I Hate Top 10 Lists, so I Wrote One I Liked...
- IPF Fitness
- Sep 18
- 5 min read
x10 Things to Know about Health and Fitness Right Now
I Wrote this List x4 years ago, and wanted to Go Back and See what has Aged Well and What I would Change...
Turns-Out, it's still Spot-On and Worth Sharing again!
I have added a few Notes but otherwise I think this List is a Terrific Opportunity to look at What is Going On in Your Life!
Health and Fitness can be made into Simple Choices, but it's not a Simple Discussion...
What are Your Goals?
What is your Family History?
What is your Current Status: with Health, Habits, Life?
Who do you Listen to? What are Your Resources?
How much Time You Have, and Countless other pieces of Valid Informtion are all pertinent to How You Figure Things Out > Which Lead to #2...
New Thought > Start with Taking more Steps Daily, Drinking x1 more Glass/Bottle of Water, and Write Down What You Want to Do > Simple Wins, and Making Simple into Structure Wins Faster...
You Need a Plan.
You Need to Outline even the most rudimentary, basic elements because they are more important than you think.
When? Where? What? With Who? And the Big One > WHY?
A simple Schedule, Outline and acknowledgment of Why this is Important Work for more than just Fitness... The Best Point we can Drive Home is that a Bad Plan has Value, can be Fixed, Improved and Repeated. Random Success rarely Works x2 and is Impossible to Duplicate. Write it Out Baby!
New Thought > Same as the Old Thought! Action + Simple Steps = Better and Better is Always Good!
You Need to Put Your Phone Down. Seriously, Now!
Even if you are Reading this on Your Phone, Get to Work and Read the rest of this later. Nobody (yet) is Special because of How Much Time they spent on their Phone. ""Go and Do" is the Best Advice You Can Give or Receive...
New Thought: Will Double, Triple, Quadruple Down on this, Put Your Phone Down! Imagine Reducing Phone Time by 20% and Getting more Out of Life, it's Really that Simple (and You Won't Miss a Thing!)
You Need to Go to Bed Earlier.
The Last ~90 Minutes of Each Day are the Least Productive, according to research. You Know what else Research Says? That Sleep Helps Enhance EVERYTHING in Your Life. Most People are chronically Fatigued and have Learned to Live with It. Great, you are Determined and Exhausted. Get to Bed Earlier for x2 weeks and you will feel better >>> We Guarantee It!!
New Thought > Just Read it Again. The Best Advice, and Action, You can Take is to Recharge Your Battery Every Single Day. Completely!
Cook Your Own Food and Learn How to Do it Well.
One of the Biggest Meta-Analysis ever indicated that the Single Biggest Indicator of Health "Success" was the Ability to Cook (as defined by the Knowledge of How to Make x10 Simple Meals). What else are You Doing Every Day that is Necessary to Live? We ask our College Athletes to Attempt x1 Recipe Weekly over the Summer (~12) and hope they "Hit-On" half of them (they Learn from both the Tasty and the Burnt!). Whether on their own, with their Parents, or Following Along with Youtube, things Improve Quickly. Don't Rely on other People to Feed Yourself.
Read #4+5 again and Get to Work
New Thought > maybe just Sooner? The Sooner you Learn to Cook the Better
Some Things should be Hard, and some should be Easy.
No, we aren't talking in riddles, it's just that fitness (and Life) has a Broad Spectrum, and both Ends Have Value. Most People like one End more than the other. Find both. Refer to #2, because Your Plan is Your Roadmap to Success.
New Thought > Visit Hard and Easy with more Frequency! Both have Huge Valye, but All of One or the Other has Less...
You Don't Need to be Perfect, Great or Get an "A" everyday.
You Need a lot of "B's" and they add up to Awesome. People get Frustrated, Angry or Quit quickly when things aren't "just right", and Life gets in the way. Don't sweat it. You Need a B. Lots of them. Consistency is an Undervalued Term, and the Best Compliment you could ever get. Go Get your B > with Sleep, Food, and Exercise, and watch How Fast you Move to the Head of the Class!
New Thought: Consistency is the Word (and Characteristic) of the Decade. Being Consistently Good is the New Great!
The Best Gym is the One Where You Get the Most Done.
It doesn't have to be the closest, and it doesn't have to be the Cheapest, most Expensive, Fanciest, Hardest, etc. You should Shop, Compare, Use and See what Works for You. The most common concern is Location and while we think "close" is Important, Quality of Experience should always be #1. Remember this, Exercise as Part of Your Routine + Lifestyle means You Make Time. The closest Gym means You may Save Time, but also Reduce the Quality of Experience. You want a longer shelf life, not a shorter drive.
New Thought > If You Think this is Self-Serving, Take Us Out of the Equation. Go Someplace Else, but Go to the Place that Will Help you become "Better". What's more Important than Investing in Your Health? No, seriously, What's More Important??? I'll Wait
Have Markers, Data Points and Tangible Goals.
Everything from Frequency, Volume (How Many Minutes Weekly), Body-Fat Percentage, Waist Circumferen, Bodyweight, Push-Ups, Chin-Ups, Mirror Selfies, Pant Fit, Steps Taken >>> If You can Name it, and it's Important, You Should Track It! Please Understand that there may only be x2 Cateogires to begin but make them your Own. As you "grow" and Succeed, your goals and measurements can and will change. It's never a bad idea to start simple and build on success.
New Thought > Use an App, Phone or Pen + Paper, but make it easier ad let Someone Else Do the Math! "Wearables" make Life, and Tracking Much Easier ? If Not, a Journal, Diary, Log are Still Accurate and Effective in Data Monitoring...
Use a Coach!
This is potentially the Best and Fastest Way to Improve, by having someone limit Your Mistakes and Guide You along Your Path. A Good Coach is someone who Assists in all aspects of your health, and Helps You Develop Your Own Fitness Philosophy. Whether One-on-One, in a Small Group (2-4 People) or Larger Group, having someone to Learn From, Build Consistency With, and get Coached By will take you Miles further than you throught you would go on your own...
New Thought > A Coach AND a Group (or Partner) make Things Easier, Better and Sustainable! The Collective "We" is something the Fitness Industry has Embraced and is Awesome. Together is Better! (Spoiler > you don't have to "know them" before you join them) People are typically United by Common Goals and Experiences much more than Common Abilities. Nobody Cares How "Good" You are, but they will Respond to and Enjoy How Much You Care...Group Training is a Win!
Finally if we Add Another...
Go to the Doctor and Get Your Physical, Blood Checked and Anything Else that Is or Could Be an Issue.
Being Proactive is a Strategy. Being Reactive is a Response. Get Out in Front and Know Where You Are. Utilize the Means at Your Disposal, as Health is Your Biggest Asset (until it's Not!)...
We have a Saying at IPF, "Let's Get Better", and it means Start Improving Now and Don't Stop! Whether with Us, or somewhere else, we hope you "Get Better!"
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