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Are you too physically or mentally tired to exercise?
Do you find yourself getting sick every few weeks?
Do you have chronic pain and injuries that just aren't healing?
Do you feel like your emotional energy is spent and gone?
If you're dealing with any of these issues, you should focus on building your fitness foundations before focusing on a diet or exercise plan.
Fitness Foundations
At some point, everyone feels sick, injured, tired, or depressed. That's a normal part of the human experience. What's not normal is a CONSTANT feeling of being sick, injured, tired, or depressed.
Like columns of an ancient Greek temple, the foundations on which you build your fitness will determine your long-term success. If you're always feeling bad, then dieting or exercising is only putting additional stress on your body and mind. The temple will fall.
Instead of forcing yourself to the gym, focus on the foundational issues first. Build up your immune system, improve your energy and mood, and give your body a chance to heal.
I'm willing to bet that if you follow the concepts below, within 6 months you would be in the best shape of your life. You won't even need the gym or a restrictive diet. You can live your happiest, most productive life.
Here's How
Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. This is non-negotiable.
Get at least 30-60 minutes of light activity every day.
Skip the junk / processed / fast food
Take fish oil, vitamin D, and magnesium every day.
Cut out the alcohol.
Reduce your caffeine intake.
Drink more water.
Spend less time in front of screens.
Spend that extra time on family and hobbies.
Most of these points are pretty simple, self-explanatory, and I have no doubt you've heard them before. But are you actually doing them?
If you're constantly feeling sick, tired, injured, and depressed, then I guarantee one or more of these fundamentals are out of place. Let's take a deeper look:
Sleep
Sleep is number one on the list for a reason. It's the absolute most important thing you can do for your health and wellness. Missing out on sleep affects everything from your mood to your weight loss attempts. Research is pretty conclusive here: Less sleep equals fat gain, muscle loss, greater injury rate, cravings, and poor mood. If you're not getting a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep, adding exercise and a strict diet will only make things worse.
Read More - How to Improve Your Sleep (Coming Soon)
Daily Activity
Aim for a minimum of 30-60 minutes of some physical activity every day. This doesn't have to be a tough cardio or weightlifting session. Keep it simple. The goal here is not to burn a substantial amount of calories, but rather to increase blood flow through the joints and improve mood. If possible, go outside and absorb sunlight. Go on a walk, do some gardening, clean your garage, etc. Research shows that 30-60 minutes of light physical activity every day can help with mood, fat loss, and a reduction in all types of illness and disease.
Read More - Daily Activity (Coming Soon)
Skip the Junk Food
You know this one. It's obvious and simple, yet most people are still eating garbage. Hence the fact that most American's are overweight or obese. Yet most people still eat junk every day. Yes, it's easy to grab a burrito from Taco Bell, but that's doing more harm than good. Processed foods, fast foods, high-glycemic sugary foods, all are contributing to that feeling of being sick, tired, and depressed. You're not a racoon, stop eating garbage. Spend an hour each week planning your meals in advance and stop buying chips and candy.
Read More - The Real Effects of Processed Foods (Coming Soon)
Take Your Vitamins
Even if you eat a perfectly well-balanced diet full of greens and veggies, chances are you're still short on a few key nutrients. Specifically, Vitamin D, Magnesium, and Omega-3s. These nutrients are directly linked to fat loss, mood, sleep quality, and immune system support. There are a few other supplements I recommend to boost your immune system and gut health.
Cut Out The Alcohol
There are no health benefits to alcohol. I know many people will argue otherwise and say that some research shows a moderate amount is helpful. But unfortunately, this is an incorrect evaluation of the data. It's wrong. The (very-limited) research saying that a "moderate" amount of alcohol is helpful is a misinterpretation of how much can you drink before it's bad. Most of the research is looking at the association between alcohol, cancer, and premature death. Obviously heavy drinkers are more likely to have bad health, but the question most people want to know is: How much can I drink before it hurts me?"
Alcohol negatively impacts mood and sleep. Sure, it might make you go to sleep faster, but it reduces the quality of sleep during the night. Skip the alcohol so you can sleep better and feel better.
Read More - Can Alcohol Be Good For You? (Coming Soon)
Drink More Water
You don't need to guzzle a gallon per day, but drink some extra water. Drink water with your meals instead of soda. Aim for 100 ounces per day, but don't go crazy here. If you're peeing every 15 minutes, it's too much water. If your urine is dark, you're dehydrated.
Read More - How Much Water Should I Drink? (Coming Soon)
Less Screen Time
The average American spends 10-12 hours per day in front of a screen. That's half your day. In addition, new data suggests that a person will spend approximately 100 days of their life trying to find something to watch on TV. To me, that sounds insane. Here's a thought experiment: How many of those hours are cutting into your sleep? Also important to note is that the light emitted from screens has been shown to interfere with your sleep cycle. Those are pretty good reasons to reduce screen time. Even further, it's a well documented effect that social media is bad for your psyche and mental health. Reduce your screen time and improve your physical and mental health.
Read More - Reduce Your Screen Time (Coming Soon)
Spend More Time with Family and Hobbies
With all this extra time you have off the screen, what should you do? Spend it with family, friends, and hobbies. Spend those extra few hours each day laughing with someone. Take a walk outside in the sunshine, learn to play an instrument, or express your creative side. Interacting with people in real-time can improve your mood and help reduce depression.
Read More - Improving Your Mood for Fat Loss (Coming Soon)
Conclusion
There's no magic to health and fitness. Everyone knows they should sleep more, eat better, and be more active. Unfortunately most of us don't actually do these things. But I guarantee that if you follow these instructions for the next few months, you'll see an amazing change in your life.