive to the gym for an hour every day. Exercise can be as simple as getting up from your desk and moving around for a few minutes. It is a conscious effort to move your body more than your baseline activity level. What counts as exercise for one person might not be exercise for another. Every person has a different baseline level of activity. For someone who spends eight hours a day sitting in an office cubicle, taking a 15-minute brisk walk is good exercise. But for someone who is on their feet all day, a 15-minute walk is not exercise. It’s resting. Find your baseline and do something harder. That is your exercise. A good guideline is that if you break a sweat, then it’s exercise. Exercise at least once a day.
Fitness Action #2: Find at least 15 minutes in your daily routine to devote to exercise. Go ahead and schedule it on your calendar. Then decide what exercise you like to do. It can be as strenuous as a high-intensity workout, or as light as walking your dog. Exercise intensity is relative.
Physical Challenges
Everyone suffers. There is no avoiding it.
Think of exercise as a way of controlling your pain. You can live a sedentary life of gluttony and comfort, but eventually, you will suffer the consequences. You may become obese. You may develop diabetes. You may have an accident caused in part by your weakened physical abilities. Something will happen that will cause you pain. The worst part is that you don’t know when it will happen.
On the other hand, if you take on physical challenges now, you will be more prepared for those random events. You will suffer less when they happen. You won’t develop many health problems that sedentary people have. When you decide to challenge your physical self, you take the pain now to reduce suffering later. And the best part is you get to choose when you take your challenges.
People challenge themselves physically in many ways. Some run marathons. Others set goals. Still others just exercise regularly, making sure they exert themselves and sweat each day.
Completing challenges also brings a new joy to your life. It is a sense of accomplishment that builds confidence for the future. It is the knowledge that you faced a harrowing experience and came out victorious. That is why people run marathons, take part in obstacle races, and compete in sports.
You don’t need to run a marathon to challenge yourself. You just need to have a mentality of challenging yourself. Realize that physical challenges make you stronger and prepare you for future obstacles. Don’t shrink away from doing things that are safe, but difficult.
Fitness Action #3: Give yourself a 30-day physical challenge. Use a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps a day for a month. Resolve to set a new personal record at the gym. Make a goal of doing 100 push-ups by the end of the month.
Fitness Action #4: Set a big physical challenge for the year. Sign up for a marathon and train for it. Join a sports team and work to lead your team to victory. Set a goal to climb a mountain next summer, then train yourself for it.
Fixing Your Weaknesses
What do you focus on when you exercise? It is easy to fall into the trap of only doing what you’re good at. After all, it’s easy. We like to follow the path of least resistance.
While it’s good to enjoy your exercise, if you only do the activities you’re good at, you don’t get as much return on your investment of time. You see, you get the most gains from a new exercise in the beginning when you’re not good at it. The benefits diminish over time as you get better at it and the exercise gets more comfortable. For example, if you’re out of shape and haven’t run in years, you will have a difficult time running a mile. If you force yourself to get out there and run a mile, you will benefit significantly from the experience. However, if you’re an experienced marathon runner, going out and running a mile isn’t going to give you much benefit. There are diminishing gains as you gain experience in an exercise.
I’m not saying that expert runners shouldn’t run anymore. Just realize that they don’t get as much benefit for the time they put in. If you want to get the most out of your exercise time, you should focus on the exercises you’re weakest at. They are easy to identify. They are most likely those exercises you avoid because they are too difficult, or exercises you have never done before.
Fitness Action #5: Mix things up as you exercise. You should do exercises you enjoy, but every once in a while, try a new activity. Or resolve to do a few reps of your least favorite exercise during each workout.
Bodyweight Exercises
A common excuse for not exercising is not having the right equipment or not being able to go to the gym. Those are just excuses. You don’t need anything to get a good workout. All you need is yourself, some time, and some determination. Here are some of the best exercises you can do with no equipment.
Fitness Action #6: Do pushups. Get on the ground, face down. Put your palms on the ground with your arms outstretched in front of you. Your back and legs must be straight with your toes on the ground and knees off the ground. For each repetition (rep), bend your arms so that your elbows go to at least a 90-degree angle. Push back up to your original position.
Fitness Action #7: Do squats. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Reach your arms straight in front of you for balance. Keeping your heels on the ground, squat down as low as you can. Lift yourself back up to your original position. That is one rep.
Fitness Action #8: Go running. This one is about as straightforward as it gets. Just run. If you want to maximize your time, run as fast as you can. If you have no space to run, you can run in place. Run at least until you break a sweat.
Fitness Action #9: Try the 7-Minute Workout. Scientists have concluded that seven minutes and a chair is all you need to get an excellent high-intensity workout (https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/). Do as many as you can of each of the following exercises, in order, for 30 seconds each:
- Jumping jacks
- Wall sit
- Push-ups
- Abdominal Crunch
- Step-up onto chair
- Squat
- Triceps dip on chair
- Plank
- High knees running in place
- Lunge
- Push-up and rotation
- Side plank
Allow up to five seconds between exercises to catch your breath and set up for the next one.
Hacks
There are a lot of little tricks you can do to fit exercise into your day and make it more enjoyable. Here are a few of my favorites.
Fitness Action #10: Start tiny. Start with a laughably easy workout. Just one minute of exercise. Each day, add a minute. By the end of the month, you’ll be doing 30 minutes of exercise a day.
Fitness Action #11: Exercise while watching television. Exercise during each commercial break. Or choose something that frequently happens during a movie and exercise each time it happens, like a drinking game (only with exercises instead of drinks). For example, maybe you decide to do ten push-ups every time someone opens a door in a movie.
Fitness Action #12: Craft a workout playlist. Make the playlist as long as the duration of your exercise. For example, if you want to exercise for 30 minutes, make a playlist with 30 minutes of music. Doing this lets you work out without looking at your watch.
Fitness Action #13: Do things the hard way. Always take the stairs. Park at the far end of the parking lot. Skip the shopping cart and use a hand basket.
Fitness Action #14: Keep your exercise gear ready to go. Keep your gym bag by the door or in your car. You’ll save time and have fewer excuses not to exercise.
Fitness Action #15: Force yourself to do exercises before doing something enjoyable. You have to do ten push-ups before you’re allowed to open Facebook. You have to do 50 crunches before you can grab a snack. You’re not allowed to turn on the television until you jog for at least 10 minutes. Little rules like these create motivation to exercise.
Supplements
As always, please consult with your doctor before trying a new supplement.
Fitness Action #16: Have a green drink. Exercise can take a lot out of you, including essential vitamins. Taking a green drink like Athletic Greens (www.athleticgreens.com) or wheatgrass juice can be cheap insurance to prevent deficiency of certain vitamins.
Fitness Action #17: Drink a whey protein shake. Take whey protein before and after a strength training workout to improve muscle recovery. It speeds the process of gaining muscle and losing fat.
Fitness Action #18: Take branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). BCAAs are amino acids that regulate protein metabolism. Take them before workouts to keep muscles fueled for endurance. BCAAs are particularly helpful for maintaining muscle energy if you’re exercising while fasting.
Fitness Action #19: Take creatine. Creatine is a combination of three amino acids. Taking it supplies fast energy to your muscles. Take 2-5 grams of creatine before and after workouts to build muscle mass.
Fitness Action #20: Supplement with beta-alanine. It is a non-essential amino acid that helps reduce muscle fatigue while exercising. It is frequently taken with creatine to provide more energy and endurance during strength training.
Fitness Action #21: Take vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that your body naturally produces when you expose yourself to sunlight. Most people these days have some level of vitamin D deficiency because they spend most of the time indoors. If you don’t spend a lot of time outdoors, you will benefit from vitamin D supplementation.
Fitness Action #22: Take fish oil for its omega-3 fatty acids. It reduces inflammation in the body, reducing recovery times and soreness from workouts.
Fitness Action #23: Take glutamine. It is an amino acid that helps you retain muscle mass. It found naturally in nuts, red meats, fish, and beans. If it’s not practical to eat a wholesome post-workout meal, supplement with glutamine for a quick fix.
Tools
Although you can get fit using only your body and bare hands, having exercise gadgets and fitness tools often makes it more fun. Here are a few tools that can make it easier to motivate yourself to exercise.
Fitness Action #24: Use a Fitbit or other fitness tracker. Fitness tracking wristbands today not only measure the number of steps you take but also monitor your heart rate and sleep.
Fitness Action #25: Exercise with kettlebells. Kettlebells are like cannonballs with handles attached to them. They are similar to dumbbells, but much more versatile. Swinging kettlebells makes for a workout that is a combination of strength training and cardiovascular training.
Fitness Action #26: Use a foam roller. Deep tissue massages are helpful for breaking up adhesions and relieving muscle soreness. You won’t always have the time or money to get a deep tissue massage after every workout. That’s where foam rollers can be helpful. A foam roller lets you massage your muscles by yourself with many of the benefits that a deep tissue massage will give you.
Fitness Action #27: Wear wireless headphones. Many people avoid exercise because they find it both difficult and boring. A good set of wireless headphones won’t make exercise easy, but it will at least make it less boring. Play your favorite music, audiobooks, or podcasts and go exercise.
Fitness Action #28: Work out with resistance bands. It’s not practical to bring kettlebells with you when you travel. Resistance bands are as small and light as a pair of socks. You can use them to perform a wide variety of strength training exercises.
Resources
Fitness Action #29: Browse an online fitness database.
- Runner’s World Race Finder (www.runnersworld.com/race-finder) makes it easy to find running events near you.
- Exercise Prescription (www.exrx.net) is a comprehensive database of exercises, fitness calculators, and articles. Its database features over 1,600 exercises, each with descriptions and a video demonstration.
- Jefit (www.jefit.com) has a searchable database of over 1,300 exercises and 3,800 workout routines.
Fitness Action #30: Join a branded fitness group.
- Spartan Race (www.spartan.com) is one of the most popular obstacle races. There are many types of Spartan Races varying in difficulty and distance.
- Zumba (www.zumba.com) is an exercise fitness program developed in the 1990s by a Colombian dancer. It is a combination of dance and aerobics set to energetic Latin music.
- CrossFit (www.crossfit.com) is a fitness regimen that combines a high-intensity exercise philosophy with competitive sport.
Fitness Action #31: Read books about fitness.
- The 4-Hour Body, by Timothy Ferriss, features uncommon workout routines for maximizing results and minimizing time spent at the gym.
- Kettlebell – Simple & Sinister, by Pavel Tsatsouline, teaches everything you need to know to get started with kettlebells.
- No Gym Needed, by Lise Cartwright, outlines several exercises you can do at home with minimal or improvised equipment.
Fitness Action #32: Listen to fitness podcasts.
- Ben Greenfield Fitness, with Ben Greenfield (www.bengreenfieldfitness.com), gives you an entertaining mash-up of ancestral wisdom and modern science to optimize your fitness.
- The Fat-Burning Man Show, with Abel James (www.fatburningman.com), has answers and interviews with thought leaders to transform your body, mind, and life with cutting-edge science and practical wisdom.
- The Model Health Show, with Shawn Stevenson, breaks down complex health issues and makes them easy to understand and overcome.
Fitness Action #33: Read fitness blogs.
- Nerd Fitness (www.nerdfitness.com) is a fitness site for regular people who have a day job and can’t spend hours at the gym.
- As its name suggests, Men’s Fitness (www.mensfitness.com) features articles about fitness for men.
- The Fitnessista (www.fitnessista.com) is another popular fitness blog, but geared towards women.
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