The Single Most Important Decision For Your Health and Fitness
Posted: September 16, 2019
There was a study done which focused on the most important factor in determining your health and fitness five years from today. Having a Degree in Exercise Physiology, I wondered why they would research a question that had such a simple answer. Clearly the most important factor in determining health and fitness five years from today came down to your consistency to an exercise program. To my surprise…Wrong! Well clearly if it isn’t exercise, then it must be the other major factor that people tend to stumble on; Nutrition. Once again… Wrong!
At this point I have to admit I was skeptical. Studying four years in college taught me that the combination of exercise and nutrition was the key to health and fitness. How could it be anything but your input – what you eat or output – your exercise program?
When I heard the answer I realized that what college did not teach me in its pursuit of a scientific answer, life outside of school had already taught me. The most important factor determining your health and fitness five years from today came down to the people in your immediate social circle.
I thought about it and just how important it was. When you hang out with friends who are always going out for pizza and beer where do you think you will be spending your time? When you hang out with friends who spend their nights on Facebook posting the best TV shows to watch, do you think you will be on a treadmill or on the couch? When you have friends who live by the saying, “I’m hear for a good time, not a long time.” What do you think your habits when spending a majority of your time with these people will be?
Contrast that with a close peer group that is very conscious of making healthy food choices, prioritizing a regular exercise program that fits nicely into their daily routine and priding themselves on living a healthy disease free life.
Yes it’s true! As you start your journey, set yourself up for success by taking an open honest look at the people who surround you. Are their habits consistent with the personal goals you have for yourself? If not, beware! Maybe it’s time to balance your time with some different people in your peer group so that you can enjoy the reminders and momentum from people who are on the same journey as you.
Excerpt taken from Personal Best The Fitness Lifestyle written by Christopher Rappold
