The 10 Week Challenge and Simple Fitness 

Simple Fitness and Basic Exercise Habits

Because of the tone of this piece, I'm sure some of my readers will label me a jerk. However, newcomers and seasoned athletes may benefit from certain basic fitness routines. Because inspiration has no language, I'll pepper this piece with fluffy cliché sayings and warm and fuzzy quotations. I've included ten basicand simple fitness exercise habits that everyone may begin practicing right now, regardless of fitness level, expertise, or age. I know I'm just a young punk preaching health and fitness, but I can believe there's no worse feeling than living a life full of regret and what-ifs. Trust me when I say that a proactive approach to health and fitness will improve your life much more than a reactive one. Let's get this party started.

#1 

Move daily - just do it, guy. Take a stroll, join a recreation league, or work out in whichever kind of exercise you want. What terrifies me the most is waking up one day and wishing I had taken better care of my body when I was younger. Don't be that miserable person who lives in the past because you've let your body deteriorate: your life does not improve by accident; it improves through change. 

 #2

 Frequently lose your breath - I couldn't write this piece without mentioning HIIT or SIT (read previous articles to make the connection). So it's time to start kicking yourself in the shins. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone, sweat a little (or a lot), gasp for oxygen, and feel your lungs burn. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, after all. Haha, I know; it was probably the worst one I could have come up with. Seriously, go into this anaerobic zone, and you'll be doing miracles for your health in every way.

#3

Make a plan for the future now - Awwww, one of my many Achilles' heels: if you're not going ahead, you're moving backward. Being goalless is the start of the end. To be honest, the only inappropriate approach to establish objectives is to not set any at all. Whether you set micro/macro objectives, 1-5-10 year goals, or daily/weekly goals, they're all important - not only in fitness but in life (yeah, I'm a life coach, since that's what personal trainers do).

#4 

Most of the time, you are what you eat - Being healthy, both nutritionally and physically, isn't something you can do on the side. It takes a huge ass cup of dedication. But don't get too carried away. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a total sucker for a few things: ribs, chicken wings, movie theater popcorn, soda, and sugar binge sessions while gaming (among others). These are foods that I adore. Therefore I'm going to consume them! As easy as that. The point is, I can eat them because I'm feeding my body what it needs most of the time: entire healthy meals. When I say "the majority of the time," I don't mean 51 (healthy) / 49 (junk) - but if that ratio is better than your present ratio, it's also OK. All I ask is that you think about pushing the limits a little further each week: 60/40, 65/35, 70/30, and so on. The 90/10 guideline seems to be the optimal ratio for quick body composition modifications. 

#5

Stay hydrated at all times: Water is the essence of life, man! Do you believe you're getting enough water? Well, you're a moron. Drink a little more. Easily one of the most important aspects of good functioning (on all levels) but is sometimes overlooked. BUT... here's the good news: of all the habits on this list, this is by far the simplest to practice. Purchase a water bottle, bring it with you, and drink it regularly. You'll soon notice that the more water you drink, the more you desire it.

#6

Experiment - I've tried high carbohydrate, low carbohydrate, high fat, intermittent fasting, gluten-free, high calorie, low calorie, peri-workout nutrition, water, and salt manipulation, and various other nutrition tactics (I will admit, I have never PURPOSELY tried low protein). CrossFit, classical bodybuilding, sprinting (of course), semi-long distance running (like 5K, I know - weak, right?!) circuit training, Tabata, Olympic lifting, bodyweight training, gymnastic training, yoga, acro yoga, power yoga, pilates, and a shitload of sports I made those lists because I thought they looked cool and I wanted to boast... and for the tiniest secondary purpose of attempting to make another point - do new things, keep it interesting. I don't believe anybody has the right to dismiss a particular kind of fitness until they've tried it. I'll confess that I've never run a marathon and probably won't in the future. BUT I have no objections to folks who run marathons because they like it. My issue is with folks running marathons and expecting to be transformed into a muscle-popping Michelangelo sculpture. So, to return to my original argument, the more tools you have in your toolbox, the greater the home you can construct

#7

Find like-minded individuals by surrounding yourself with people who share your principles; alternatively, if this entire lifestyle is new to you, surround yourself with people whose values are close to the ones you wish to embrace. It will be a lot simpler to live your life the way you want if the people around you are doing the same. Man, manifestation and all that nonsense.

#8 

Eliminate guilt: So you ate a cheat meal, oh no! Bro, cry me a firkin river. Suppose you're going to live and die by one meal. In that case, you'll need to find some new interests (bodybuilding competitors, obviously, this is not meant for you). There is no way in hell that a couple pieces of pizza on Friday night can undo your fitness/health improvements. No, they're ruined by the two Budweisers you consume every night or the domino effect of binges you consume every weekend. Whether you call it a cheat meal, a re-feed, a reward, or just eating for the sake of eating, do it and move on. Don't feel bad about indulging in some very terrible cuisine every now and again. When you follow the 90/10 rule, you really accomplish more good than damage. Simply be aware that you're doing it and get back on track.

#9

Begin today: There is no such thing as the ideal moment to begin. If we don't have an excuse, we invent one. We've been so conditioned to dread failure that we just accept things as they are, out of our control. We live in this small little ball of comfort, which suffocates our imagination, creativity, and dreams. There is no sadder period than when a guy reaches the age of 25 and dies from the neck up. Time is the most important resource we have; don't squander it.

So let's get this one out of the way before you all get lost in the middle of this gentle tone I've adopted. Every easy fitness habit described above is simple to implement in your life. Here is your task: Add one of these behaviors each week for the following ten weeks. Do not add another habit until you have achieved at least 90% adherence (or whatever percentage you consider fair) to the prior one. I'm making these habits personal to each individual, so what does habit #6: drink more water truly mean for you? Whether you increase your water consumption by 500 mL (2 cups) or 1 liter each day, it's up to you. What are you expected to do with habit #3, which encourages you to quit dieting forever? Well, first and foremost, you'll need to locate something that can be sustained for more than three months out of the year. Perhaps a balanced diet or a paleo diet is in order. "Ethan, stop being an asshole and just tell me what to eat," you're presumably thinking. That would negate the whole point, and to be honest, you'd be no closer to being self-sufficient than you were before I told you what to eat.

#10

Stop dieting for good: Do you know what the best diet is? Adherence. Do you know why it's the best? Because when eating becomes a habit, it is no longer considered a diet. Stop worrying about People's Magazine's newest diet trends, a celebrity's new supplement brand, or Dr. Oz's new herbal treatment discovered in Atlantis. Let us begin by altering one item at a time, making it a habit, and then moving on. If you want a more particular direction, look for someone (a mentor) in the health and fitness business that you trust and respect. Or maybe this article is the ideal starting point to get you started correctly.