HWN #017: 5 Key Ingredients to Long Term Health and Fitness

20 years ago I was around 80lbs heavier than I am currently. I knew something needed to change, that I couldn’t keep living my life the way I was.

That’s when I started my health and fitness journey.

I started by following every fad diet there was.

I started by jumping on every exercise program I found in magazines.

These fad diets and exercise programs did help me lose fat, but it was a constant up and down battle with my weight.

Until I stopped. 

And I decided that I needed to build the correct habits.

Adopting a handful of key habits will not only help you get healthier and fitter in the short term, but healthier and fitter for the rest of your life.

So today, I am going to share with you 5 key and powerful ingredients that you can implement to help you build incredible health and fitness for the long-term.

Let’s jump in.

5 Key Ingredients for Building Great Health and Fitness

1. Exercise Daily
2. Dial in Your Nutrition
3. Sleep 7+ Hours a Night
4. Have a Long-Term Mindset
5. Be Incredibly Consistent With #1-4

1) Exercise Daily

On face value, saying that you have to exercise daily seems like it may lead to overtraining or that it may be too much for most people to stick to long term.

And we know that nothing is more important than sustainability when it comes to reaching your health and fitness goals. 

But when I say “exercise daily”, I don’t mean that you need to crush yourself every single day.

It could be strength training. It could be cardio. It could be a walk. It could be a bike ride.

The key is to get your body moving daily. How you get moving is up to you.

2) Dial in Your Nutrition

I don’t like to tell people to follow a certain diet or a certain way of eating, because nothing is one size fits all. You have to find what works for you.

That said, I do think people should consume primarily a whole food diet, because people who eat a primarily whole food diet tend to maintain lower bodyfat levels. 

Why?

Because whole foods are typically healthier foods. Foods like fruits, veggies and lean meats fit this category.

Whole foods also are generally higher in fiber which will keep you full. When you are full you are much less likely to overeat.

Bottom line: dial in your nutrition by eating more whole foods.

3) Sleep 7+ Hours a Night

Sleep is critical for maintaining a health. It’s like a giant reset button for your entire body.

One of the biggest factors in having great health and fitness is maintaining a healthy bodyweight. And a lack of sleep has been shown to increase ghrelin (promoting hunger) and decrease leptin (lack of feeling full).

Always hungry and never full is not a good combo for someone looking to stay lean and maintain a healthy weight so they can have great health and fitness.

This is why sleep is critical. Make it a priority. 

4) Have a Long-Term Mindset

Short term thinking doesn’t typically lead to long-term health and fitness outcomes.

This is why fad diets and the new cool exercise programs don’t tend to have very favorable outcomes over the long haul.

You may drop some bodyfat or get stronger, but these fads generally don’t teach and help build the long-term habits that lead to great health and fitness years down the road.

Zoom out. Remember that health and fitness is a long game, one that will never end. Build the habits that will keep you fit and healthy for a long, long time.

5) Be Incredibly Consistent with #1-4

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more important than consistency when it comes to your health and fitness.

It’s what you do every day, not what you do every once in a while, that makes the biggest difference over the long-haul for your health.

If you can be consistent 80% of the time or more, you will put yourself in a great position to have tremendous health and fitness in both the short and the long-term.

In Summary 

Building simple but powerful habits is the key to having tremendous health and fitness over the long-term.

Don’t get caught up in the newest fad diet taking social media by storm or the new cool exercise program that you found in that fitness magazine.

Instead, focus on the healthy habits, things like basic exercise, eating a healthy whole food diet, getting plenty of sleep, and remembering that health and fitness isn’t a 60 or 90 day challenge, it’s a never ending journey.

In health,

Craig

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