Now, this answer might seem a bit vague, but truly it is not. Most of us have heard of the 80/20 principle; for those who have not, its basic premise states that 80% of our results will come from 20% of our effort. If we are talking about fitness, then the true question we are asking is: Where should my 20% effort be focused? Let’s break down our daily activities and find out:
Work – The majority of an average person’s day will be taken up by work. An eight hour workday plus a one hour commute accounts for almost 38% of our day. It is probably where we spend most of our waking hours from the time we reach adulthood until we retire. Given that most of us will work for a living, it is not something that we can change. Unless you exercise for a living (which only a few professional athletes have the luxury of doing) the best we can do is ensure that our work environment is conducive to the lifestyle we wish to lead. Check your work surroundings. Are you surrounded by positive people? Is your work environment safe? Does it allow for you to take care of your basic necessities? Is it supportive of your fitness goals?
Sleep – Second on the list in regards to our daily activities is sleep. Scientists recommend at least 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. The latest research estimates indicate that most Americans get a little less than seven hours of sleep, accounting for nearly 30% of our time. Should we therefore focus on sleep? Nobody will dispel the importance of sleep in relation to fitness. During sleep, our body regulates its hormone levels, stabilizes its metabolic rate, and recovers from the cellular damage that we impose on it at the gym. It is this recovery process that generates the results we seek. During sleep, our body decreases its cortisol levels. High levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, are associated with lower bone density, high blood pressure, and decreased muscle tissue. The importance of sleep is obviously profound, but other than ensuring we are getting an adequate number of hours there is little we can actively do to improve our body’s utilization of sleep.
Food – Next on the list is nutrition. Our society dictates 3 meals a day; sports practitioners and nutritionists recommend at least five (3 meals and 2 snacks). There are few things more enjoyable than to sit down for a good hearty meal; yet we rarely give ourselves the time to do so. We rush through breakfast, and lunch; perhaps we sit down for a quick dinner before prime-time TV. Most of us, who have been around fitness for a while, understand the need for those extra snacks and will grab one on the run. All said and done, we might take an average of 30 minutes for a meal, and half that time to grab a quick snack, giving us 2 hours or a little over 8% of our day. Here, for sure, is where our focus should lie, right? After all, you are what you eat. Yet, our body is a fantastic machine; it can take the most processed of all foods, and still find a way to draw even a minute amount of nutrients from it. We feed it sugary snacks and deep-fried foods and it keeps on going, making the best of the fuel that you give. I am not suggesting, that it makes it OK to eat to our heart’s abandon. Like a car, our body will run on many grades of gasoline, but the better the grade, the more optimally it runs. We should feed our body with healthy alternatives by opting for foods in their natural state whenever possible. We must also read-up on nutritional labels and make sure we are giving our body a good dose of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats; and on occasion, cheat. It’s OK to give ourselves the treats we want, as long as we understand that they are treats. If we consume Oreos on a daily basis, they are no longer a treat, they are now a part of our diet; restore them to treat status by making them an occasional snack rather than a daily indulgence.
Exercise – Workouts must be a priority; we must schedule them into our day; otherwise they become easy to set aside, and forget. Those of us who like structure and habit find scheduling our workouts easier to do; those that don’t must commit to start. One of the most memorable quotes I have heard came from a professional athlete, who was known for his strict adherence and dedication to his training. When asked how he stayed motivated, he answered, “I can’t stay motivated; motivation comes and goes. That is why I stay dedicated instead”. Control your dedication, plan your workouts in advance, and execute. Exercising should not be a chore, make it fun and keep it interesting. Finding the right environment is the key, and finding a good instructor, training partner, or coach never hurts. It helps to rely on those around us. Most important, we must give 100% of our attention to our workout while we are at the gym; after all, we only spend an hour of our day there, so make that 4% of the day count!
So if we work for 38% of the day, sleep for 30%, eat for 8% and workout for 4%, we have a total of 80%. But wait! Wasn't it supposed to be 20% of our effort gives 80% of our results? Between working, eating, sleeping and training, haven't we accounted for the whole day? No! ...So where is that elusive twenty percent? What about the remainder of our day? We still have 4.8 hours left. Four-point-eight hours where we are awake, yet we are not required to focus, not required to work, not sweating, not eating, not planning, not thinking about our next meeting, not trying to figure out why that guy cut us off in traffic, or how we will get back at him. THESE ARE THE HOURS THAT COUNT! These are the hours where we take our fitness and put it into practice. These hours will dictate how soundly we sleep, and how we will react to the challenges at work. These are the hours where we can take what we’ve done in the gym and apply it to our family; take the extra energy we gained from doing cardio and take the kids for a hike. Take the strength from our training and climb on the monkey-bars with our daughter. Go to the beach, take in the fresh air. These are the 20% where the fitness really counts. What we put into these hours, will come back around, and give us the motivation, to validate the dedication to keep going.If we see results here, we will invariably be doing the right thing with the rest of our day. THESE are the hours where we can truly experience fitness.
