Why Are There So Many "Answers" to Getting Fit?
Getting fit and healthy is fucking hard. Flat out hard. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have a job.
Still, just because it’s hard, doesn’t mean it’s complicated. So, why is it that you can look online for ways to get fit and healthy and never get the same answers?
We look online and get hundreds if not thousands of different answers to some variation of the question, “How do I get fit?” and we get sucked into the most convincing (or well marketed) answers or products.
Then, we spend countless hours and dollars on them just to turn around in *insert arbitrary amount of time* and search for a new answer.
Why? Why is it that there isn’t a clear cut answer? Two reasons:
We’re different. On some level, every single person is different from every other. So unfortunately there’s no singular, clearcut answer. I may be able to digest dairy but you can’t. You may enjoy running for hours but I’d rather punch myself in the face. We’re different! Different people require different techniques and different approaches to make their individual journey both effective and sustainable for the long haul.
If we’re all different, all these different answers make sense, right? Not really - we’re often told that THIS is THE answer. THIS is the thing that will make all the difference… but it’s not because unless it’s made specifically for us, it’s not for us. This makes selling something that isn’t uniquely created for each individual very difficult so, we don’t see this idea sold often.
We’re all the same. At the end of the day, the principles of health and wellness are generally the same. We shouldn’t constantly overeat and if we have been overeating, we need to eat less. We need to lift things well, and often, and if we don’t, we’ll lose the ability to move the way we want to.
If the concepts are generally the same, and these things are generally true for everyone, why all the answers online? Simple - because we’re being told to buy shit we don’t need!
*cue Tyler Durden*
While there isn’t one blanket answer, in general, this isn’t a complex game either. It’s more like a checklist:
Eat the proper amount of food and nutrients for your health, then adjust the amount and process of eating for your goals.
Lift things up and put them down with good form, on a regular basis, then adjust difficulty and frequency for your goals.
Get enough daily activity that you’ll meet basic requirements for your cardiovascular health, then adjust the amount or intensity for your goals.
See a trained professional when needed to address bumps in the road or various illnesses.
Do this over and over and over again until you die after a long, happy life.
This isn’t complex, it’s actually magnificently simple, but it sure as hell isn’t easy either. So, instead of this checklist being the one answer we’re given, we find the protein shakes and the cleanses and the 21 day “fixes” that make it “easy, fast, and better for you” because that’s what’s sexy. That’s what’s easy to sell to us when we want things done faster.
We all want the shortcuts, and there are some to be found if you’ve put in the work, but rarely is it packaged in a flashy box, held by a model and sold “half price, this week only!”
It’s taken me countless hours of research and years of work to find what works for myself or my clients and still, each day is an opportunity to get a little better than yesterday.
We’re likely not going to get to a place anytime soon where our personal, specific answer is right in front of our face and discounted just for us. That doesn’t mean our personal answers aren’t out there to be found.
The beauty is that with patience, self-empathy, and willingness to look, we’re all capable of finding the best answer for ourselves.