What is the best exercise for you, should you join a gym and other FAQs
Quick and dirty answers to your most frequent questions
In today's post, I thought I'd address a bunch of frequently asked questions. Without diving into detail or depth, I am gonna provide quick and dirty answers.
And instead of listening to my audio today, I wanted to share a recent episode from The Quad’s podcast. In this, Raj talks about endurance training and the healthy adaptations we should look for - like improving your resting heart rate, heart rate recovery, and heart rate variability. Tune in and listen.
Q: How can I lose weight effectively and sustainably?
Sleep 7+ hours every night. Improve the quality of your sleep by following these useful tips.
Weight loss is mostly about nutrition. Eat more vegetables. Eat some protein. Drink lots of water. Minimise eating out and eating packaged foods. Most important, plan your weekly menu.
Don't worry about activity unless you have the time for it. If you do, do anything. Walk, run, swim, play a sport, or pick someone on social media who has a bunch of follow-along workouts. Don't overthink it. Just do.
Do this for at least 6 months. Track your weight and waist. For bonus points, track your blood work too.
Q: What type of exercise is best for me?
Cardio is good for all of us. This generally refers to steady-state exercise i.e. working at an even pace for a long duration. Walking or running or a combination of running and walking for an hour 3 days a week is a great start.
Strength training is good for all of us. The older we get, the more important muscle is. You can do this at a gym with machines or you can do this with free weights, or as a combination of both.
Yoga is great for mind-body, for recovery, and for a lot of things.
If you can do all 3, great. If you can focus on one a quarter, great. If you can do only one, just keep an eye out that over the long term, you will need to balance it out.
Q: Is it necessary to join a gym, or can I work out at home?
It is not necessary to join a gym.
A gym primarily gives you access to equipment.
It also gives you a designated space to do your workout. Which is very useful, if you find that you are unable to switch on the mentality to train at home.
Access to a training plan (what should I do?) or a coach is decoupled from a gym - you can find these online at The Quad or elsewhere.
You can buy minimal fitness equipment if you need it. Or you can start with bodyweight routines until you feel confident.
If you have the space and the mental bandwidth to train at home, a gym is unnecessary.
Q: How do I prevent and manage lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and hypertension?
Oof, a risky one for a quick and dirty answer. Let's preface this one with a disclaimer - I am not a medical professional and this is simply my opinion. Please see a doctor blah blah blah.
Sleep 7+ hours a night. Ensure that the sleep is restful.
Eat vegetables. Eat some protein. Drink water. Minimise junk foods, cardboard carbs, and alcohol.
Practice pranayama or some form of breathwork.
Incorporate recovery protocols like getting a massage a steam bath a sauna or an ice bath.
Make activity a regular part of your lifestyle. Walking is a good start.
You will need to do a bit all over - rather than focusing on only one thing.
Q: What's the role of supplements and protein powders in fitness?
Protein supplements i.e. whey or vegan protein are useful. All of us, even those who do not exercise, can benefit from eating 1 gram of protein per kilo of body weight. This means if you weigh 80 kilos, you can aim to eat 80 grams of protein.
An egg has 6g of protein, for example. Milk and dairy products have a bunch. Meat has a bunch. But most people find it difficult to hit this number.
So, a supplement comes in quite handy.
Especially if you are shooting for a higher number - 1.5 to 2x is what active folks go for. Which means 120-160g of protein daily (for an 80 kg person.)
Other supplements are useful if you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Common supplements that are pushed today are magnesium, Omega-3, and vitamin D. They are not mandatory but require further investigation.
Q: How can I balance fitness with a busy work and family life?
With great difficulty.
You need to prioritise what you want to do.
1 hour for fitness + work + family means you need to drop other things from the agenda.
So, first things first. Figure out what those things are. Do them regularly. Make them routine.
Subtract everything else.