Congrats to those who guessed that the most important factor is: Training! Despite being just one of the five factors, it can have a powerful halo effect across them all.
As I mentioned last week, the five factors are for life. Our motto “Forging Lifelong Fitness” speaks to that. Belief is powerful in reinforcing that lifestyle. Statements like “I am the type of person that prioritizes my health” help anchor many choices throughout your day. Conversely, “I don’t run” or “I can’t do a pull up” are self-defeating.
Just showing up to the gym reinforces that we are all people that prioritize our health. On top of that, the hard work of trying new movements, setting big goals, and chipping away at them over months builds not just physical capacity to live life to the fullest outside of the gym, but the confidence that we are all the type of people that choose to do difficult, uncomfortable things, and know that we will get better because of it.
Training, particularly in the gym with a community of like-minded people, also reinforces that you’re not alone in this lifelong pursuit of health. You are surrounded by folks who are facing, and overcoming, the same struggles. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the effort that each of you puts into every workout, day after day.
It compounds in other ways too. Working out helps you get to sleep faster and sleep better. If you’re doing a tough workout later, you’re less likely to eat a big, greasy, salty lunch with two beers. You have a group of in-the-gym friends you’re excited to see every day. Your outside-the-gym friends and family members see you prioritizing your health, and are more likely to do so themselves. One action (showing up to the gym), done consistently, can have a huge impact on your life and the lives of those around you.
Next time we’ll go deeper into the prescription and why it is such an important north star: “Do constantly varied, functional movements at a high relative intensity 5-6 days per week. Relentlessly work on your weaknesses.”
See you in the gym,
Erik