Do things you can sustain.
Why is this so important? Well to achieve progress of any length in a health and fitness goal it takes time, typically a long time. Once we have achieved the goal it also requires just as much work to maintain progress as it does to achieve.
So what happens if what you are doing isn't sustainable? Well I am sure you know, we fall off track, bounce between goals and often end up back where we started. You might be following the best workout routine or the best diet. However if your workout routine doesn't fit your schedule and is incredibly difficult to stick too you're unlikely to maintain it. So instead of looking for what is optimal pick a routine that suits your lifestyle and fits in with your current commitments. Optimal might be 6 days a week working out but you can only manage 4. However 4 workouts is something you can commit to for years versus 6 sessions which you can only commit to for 8 weeks.
The same goes for our nutrition. We might be following the best XYZ diet but what happens when we have a party or visitors come round. Often the all or nothing mindset kicks in. A super restrictive approach might work really well for 8 weeks however isn't maintainable long term. Instead you would be better off following a slightly less restrictive approach allowing for treats in moderation, understanding energy balance and taking a slower approach. Again that is easier to sustain long term.
You want to push hard enough to progress, but not so hard that you burnout because if we reach that point it leads to inconsistent action. You can apply this strategy to any goal not just health related. The ability to continually repeat an action is the key to long term success.
Do things you can sustain 🤙
