The Pulse

April 28, 2023

I Hate Top 10 Lists, so I Wrote One I Liked…

“x10 Things to Know about Health and Fitness Right Now.”

1. 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 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 Information are all pertinent to How You Figure Things Out >which leads to #2

2. 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 acknowledgement 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, and can be Fixed, Improved and Repeated. Random Success rarely Works and is Impossible to Duplicate. Write it Out Baby!

3. 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…

4. You Need to Go to Bed Earlier.

   The Last ~90min of each day are the Least Productive, according to research. You Know what else the 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 x2weeks and You Will Feel Better >>> We Guarantee It!!!

5. 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 (~x12) 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!

6. 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.

7. You Don’t Need to be Perfect, Great or Get an “A” every day.

   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!

8. 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 a 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.

9. Have Markers, Data Points and Tangible Goals.

   Everything from Frequency, Volume (How many Minutes weekly), Body-Fat Percentage, Waist Circumference, 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 Categories 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!

10. Use a Coach! (Be Supervised and Held Accountable to Be Great!)

    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 would go on your own…

We have a Saying at IPF, “Lets Get Better”, and it means Start Improving Now and Don’t Stop! Whether with Us, or somewhere else, we hope you “Get Better!”