Reprioritizing Health: Why Basic Healthy Behaviors Matter More Than Trends

Precision Nutrition recently shared this in their newsletter...

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A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that only 6.3 percent of people engage in all five of the following health behaviors:

🚭 Don't smoke

🏃🏾 Meet aerobic exercise recommendations

(*150min / week of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity here in Canada)

🍷 Consume no or only moderate amounts of alcohol

🛌 Sleep at least 7 hours per night

⚖️ Maintain a “normal” (BMI)

Add a couple of health-promoting nutrition behaviors to that list (eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, limiting ultra-processed foods) and that group of adherents gets pretty small.

(*I would add strength training into the extras mentioned here as well. 2-3x per weeks. Once again, decreasing that scary statistic. *)

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Clearly we're NOT getting the message

Decades into the fitness and health industry, in addition to the natural shift in human beings way of living in modern times, we have this kind of data at our disposal. This shows what we're doing / been doing / keep going back to try over and over again to better our health, for most of us, IS NOT WORKING!!!

We are COMPLETELY ignorant to the message here and just NOT getting it.

If only 6.3% of us are doing these things mentioned previously, does it not make sense to TARGET THOSE first and foremost when working to improve and/or maintain a healthy lifestyle??? Better yet when we do that, we may realize "that's totally enough for me! I'm happy with this and I feel great!"

For those who fear "it's not enough" or "it can't be that easy"...

Let's clarify; It's simple, but that doesn't mean "easy" per say. It will take time, self experimentation and yes, SOME effort. But NOT nearly as much as you think! Change is always way scarier in our mind as it conjures up the most crazy journey possible to get to your healthy self. Yet, when we break it down into simple, realistic and consistent practices we realize it's no where near that bad in REAL LIFE!

Now for those of you kind readers thinking "it's not enough" to just focus on those things listed, the question that arises then is;

"Why aren't you doing them?"

"It's not enough" means "it's 'too easy'"... right? So why aren't you doing them? Maybe that's a good place to focus your attention. 🤔

In the world of TMI (too much information) / information overload, THIS statistic is REFRESHING

Do you know what I see when I see the 5-main health habits listed that MOST people ARE NOT doing?? I see an abundance of both, POSSIBILITY and ABILITY.

Notice how 4/5 of those things takes minimal to no in depth knowledge of health, fitness and nutrition to make them happen??

🚶Every adult can CHOOSE an aerobic activity they enjoy to move their body for 150min per week. No in depth knowledge is needed. (Reminder - That's 30min x 5 days/week OR just over 20min 7-days/week as examples... AND it's accumulative!!!)

🚭 Every adult can CHOOSE to work to quit smoking or CHOOSE to not start. Plus there is help available - but no in-depth physiological knowledge is needed.

🍷 Every adult can CHOOSE to minimize or abstain from alcohol. There is help available - but no in-depth knowledge or research is necessary.

🛌 Every adult can CHOOSE to sleep 7 hours per night. There is help available (such as 'Coach D' of Zenergy Health & Wellness 😉) and you may need to not watch that last show at 10pm - but no in depth understanding of sleep is needed to work on that practice.

(*BMI isn't something we "control". If we provide the correct environment and stimulus to move into and/or maintain a healthy BMI, the body will respond.

Personally I prefer body compostion over BMI, however this is listed due to the historical use of BMI as a standard in our health system and research)

ANY ADULT today can START or CONTINUE these incredibly important health practices IMMEDIATELY with little to no knowledge or experience or programming. But MOST of that 93.7% of adults...

🫣 Scower social media for the latest and greatest,

🫣 Follow influencers 'unrealistic' and 'un-proven' guidance,

🫣 Follow fad diets and strict nutrition rules,

🫣 Follow exercise plans and programs that they force themselves to do because they "should"

🫣 Jump on the bandwagon of the latest and greatest health product, individual nutrient or super food that pops up in the headlines

IT IS NOT WORKING.

Change the mentality. Change the approach. And you'll move into the MINORITY of people (where we all want to be) doing the foundational health habits that promote health and longevity.