IF I FOLLOW THE 80/20 RULE, I’LL BE GOOD RIGHT?
You've likely heard about the 80/20 rule when it comes to health and fitness. According to this rule, as long as you stay consistent 80% of the time, you can still make progress towards your goals.
While staying consistent can mean different things for different people, let's focus on the basics. The things most people need to be nailing to reach their goals:
Working out 3-5 days/week
Getting 7,000-10,000 steps per day
Eating about 1g of protein per pound of body weight per day
Sleeping 7-9 hours a night (sometimes this is not possible with little ones in the house)
Drinking enough water
If we're following the 80/20 rule, we're achieving these basics 80% of the time.
If there are 30 days in a month, 80% consistent means you'd be on point at least 24 of those 30 days. That's . . . . a lot of days.
My point here isn't to make you feel bad if you're not being 80% consistent. My point is that 80% might be more than you think. So if you feel like you're consistent 80% of the time and not seeing the results you desire, you might need to take a closer look at your consistency rate.
You can still make progress at lower consistencies, it will just take longer. And for some, that might be totally fine! Just make sure you're honest with yourself about where you are and where you want to be.
“THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWING THE PATH AND WALKING IT” – MORPHEUS
"There’s a Difference between Knowing the Path and Walking It" – Morpheus (The Matrix)
The fact that this quote comes from a fictional character doesn’t make it any less profound. In fact, it directly applies to why many people struggle in achieving their health and fitness goals.
For example, if I asked you, “What do you need to do to get into great shape?” You would probably list some common advice, such as: exercise 3-4 times a week, eat 3-4 well-balanced meals per day, get ample sleep and stay hydrated. These are all correct answers and great ways to maintain your health. In fact, you could probably even lay out a solid plan for how to do these things, which brings us to the big question: if we are armed with the right information, why aren’t we all in peak health? For most of us, we know the path, but walking it is another story altogether. Fortunately, this is where coaching comes into play.
Coaching isn’t just about introducing new exercises or pushing you outside your comfort zone. Working with the right coach creates a culture of accountability, which is crucial to achieving success. Without accountability, the path to our goals can become lost in life’s day-to-day challenges and before we know it, our health has been pushed to the bottom of our list of priorities. Accountability can mean the difference between just knowing the path and walking it so that you are always taking steps towards reaching your goals.
Show me someone who is thriving in any area of life and 99% of the time, you will find a mentor, coach, family member, or friend who has helped that person stay the course on their road to success. Instead of trying to go it alone, why not enlist the right help and create a support system? Sometimes stepping back and saying “I could use some help” is all it takes to get on the right path and stay on it for good.
4 SIMPLE MORNING RITUALS TO IMPROVE YOUR DAY AND YOUR OVERALL HEALTH
1. Hydrate
Drink 2 cups of (filtered) water immediately upon waking up. Hydration is crucial to keeping all of your body’s natural processes working properly, even when you are asleep. That means that if you are sleeping 7-9 hours, like you should be, you’re going to wake up dehydrated.
2. Eat
Unless you are participating in an intermittent fasting diet, which can provide certain benefits, breakfast is a crucial meal. No matter how many times we are told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, many of us still skip it entirely or scarf down some type of carbohydrate loaded bagel, muffin, or cereal before we run out the door. Eating a well-balanced breakfast, that focuses on incorporating plenty of protein, can boost your metabolism, aide in muscle recovery, and help you start your day feeling energized.
3. Take a Multivitamin
The truth is that most of us, even those who prioritize healthy eating, are not getting all of the vitamins and minerals we need from our diet. A high-quality multivitamin can be a life changer for those of us with deficiencies. That said, not all supplements are created equal. Unfortunately, the U.S. does not regulate supplements, which means that you could be taking a vitamin that doesn’t even contain the ingredients listed on the label. Unless you are familiar with the brand and trust their products, we recommend purchasing Canadian products, which are highly regulated for both quality and consistency. One of our favorite multi-vitamin brands is Thorne Research.
4. Get Outside
Getting exposure to natural light as soon as you roll out of bed can be very beneficial for the brain and the body and help get rid of any lingering grogginess. If you can get outside AND move your body for a few minutes you’ve earned bonus points.