How long does it take to create a habit?
There’s a myth it takes 21 days.
Totally made up. It came from a plastic surgeon who found that it took patients around 21 days to get used to their new appearance.
66 days is also a number that gets used. That’s the median number from the study that found the range of 18-254.
It was a study of 96 people who tried to carry out a new behaviour over 12 weeks. The study has some limitations but has some important takeaways.
1. The habits were simple. They weren’t trying to become a new person in 12 weeks. Example: drinking a bottle of water.
2. They had a cue to remind them to perform the task. Example: Drinking a bottle of water with lunch.
3. The cues would happen every day. Example: drinking a bottle of water with lunch (lunch is a time of day that can be chosen).
4. You can miss days and still develop the habit. Miss weeks, that’s a different story. Strive for progress not perfection.
Habit development is hard. But worth it. Commit to the process and see the results happen.
Study: How habits are formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. Lally et al.
How to use technology to create a habit
We have lots of tools at our disposal to help us live better lives.
We just need to make the tools work for us.
When trying to create a new habit, reminders can be useful. But we’ve all done it, we’ve gotten the reminder and still haven’t done the task.
Reminders won’t always work. Sometimes we need stronger prompts. But we can make a reminder work for us better when we associate it with an event. An event is another type of prompt.
Sure we can set an alarm. But when we set an alarm and label it, we can create an association with a specific time. So that eventually with enough repetition our brains with associate the event with the task and will no longer need the reminder.
Try this out for a while. Let me know how this goes!
Tip: use before instead of after tasks. Prioritize the new task first. Example: drink a glass of water before breakfast, not after.
How do you Recover?
Sleep
Sleep rules our recovery.
improves our mood and our ability to manage our emotions;
Helps us make better decisions
helps us learn and remember
improves cognition, concentration, and attention
keeps our brains healthy
helps us build and repair tissues. This is helpful after exercise and to recovery from injuries.
regulates our blood sugar and lipids;
affects our hormones
regulates our hunger, appetite, and satiety
helps clean up and get rid of our body’s waste products
Eat
Food Fuels our recovery.
improves energy levels
Supports development and maintainance of muscle mass
Helps produce energy
Helps maintain bone mass
Supports the management of inflammation
helps develop a strong immune system
Improves performance
Move
Movement CAN be a destressor and support recovery. (It doesn’t always)
Low intensity movement can help shift our body towards a more rest and digest state
Movement supports blood flow and oxygen delivery
Blood circulation helps deliver nutrients and remove waste products
Movement can promote other recovery factors like sleep and eating
What Probably isn’t doing much
(if anything)
for your recovery
Fasting or fad diets
Ice Baths
AG1 or other expensive supplements
that 5km run or 60min WOD for “Active Recovery”
Whatever thing that you read on the cover of a magazine at the grocery store
Stick to the basics
Sleep
Eat
Move
Your Body Is Functional
Are you dysfunctional?
Here's a tactic to get people to buy something.
Tell them there is something wrong, like a "dysfunction". Then make yourself sound smart and sell a "solution".
Your body is not dysfunctional. It is functioning exactly the way it is supposed to. Even when it is not functioning optimally.
Here's an example: Limping.
You can observe someone limping and assume they sprained an ankle, or hurt their knee. Or that they have a blister. Or are recovering from a surgery.
Are they dysfunctional? Not at all. Limping is a normal response to address the current situation. Should you limp forever? Nope.
There are plenty of things fitness and health gurus will promote as dysfunctions.
Posture
Alignment
Limp length
Shoulder height
Walking gait
What you eat
How you sleep
...
The list is endless.
Want to improve the way your body functions? Amazing. Love that for you.
But don't let someone else feed you a bullshit narrative that you are dysfunctional and that you need some product or program to be fixed.
Disclaimer: This post is about categorizing normal things as dysfunctional. There are certain things that need to be addressed by medical professionals.
Are You Starting At The Right Point?
Frustrated by a lack of progress? Maybe there is a better starting point for you?
Do you ever get frustrated by a lack of progress? Like you've hit a wall and results just aren't happening.
Maybe you would benefit from a different entry point.
Let's say you want to learn how to play hockey. The first step probably wouldn't be to throw you into a professional hockey game and hope for the best.
Or maybe you've played hockey for many years, but have aspirations of playing at a certain level. The first step probably wouldn't be to throw you into your 5-year-old cousin's hockey practice and hope you learn something.
Where you start is important. We want the appropriate level of challenge.
The same goes for improving your health and fitness.
We want it to be hard enough that we are able to improve, but not so challenging that it becomes overwhelming.
Where you start is important. It's ok to take a step back when things aren't working. Maybe then you will be able to take two steps forward.
“I Don’t Have Time To Train”
Do you have time to improve? Yes.
"I don't have time to train" - says the hard-working person with a ton on their plate.
This statement may 100% be true. But it doesn't have to be. We can change our definition of training.
The way the fitness and gym industry conventionally operates can lead to people assuming that they need to allocate a 60-minute block of time to exercise. But why?
Training and exercise are simply a means of self-improvement. There are plenty of ways you can improve yourself. You can read a book to learn something. You can meditate to calm your mind. You can create the habit of drinking more water. The list is endless.
Self-improvement does not need to have a minimum requirement.
Can't read for more than 5 minutes? Don't bother.
Can't meditate without distractions. Don't bother.
Can't drink a glass of water at every meal. Don't bother.
Can't exercise for a full 60 minutes. Don't bother.
That would all be bullshit.
Start wherever you are at.
Some truly have the craziest schedules.
Here is an idea I gave to a client who is struggling to fit training into their current day:
Set reminders for yourself at whatever time interval you want: 1 hour, 3 hours, whatever.
Move your body for whatever time period you have. That could be 1 minute, 5 minutes, whatever.
What you do really isn't that important. You could do some squats, some pushups, some stretches, or if you are feeling wild, some burpees.
What matters is that you are making the time for yourself. That is progress.
Motivation Won’t Always Be There. That’s OK.
What is more powerful than motivation? Purpose.
A common reason that people start to work with a coach or a trainer is to help them stay motivated.
I get it. You want someone to help you with something you are struggling with; the motivation to do things to help you improve.
Here's the thing: they can't. Not long-term.
Sure someone can be encouraging, supportive and energetic. Maybe you respond well to that. It gets you motivated. But for how long?
I don't believe motivation is the issue.
It's purpose.
You need a driving force for your actions.
Something to fall back on when motivation is not there.
I can't define your purpose. I can't make you do the thing.
Only you can do that.
But I'm here to help. To guide you there.
The Purpose Project: a self-directed guide where you get the opportunity to ask yourself some challenging questions. Dive into your goals. Find a driving force for your actions. The purpose for the things you want. Because your motivation won't always be there. But your purpose will be.
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How to Help Your Gym Become More Inclusive
5 Steps to help you make the gym you train in become more inclusive.
Gyms can be a very intimidating place for many people. It takes a lot of strength and courage to enter different environments, especially gyms.
Unfortunately many gyms, in the way they are currently structured, are not inclusive.
They can exclude people based on body type, gender, race, age, socioeconomic status, and many other aspects.
This could be unintentional. It could be something that the business owner is unaware of.
Thankfully there are plenty of resources to assist gym owners in creating more inclusive spaces. Just like how there are courses to learn how to coach the squat better, there are also courses to help create safe and inclusive gym spaces.
But what can you do as a gym-goer to assist in the process of promoting inclusiveness in gyms?
Here are 5 steps you can make as a gym member to help make gyms inclusive for all.
Ask questions. Maybe you will bring up something that the gym owner or staff member has never considered.
Does your gym have gendered washrooms? Have you ever asked why?
Does your gym have gendered workouts or gendered exercise prescriptions? Have you ever asked why?
Does your gym run weight-loss challenges? Have you ever asked why weight loss is a necessary challenge?
Does your gym have diversity in its staff? If not, have you ever asked why?
Be less tolerant. Exclusion can be the norm if we tolerate it. It doesn't need to be that way.
Hear someone speaking in a way that promotes dangerous diet culture? Ex. talking about burning off calories, shedding fat, earning “cheat” meals. Flip the narrative, mention why you are in the gym (self- improvement, mental health, socialization, etc). Provide alternative and more positive reasons for being in the gym.
Hear someone speaking negatively about others? Ex. They are so slow, so fat, etc. Say something positive about their target right away. End their judgement.
Hear someone speaking in gendered terms? Ask them why. Maybe they are unaware of the way they are speaking.
Speak positively about yourself. You deserve kindness. Let that spread.
A comment directed at yourself like “I am so weak” can be challenging for someone else who has aspirations of getting where you are in the training process. And that negativity doesn’t help you either.
Branch out. Meet new people.
If you are in a group fitness program do you always work out with people who look like you or have similar fitness abilities? Gyms don’t need cliques, this isn’t high school. Branch out, meet new people.
Support others. Offer support, not unsolicited advice. Keep your opinions to yourself.
This is just about being a good person. It’s a fair assumption that everyone is in the gym trying to improve themselves in some way or another. Offer words of encouragement, not judgement.
Being supportive does not require you to comment on physical appearance. You do not need to comment on anyone's physical appearance. Even if it may seem like a positive comment towards that person, to a bystander who does not look like them, it can be damaging and exclusive.
Was this helpful? If so, please share with someone else.
I Have Insurance. Why Would I Work With A Coach?
The case for coaches on your rehab team.
I like sports so here's a sports analogy.
Rehab is best accomplished with a team approach.
Your doctor, physiotherapist, chiropractor or (insert registered rehabilitation profession); they are like the head coach.
They have a lot of responsibilities. They are extremely knowledgeable and have a unique set of skills that put them in the position of head coach. But their resources, especially time, can be limited. When they have a big team they can not spend multiple hours a week with every single person on the team. They would get burnt out.
A fitness professional who is educated in the rehabilitation realm, is like the assistant coach. They are more involved in the day to day activities. They have the time to make changes in coordination with the guidance of the head coach. They also develop the entire athlete or client, not just the problems (pain, etc) that have already been identified. They communicate with the head coach to inform them on the progress of the athlete, so that adjustments and further care can be provided.
Without the assistant coach, the head coach could have athletes (clients) who are struggling to progress. Maybe they are struggling with accountability. Maybe they are struggling to maintain an active lifestyle in their rehab.
Without the head coach, the assistant coach could hit roadblocks that become out of their scope. Maybe it's its a treatment or diagnosis they are not qualified to provide. Maybe it's knowledge about a particular issue.
When working together, fitness professionals and health care providers can all succeed. And more importantly the client succeeds.
So yes, if you have insurance you don't need to also work with a coach to solve your problem. But with a good team, I believe it to be a results multiplier that gets you a better return on your investment. Especially if you want to live an active lifestyle.
“I Want To Be Toned”
What is toned?
"I want to be toned. What exercises should I do?"
Any of them. Like literally any exercise. Jumping Jacks, rolling around in the snow, squats, pushups, running. Anything.
There isn't a movement out there that is proven to get you more toned.
What even is toned?
The definition of toned is having firm and well-defined muscles.
But here's the follow-up: What is well-defined? What's the cutoff? What is toned enough?
I find it ironic how vague and poorly defined the concept of toned is...
It's the same thought process behind "I want to be strong", "I want to be in shape", "I want to be fit".
Do you want those things or do you want how those things would make you feel?
I also hope you want those things for yourself, and not because some magazine told you it was important.
Fitness, training, and active lifestyles don't need to be solely based on appearance. They can also be about improving how you feel.
The Pain Solution Does Not Need To Be Your Weight
Your weight is probably not the only source of your pain.
The physical pain you may be experiencing does not need to be attributed to the weight on the scale.
Here's why: You did not become that weight overnight. And people can experience pain regardless of weight.
Injuries can occur from doing too much too soon. Like trying to squat too much without adequate recovery and adaptation.
So if weight was supposed to be the cause of pain, then you would have to have dramatically changed your weight. And fast. I really doubt this is the case for most people.
Your body is adaptable. That includes your body weight.
Pain is not as simple as saying that if you lost 20lbs your pain would be gone.
It's a false narrative that can promote unhealthy diet culture and lead to people not getting the treatment and care they need because of their weight.
Pain has multiple factors worth investigating. Thankfully the activities that can influence weight loss can also influence pain (sleep, stress, physical activity, nutrition). Weight loss may help your pain, but it's probably not the only thing going on.
If you want to lose weight while reducing pain, great. If not that is totally fine as well.
“You Look Great!”
Should we comment on how other people look?
Health doesn't have a look.
"You look great!" - Said to a person who is not feeling great and is struggling with their mental health.
A common assumption that is spread in the fitness industry is that health is based on appearance. Or a number on the scale.
It's a very narrow view of health.
You can't just go to a gym, lift some mental health weights, wake up the next day and be 5 mental health pounds stronger.
It ain't that simple. Exercise can absolutely assist in how you feel, but it is also another form of stress.
When we comment on people's physical appearance, it can negate the mental health component of overall health.
Here's is a different approach you can take if you want to comment (positively) about someone's appearance:
You: "How are you doing? How is work?"
Friend: "I am doing great, my new position at work is a lot less stressful!"
You: "That's awesome! You seem a lot happier. It's noticeable!"
OR
You: "How are you doing? How is work?"
Friend: "I am not doing great, I've been very stressed lately!"
You: "Sorry to hear that, do you want to talk about it?
You've complimented their appearance without making it about physical attributes or given them the opportunity to talk to someone about how they are feeling.
If you have other thoughts or ideas comment below!
The Magic Pills
Are you waiting for magic?
In fitness, there are no cures. No magic pills. No silver bullets.
It's the unfortunate truth.
If you hear someone in the fitness industry say they have the cure for XYZ, RUN!
There are no cures for back pain.
There are no cures for weight loss.
There are no cures for ageing.
But there can be solutions.
Solutions that are unique to the situation and the individual. Those solutions require information and investigation. Time and effort. Commitment to a process.
Your time and energy should be devoted to those willing to learn about you instead of offering a cure that does not exist.
Judging Choices
Who are we to judge?
We have no business judging people's choices.
As we continue to deal with the pandemic and more gym closures, the comment of "Why are gyms closed but fast food restaurants are still open" continues to be spread by the fitness industry.
It's a bullshit comparison that needs to stop.
Gyms are not more essential than people's access to food. The quality of the food at those places is irrelevant.
I want gyms to be open. They allow people to improve their health. But we all need access to food. It's a basic human need.
And the narrative is full of judgement and assumption.
It assumes you are going there to make "bad" choices.
Those same "bad" choices could be made at a grocery store. Yet no one is complaining that those are open.
Is getting that Happy Meal for your kids after a challenging day of online learning "bad"?
Is getting that $1 coffee "bad"?
Is a homeless person getting their first meal in days "bad"?
People judge those places because they assume the food is unhealthy.
You know what else is unhealthy? Not having any food.
People judge the people who go there because they assume the people who go there are unhealthy.
You know what is also unhealthy? Judging and shaming people.
We have no business judging peoples choices. We don't know their story. We don't know why they made that choice.
We can help people improve without judgement. It requires compassion and understanding.
It Runs In The Family
Is pain a problem in your family?
“My back always hurts, it runs in the family”
Just because grandma Sally had back pain, doesn’t mean that you are destined to as well.
Unless you believe that you are.
If you believe that pain is inevitable due to age, genetics, etc, you will increase your likelihood of experiencing pain.
Pain doesn’t need to occur after a particular incident. It would be great if it was that simple.
Your beliefs influence your pain.
You are not grandma Sally.
You have the ability to change your beliefs.
You have the ability to change your pain.
Get Started. Then Keep Moving.
Perfect conditions don’t exist. So you might as well get started.
If you are waiting for the perfect conditions to make progress on your goals you will be waiting for a very long time. Because perfect conditions don’t exist.
You can make progress with the conditions and constraints that you have.
Sure, maybe if there were fewer obstacles you could make more progress.
But we don’t need to wait for the obstacles to magically disappear.
One small step forward is better than none.
Get started. Then keep moving.
Need help getting started? Let's chat.
Your Resolution Can Be About More Than 2022
What is your New Year’s resolution about?
Your New Year’s resolution could change the rest of your life.
2022 is a small portion of your life. But it could have a lot of impacts.
You do not need to set New Year’s resolutions.
But if you do, let’s make it impactful.
Maybe it’s making physical activity a part of your life.
Maybe it’s addressing that pain you have had for years.
Maybe it’s improving the way you fuel your body.
Those things, if implemented over the long term could change your life.
They could lead to the best version of you.
They won’t happen immediately. They will take time. They will be challenging.
And they will be worth it.
Need help with executing your goals? Let’s chat.
And subscribe to my newsletter for more New Year’s Resolution tips. Link in bio.
It’s Not About Fitness
Are your goals about fitness, or something bigger?
I realize that if you want to lose 20 pounds, it’s not just about the weight.
It’s about how you think you’ll feel when you’ve lost 20 pounds.
If you want to get your first pull-up, it’s not about the pull-up. It’s about feeling strong and confident.
If you want help getting rid of aches and pains, it’s not about the aches and pains. It’s about being able to do whatever the pain is keeping you from doing.
People come to me looking to get fitter. I realize the results they really want are to feel the way that they think a fit person feels.
Your goals aren’t silly.
It’s not about fitness.
It’s about how fitness will help you feel.
It’s about what you can do and who you become through fitness.
Let’s work on becoming that person, together.
Look Ahead
Keep your eyes on the road ahead.
When we make decisions in training are we looking at the road ahead?
Or are we looking at the ground in front of us, seeking immediate gratification?
Sure it can be nice to go for that PR. Or to try something new.
But that immediate gratification, that boost to your ego, does it serve you well? Does it get you where you want to be?
Look at the road ahead, make decisions that get you where you want to be. Have a coach or someone to keep you accountable.
Keep looking at the ground in front of you, eventually you will hit a wall.
Never Stop Learning
Find people who are committed to learning.
I recently asked a coach what the intended outcome was of something they were telling someone to do to address elbow pain.
This was the response:
“Why should I know that? If it helps, why do I need to know the why behind it? I’ve helped hundreds of people reduce and completely cure their pain. I don’t know the science behind it. Do you see a problem with that?”
Yes. Absolutely. 1000000%.
If someone doesn’t understand what they are telling you to do, how can that information be trusted?
At best it's a shot in the dark that could provide some benefit.
At worst, it is misinformation that could be harmful. It could be sending you down the wrong path. It could make the issue worse.
It’s the responsibility of a coach to learn. To say I don’t know, but I will find out.
We will never know everything. But we can also never stop learning.
When we don’t know the answer or solution it’s our responsibility to send clients and members to the people who are best equipped to help.
Does your coach say they have all the answers? That they have the cures?
If so, RUN!