THE RIGHT QUESTIONS FOR BETTER HEALTH AND FITNESS

What’s the most basic reason for better health and fitness?

Facts You Might Know…Or Not

If we’re going to be asking the right questions for better health and fitness, we must agree on some basic facts:

• Fundamentally, there is only one reason why you need a better shape. We say ‘fundamentally’ because better health and fitness is only the beginning of personal development. 
• Like most other things, a good shape does not happen in a vacuum.
• Since the beginning of time, life has always been the most important thing.
• Every living creature does whatever it can to stay alive as long as possible.
• Above all things, our motivation for work is survival for ourselves and our species.

Note: While we universally know of the basic human needs – food, shelter, clothes – we also know that for survival, one of these needs is more equal than others. If you guessed food, you’re right.

Fact: Starting at the top of food pyramid, the origin of all food can be traced to land that must be cultivated by healthy and physically fit humans.

Note: Just because you’re not working in the field for food doesn’t mean you’re not working for food.

Therefore, before we move on, can we now establish there is a direct connection between fitness, health and survival?

Nature, Nurture, and the Hierarchy of Needs

Beyond the cardinal connection between survival, fitness and health, human needs are expanded in one version or another. Landon T. Smith wrote a good book (shown here) explaining Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  You can get it on Amazon for more enlightening details.

Maslow gave one of those versions that explain human needs and depends on the following:

• Nature – what you’re born with.
• Nurture – what you’re born into.

The human needs range from basic (food, clothes, etc.) to security, to love, to esteem, to self-actualization. It would make sense that everybody is, or should be in the race to the top of the pyramid.

Say what you will about life and how unfair it is, but nature has a way of balancing things out. Usually, what you lack in one area, you get in another.

For instance, if you walk or ride a bike to work, you won’t worry much about working out after work as the person who drives. Then, unless you actually have a car but chose to walk or ride the bike, the chances are you are lower on the pyramid.

That means you have more needs to cover than the person who has to work out for fitness.

Another thing is, you maybe born skinny and lean looking, but with not so good immune system. On the other hand, you maybe born chubby, but with superb immune system.

There are many scenarios of nature’s balancing, but I need not belabor the point.

Some Frequently Asked Questions for Better Health and Fitness

Before you hit the jogging/walking trail, or get yourself an expensive gym membership, or grab the shopping cart at your local Whole Foods, let’s ask some frequently asked questions.

Honest answers from you should clear the path for your course of actions.

Granted, everyone is different and in a unique situation. So please note that asking the right questions for better health and fitness does not mean we’re all asking the same exact questions at the same time.

Aside from common sense practices that would apply to most people, everyone should have their own answers. The paths may be different, but the goal is same – to get in a better shape and survive longer.

Some questions get snappy answers while others require more comprehensive answers. Here are some questions I’ve asked or been asked, and some honest answers.

Caution: If you must lie, don’t do it to yourself!

Question: Have you lost weight?

(Shh…)Don’t answer that!

But I bet if you ever asked anyone that question, you mostly expected to get “Thanks” as the answer. Why? Because it’s not meant to be a real question. Rather, it’s a rhetorical strategy meant for a compliment.

Once in a while, you may get the answer “Yes!” and the person proceeds to excitedly narrate their journey to their finer shape.

And if you ever dare to ask anyone, “Have you gained weight?” be sure to give me a call because I’d love to be a fly on the wall in that room.

Question: Who needs a better health and fitness?

Answer: Everyone can use some better shape. Even Jane Fonda!

Answer: Who doesn’t?

I know, that’s not exactly an answer. Maybe the answer should be, “Shape for what?” That’s still not an answer. Well, maybe it should be the question.

Question: Do you need to lose weight for  better health and fitness?

Answer: Not necessarily. See more about weight here.

Q: Do you need gym membership?

A: Not necessarily.

Q. What’s the real reason you’re out of shape?

Psst…Be honest.

A: It’s probably just an excuse.

See 10 excuses you give to stay out of shape.

Shape for What?

Even assuming we’re all on the same level of needs on the Maslow’s pyramid, we all still need different shapes for different reasons. Let’s take running for example.

A Running Joke

Usain Bolt, Eliud Kipchoge and Forrest Gump run into a bar…

The attendant says, “I was expecting one runner and two jokers.” And the three of them (pointing fingers) respond in unison: I’m the runner, and these two are the jokers…

For those who may not know, Usain Bolt is known as the fastest track runner on earth, conquering the world of 100 and 200 meters. He runs to win dashes. Above everything else, he requires speed.

Eliud Kipchoge holds the world record in marathon (26.2 miles). His specialty is long distance. Above all, he requires endurance.

As for Forrest Gump, he is a fictional character in a movie played by Tom Hanks. He ran for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days and 16 hours. When asked why he was running, he said he was running from his past. Above all, he requires…well, time.

When I once asked a friend to go jogging with me, he gave me a dirty look, saying the only time he would ever run is if a dangerous life threatening being is chasing after him.

The Moral of the Story?

We all have different reasons why we run.

Whenever I go jogging in the park, I see all kinds of runners. Not only do they run at different paces, but also for different reasons. Most of the time, I tend to ignore them and focus on my own running. However,something I never fail to notice is when a swift-footed runner, panting out of breath, passes me on the trail.

I wonder how long they can sustain that speed. I think to myself: Maybe this person is doing speed training for a race, OR, this must be an excited inexperienced jogger who hasn’t learned art of self-pacing.

For me, the story doesn’t end there. All these people have something in common.  They have recognized the need to pursue some goal. More importantly, they’re doing something about it instead of just sitting on the couch thinking wishfully.

What the D-Word Means for Better Health and Fitness

They say that if you see a ship floating on water, it’s been built. That means you can’t gather all the materials that are used to make that ship, dump them in the ocean and expect them to function as a ship.

Put differently, you don’t just become Michael Phelps by just jumping in the pool. Neither do you decide to wake up one day and run a 26 and a quarter mile marathon just because you have a pair of legs and lungs like any marathon runner.

The point is, everything that performs the work it’s supposed to perform – including your muscles – takes time commitment and other resources to build. For a life-saving endeavor such as getting in shape for better health and fitness, there are should-haves and then there are must-haves. Discipline is a must-have!

Discipline is the ability to know your goal, plan on achieving it, and following through without getting distracted.

Avoid The February Curse for Better Health and Fitness.

There was a tale of one Solomon Grundy that went like this:

Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
…
Died on a Saturday,
Buried on a Sunday,
That was the end,
Of Solomon Grundy.

Every time I heard that story, my reaction was always the same: Wow, that guy only lasted for a week? What a short life?

Now, you may be asking what this has to do with better health and fitness. You can take that story the way you want. I take it as a metaphor for life … you know … for things like dreams that have life-cycles.

Living the dream

For many of us, we live the dream most of our lives because the reality is elusive, either for reasons of our own making or beyond our control.

For some, the dream starts around Thanksgiving, late in November. You binge and tell yourself you’ll lose those extra pounds by Christmas. Then you get busy preparing for the holidays. Come Christmas, you binge a little more and promise yourself: I’m going to make a New Year resolution to start working out.

Come January 2nd, you start with gusto! You get your gym membership, exercise machines, and workout gear, and hit the trail.

The burnout

Then one or two things happen. You dive in head first, and hurt yourself. Or you work too hard expecting to achieve your dream shape in a month, then you quickly burn out.

AND/OR

…the reality of work, family, leisure, slithers itself back in your life, and by January 31st, it rears its ugly head and bites off your dream! By the end of February, you’ve subconsciously buried your dream.

Then when you regain consciousness around Spring, you tell yourself how you need to work out for the shorts and swimsuit in the Summer. But before you can think of reviving your dream, it occurs to you that you did the same thing last year and the one before that. You finally surrender and become a statistic.

Of course, this narrative is oversimplified. The point is, it’s very difficult to snap out of your comfort zone. The good news is, it’s not impossible. Maybe all you need is to change your approach.

Instead of making grandiose New Year resolutions that get you nowhere, start with small things. For instance, instead of paying for gym and driving all the way through traffic, back and forth, use that time to do small exercises in your own home while watching TV!

Two More Questions

What is your motivation for better health and fitness?

Can you muster the discipline required to change your shape and life?

Conclusion 

This discussion is by no means exhaustive. In fact, it should be seen as just the beginning.

The point is, asking the right questions for better health and fitness must be about more than just diet and exercise. These are only means to an end – longevity and survival. 

To get the shape you want and deserve, you must have the right mindset. To do that you must start by being honest with yourself as to what your real needs are. The next question that requires a very honest answer from yourself is whether you have what it takes to get what you want. 

Affiliate Solutions

Step by step formula for a long, healthy, happy life.

Dedicated to Creating and implementing strategies for the extraordinary quality of life desired by individuals and organizations throughout the world.

Improving your metabolism while suppressing hunger will help you burn the unwanted fat.

• A science-based behavior and nutritional approach that works.
• Smart tools in the palm of your hand – just tap the WW app for simple tracking.
• Connect with Members-Only social platform.

Live forever pain-free with the electrotherapy technology combined with traditional Chinese medicine practices of healing.

Enables you to flip blood sugar switch ON/OFF so your body can quickly and efficiently burn up all the sugar in your bloodstream.

Unlock your fat-burning potential with the no-equipment Home Workout Revolution videos.