Simple Strategies to Improved Health

Improved health is a goal for everyone, but if you take one look out into the abyss we call the "wellness industry," you'll be overloaded with (dis)information, data, opinions, strategies, and so on.

It's hard to sift through that and escape with something valuable and sustainable. Is the answer a new diet? Maybe a new wearable? A new exercise regimen? Ironically all of these questions are equally valuable and irrelevant.

Health is not a trend; health is your duty.

Diet:

Diet matters. Remember, "diet" doesn't refer to those temporary fads but rather what you eat consistently and more often than not. Whether you like it or not, you're currently on a diet. The question is: is it working for you or against you.

When it comes to specific foods you should eat, stick with whole nutrient-dense foods. Build your plates around vegetables and supplement with proteins and fats.

Junk food isn't food. It's junk that's formulated to be highly addictive and highly palatable. This doesn't mean you can't indulge; it just means your diet shouldn't favor it. Eat for sustenance 70–90 percent of the time; indulge consciously and intentionally.

Physical Fitness:

Since most people live sedentary lifestyles (largely a result of work), scheduling physical activity is sometimes necessary. If you can, walk more. Much much more. This meta-analysis shows a linear correlation between daily step count and all-cause mortality for up to 17,000 steps per day. Walking is an accessible and easy way to improve health and increase daily movement; take advantage.

For those of you who like the idea of "exercise," I suggest the following: heavy strength training (2–3x/week), aerobic activity (4–5x/week), and anaerobic activity (1–2x/week).

Recovery:

This is where most people miss the boat. Recovery shouldn't be something you do once in a while; it's a daily practice and a requirement. I always say: you can only perform as well as you recover.

Remember, recovery goes beyond sleep. Recovery is how you actively and strategically engage in rest. Think: massage therapy, meditation, breathwork, heat exposure, cold exposure, and so on.

Incorporate these strategies into your lifestyle, make them habits, and improve your health. And that "secret" you're searching for is commitment.