The pillars of health and fitness

At some point in our lives or even several points many of us will strive to become healthier and fitter. Your personal motivation may vary, it can be for aesthetic reasons, desired longevity, quality of life, athletic performance or all the above. Regardless of the why the how is pretty much the same. To truly succeed you must address several factors; let’s call them pillars, your exercise routine, your nutrition (diet) and your sleep. If one is lagging the results will too. You won’t achieve your best results if you workout hard, but eat poorly or if you eat well, but barely exercise. Likewise, if your exercise and diet are on point, but you forego sleep then you will ultimately undermine your results. Let’s take a look at each of these pillars and why they are important to the overall picture.

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Pillar #1 Exercise

The first pillar is exercise, the stimulation your body requires to make adaptive change. The types of adaptive change the body is capable of are many and profound. When developing your exercise routine you must first know your intent. What is your goal? Are you primarily looking for strength gains, muscle hypertrophy (size gain), speed and power (more for athletes) or endurance? Though there may be some crossover (generally a larger muscle is also stronger) there are also significant differences in training and application.

To gain the benefits of exercise you must first challenge your body sufficiently to begin a remodeling response. This means there must be enough physical stress either in resistance, duration or volume. Obviously if you are a novice you should start slow and easy. As you get stronger and recover faster you will need to increase the work load by adjusting resistance, duration or volume according to your intent. For the average person 3-4 days of resistance training is ideal. Aerobic exercise ideally should be 180-240 minutes per week. This would be a mix of zone 2 (able to carry a conversation) zone 3 (just beyond conversational) and zone 4 (75-90% max). You must optimize the stimulation in order to peak your health and fitness benefits.

Benefits of Resistance Exercise (Strength Training):

1) Resistance training, such as weight lifting, helps build and strengthen muscle fibers, improving overall muscle strength and endurance.

2) Resistance training can lead to muscle growth (hypertrophy), which can improve muscle definition and appearance.

3) It helps increase bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

4) Building muscle can increase your resting metabolic rate, which means you burn more calories even at rest.

5) Resistance exercise can reduce body fat percentage and increase lean muscle mass, leading to a healthier body composition.

6) It helps improve posture and balance by strengthening core muscles and supporting good alignment.

7) Strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments can help prevent injuries in daily life and during sports or other physical activities.

8) It improves the ability to perform everyday tasks, from lifting groceries to climbing stairs, with greater ease.

9) When done with proper form and technique, resistance training can improve joint stability and reduce the risk of joint-related problems.

10) Strength training can have a positive impact on mental health, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression and promoting a sense of achievement.

Benefits of Aerobic Exercise (Cardiovascular Exercise):

1) Aerobic exercise, such as running, swimming, and cycling, strengthens the heart and lungs, improving overall cardiovascular health.

2) It is effective in burning calories, aiding weight loss, and maintaining a healthy weight.

3) Regular aerobic exercise can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension.

4) Aerobic exercise improves lung capacity and oxygen transport, increasing your endurance and stamina.

5) Regular aerobic exercise is associated with a decreased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer.

6) Cardiovascular exercise triggers the release of endorphins, promoting a sense of well-being and reducing stress and anxiety.

7) Regular aerobic exercise has been linked to better cognitive function, including improved memory and thinking skills.

8) Engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise has been associated with increased lifespan and better quality of life in old age.

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Pillar #2 Nutrition

Proper nutrition is of utmost importance in the context of fitness and hypertrophy (muscle growth). Nutrition provides the building blocks and energy necessary for physical performance, recovery, and muscle development. Consuming enough fuel, but not too much is also important. What you eat and how much you eat must be in balance with your nutrient and caloric requirement. Proper nutrition is also important for immunity, mental health, mood and cognition. Here are some key aspects of the importance of proper nutrition in fitness and hypertrophy:

1) Proper nutrition ensures that your body has an adequate supply of calories and macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) to fuel your workouts. Carbohydrates, in particular, provide energy for both endurance and strength training activities.

2) Protein is the fundamental nutrient for muscle growth. Amino acids from dietary protein are used to repair and build muscle tissue damaged during exercise. Consuming an adequate amount of protein is crucial for maximizing muscle protein synthesis, which is the process of building and repairing muscle.

3) After a strenuous workout, proper nutrition helps with recovery. Nutrients like protein and carbohydrates help replenish glycogen stores, repair muscle tissue, and reduce muscle soreness. This aids in faster recovery and enables you to train more frequently and with higher intensity.

4) To promote muscle hypertrophy, you need to consume a caloric surplus, which means you're eating more calories than you're burning. Proper nutrition helps you achieve this surplus and provides the nutrients required for muscle growth. Along with protein, consuming adequate calories and healthy fats is essential for promoting muscle hypertrophy.

5) The timing of your meals can influence your performance and recovery. Consuming a balanced meal with protein and carbohydrates before and after your workout can optimize your training results. This helps provide immediate energy and support muscle repair when your body needs it most.

6) Proper hydration is vital for exercise performance and overall health. Dehydration can lead to reduced exercise capacity and muscle cramps. Staying hydrated is essential for endurance, strength, and recovery.

7) The quality of the nutrients you consume matters. Whole, nutrient-dense foods provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support overall health and may reduce the risk of injuries and illnesses that could hinder your training progress.

8) For those looking to simultaneously lose body fat while gaining lean muscle, proper nutrition is critical. A balanced diet with a moderate caloric deficit, adequate protein intake, and strength training can help you achieve this goal.

Once again proper nutrition not only benefits your fitness and muscle growth but also contributes to your long-term health. A balanced diet can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and enhance your overall quality of life. Consulting with a registered dietitian or nutrition expert can help you create a personalized nutrition plan that aligns with your objectives. Using a diet app can help you track this data.

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Pillar # 3 Sleep

The pillar of health that often is over looked or minimized is sleep. With our busy lives and trying to find time to do all the things we want or need to do sleep becomes the sacrificial lamb. Some people I know sleep maybe 5-6 hours on week days then think they can make it up by sleeping for 10 hours once a week; well it doesn’t work that way. You can’t make up sleep. Ideally you need 7-9 hours of actual sleep per night. I once had a biology professor say that every hour of sleep you miss in your life time you can take off of your lifespan. If you are trying to be the best physical version of yourself then adequate sleep is particularly important. Let’s see how it affects your health, fitness and recovery.

1) During deep sleep, your body releases growth hormone, which is essential for repairing and building muscle tissue. This is crucial for fitness recovery, especially if you engage in strength training or high-intensity workouts. Without sufficient sleep, your muscles may not recover properly, leading to decreased performance and an increased risk of injury.

2) Sleep is the body's natural way of recharging and restoring energy. When you're well-rested, you have more energy to engage in physical activities and exercise. Lack of sleep can lead to fatigue, making it difficult to maintain an active lifestyle.

3) Sleep helps regulate the hormones responsible for appetite and metabolism, such as leptin and ghrelin. Inadequate sleep can lead to hormonal imbalances, potentially resulting in weight gain or difficulty losing weight, which can impact your overall health and fitness goals.

4) Proper sleep is essential for cognitive function, including decision-making, focus, and reaction time. Inadequate sleep can lead to poor workout performance, diminished coordination, and an increased risk of injury during exercise.

5) Sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy immune system. Regular exercise, while beneficial, can temporarily stress the immune system. A good night's sleep helps your body recover and repair itself, enhancing your immune response.

6) Adequate sleep is essential for stress management. High stress levels can negatively impact your health and fitness goals by increasing cortisol levels (a stress hormone), which can lead to muscle breakdown and fat storage. Sleep helps reduce stress and maintain hormonal balance.

7) Mental Well-being: Sleep is closely linked to mood and mental health. Quality sleep can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, which can affect your motivation to exercise and your overall well-being. During sleep the brain consolidates memories of the day’s events and also processes emotions.

8) Sleep deprivation can affect the regulation of hunger and satiety hormones. This can make it harder to maintain a healthy weight, which is often a part of fitness goals.

9) Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. A healthy heart is vital for overall fitness, and getting enough sleep can help protect your cardiovascular health.

10) During sleep the brain condenses about 20% allowing more space for glial cells to remove waste products.

Sleep is a complex physiological process with several distinct stages. Wakefulness, light sleep, deep sleep and REM. The sleep cycle typically repeats multiple times during the night, with each complete cycle lasting around 90 minutes. As the night progresses, the proportion of REM sleep increases, and deep sleep stages become shorter. Most deep sleep occurs during the first half of the night, while REM sleep dominates the latter half.

Being your best physical and mental self begins with these three pillars of health. If any pillar is not met satisfactorily then maximum benefits cannot be achieved and you may be just spinning your wheels until the system lets you down. Try to find the best balance for you in your busy life without ignoring any pillar to achieve your intended goal.