4 Underrated Fitness Tools
At some point during our lives, we have to understand that things that seem easy and fast are nonsense and benefit someone that you’ll never see more than they will you. (Hi MLM companies). As humans, we crave things to happen faster and easier than we’d like them to. Take finances as an example. Most people would love to be debt free, have a ton of liquid assets, and stacks of investments. The good life of the wealthy. In reference to a book, The Millionaire Next Door most of the people who are considered wealthy have taken a long road of spending less than they earn and putting away money into sound investments for a long period of time. While this is boring it’s how most things work and your health and fitness aren’t any different. The things on this list will be dismissed by the fitness influencers online because they can’t post an affiliate code for you to click on. Add these into your life and after three months you will see the magic and simplicity of it all.
Strength Train 3x/Week
Without even getting into to complex world of different training strategies based on goals just know that simply lifting weight for around an hour three times a week will improve your life. Train your entire body and don’t be afraid to add weight or reps each time you come back to a movement. Strength and muscle are the greatest assets we have for a better long term life. There are thousands of free templates online that you can pick from and likely get benefit. If you’re not strength training 3 times a week you’re holding back the potential of everything else.
Daily Walk
I’ve seen fitness people online bash walking as exercise and it’s mind-blowing. We want people to move more and then tell them moving a certain isn’t beneficial. Walking every day will change your life. It will improve waistline, strengthen lower back, build up hips, and improve your heart health. It’s also one of the best practices for mental health and mindfulness. If you’re not walking at all, here is a simple progression to try out.
Phase 1- 3 10 Minute Walks per day
Phase 2- 1 30 Minute Walk per day
Phase 3- 1 60 Minute Walk per day
From there you can increase the time, go on trails for more elevation gain, or add a weight vest. Don’t knock walking until you’ve tried it. It’s a free miracle drug.
Increase Protein Consumption
This is something the gym bros had right all along. Most people way under eat protein. Aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. With our clients that have done this, it’s been one of the most amazing things I’ve seen. It will improve body composition, increase strength, and make you feel better which I’m pretty sure is the entire reason for all of this. If it seems difficult to get that much in, try breaking it down this way. Let’s use a 200lb Male as an example.
Meal 1- 50 Grams Protein (Eggs/Meat)
Snack 1- 1 Scoop Whey Protein (25 grams)
Meal 2- 50 Gram Protein (Meat)
Snack 2- 1 Scoop Whey Protein (25 Grams)
Meal 3 - 50 Grams Protein (Meat)
Add in your carbohydrates and fat too, but this is simply to show how you can break down the day to achieve this. It will takes planning, but it will keep you fuller longer and do wonders for your health.
Focus on Sleep
Want to gain weight? Sleep more.
Want to lose weight? Sleep more.
I really like having people use a sleep tracker for a few weeks just to see what their sleep patterns are and how different they feel once they improve. How your day starts and ends is amazing at determining how you feel overall. Here are some tips for better sleep.
Waking Up
No screens for 60 minutes
No caffeine for 60 minutes
Glass of water with salt and lemon
Read
Move
Light
This essentially kickstarts your body into a natural rhythm and will help your mood and energy the rest of the day,
During the day
Avoid caffeine after 12pm
Avoid processed foods
Exercise
Night-time
Set bed time
Avoid alcohol
Avoid screens 30-60 minutes prior to sleep
Shower
Stretch
Breathing exercises
These things might seem like a lot, but it’s essentially what we do with new borns and then somewhere along the way we think it doesn’t apply to us.
This is our super simple list to improve your health almost immediately. Yes there are things to improve on beyond this list, but just doing these things will change you as a person. If you need help with any of these, please reach out to nick@showtimestrength.com