While we want to approach health changes in a manner that is achievable, it’s important to understand what it looks like long term. We want walking, some cardio, and resistance training to all be a included in our normal lives in addition to healthful eating & emotional regulation.
When talking about health online, you’ll often see a focus on “the one thing you should do now”. Unfortunately this is not the platform for nuance or context so focusing on one thing at a time is probably a good strategy. In fact, in my private practice we often focus on one manageable action step at a time.
However, it’s also important to view the long game. While you might hear how walking will improve life expectancy and think “cool, all I need to do is walk” you’ll be disappointed to know that grip strength is also a predictor of all cause mortality. Oh and cardiovascular health…
While we are at it, obesity also is a strong indicator of long term metabolic disease (while it’s possible that health seeking behaviors may mitigate this it’s still likely going to be advantageous to maintain as healthy a bodyweight as possible).
Oh yeah, and your social relationships probably have a huge impact on not just how long you live but how well you live.
Complicated huh? Well, the good news is you don’t have to do it all at once. Small steps in the right direction add up to huge changes. Don’t think you have to do it all at once.
But also don’t be fooled into thinking there’s a silver bullet. We will likely need to address multiple avenues to lead a long, healthy, happy life.
If you struggle with how to make things work, just reply to this email
