First principles

Our country has a health crisis, and its root cause is lack of exercise and poor nutritional choices. Because of these two, most people are on some sort of medication, and our healthcare system is overburdened, which leads to higher costs in getting healthcare when we need it.

With that enormous problem at our feet, we also have a multi-billion fitness industry that is failing to help people change their diet and exercise behaviors. The fitness and nutrition industries make promises they can't deliver because people want an easy answer to their health problems. This means that many health and fitness coaches are giving people what they want and not what they need.

Easy answers don't exist, and at Timber & Steel, we commit to always telling you the truth. We commit to doing what's effective and simply what is popular. We don't need more gimmicks and quick fixes. We need to base our behaviors around a few simple but not easy principles that will keep us from being a part of the poor health crisis.

Eat Whole Foods

This is super simple and yet is difficult for most people. Don't overthink it. Shop around the edges of the grocery store, and don't go down the aisles. This will get you your meat, vegetables, fruit, and some grains.

If you limit the foods you shop for to healthy foods, then you won't be able to overeat those less healthy options. Yes, it's possible to occasionally eat a few less-healthy options and still be healthy, but I'm giving you simple, straightforward advice to keep you healthy. I don't want you to have to overthink this.

Sleep Enough

Sleep is the time when your body recovers. It recovers from your physical and mental activity, and if you don't get enough of it, everything else in your life suffers so much so that it is possible to die from not getting enough sleep.

• Your brain won't be able to function as optimally, and you'll have brain fog
• Your body won't recover or build muscle from your exercise. Then what was the point?
• Your stress levels will be higher, and that's not good. Stress can be the cause of many other health concerns.

99% of people need 7+ hours of sleep every night to function optimally. There are times in life when that just isn't possible, but it's essential to be aware that sleeping less than that is keeping you from optimal health and fighting against the other good choices you're making. It will also reduce your ability to make good choices when you need to. You'll default to the easy thing like not making dinner or not going to the gym.

Reduce Stress

It is essential to reduce stress as much as possible. Stress keeps you up at night and elevates the level of the hormone Cortisol released into your bloodstream. Cortisol is our fight-or-flight hormone, and elevated levels can make it difficult to lose weight.

Stress is mentally taxing. You can't be present in your daily life if you are constantly stressed out, and most people are stressed about things that are supposed to improve their lives.

Stress is a result of our fight-or-flight response. This is supposed to be used in short bursts in times of danger. We are not wired to be in that heightened state for a prolonged period of time. There are many ways to reduce stress, and it may take some testing to find what works best for you. Here are some things to try:

• Go for a walk in silence
• Get to the mountains for some fresh air and separation from daily life
• Spend at least 10 minutes being quiet or meditating and focusing on your breath
• Turn off all your digital devices for 1 day a week
• Don't read the news
• Go on a social media blackout
• Get a massage
• Learn to say "no" to things that add stress to your life. Be your own advocate.

Drink Water

Water is the lubricant of the human body. It helps the things that should be moving to keep moving. Your muscles, fascia, and skin should all slide easily against each other. If those get bound up, then you won't be able to move as well, and you'll feel stiffer than you should.

Your body needs to be able to remove waste efficiently. Water helps move that waste out of your body, and that's a really good thing.

Even if you don't know much about engines, it is generally understood that if you don't put oil in your car's engine, it will stop working. A similar thing could be said about your body.

Every day, aim to drink between 60 and 100 ounces of water. The bigger you are, the higher on that scale you should drink. Consider drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces.

Move

Run, jump, and climb on things. Lift heavy objects and carry them. Move your joints through complete ranges of motion with and without an extra load. Our bodies are meant to move. That is how they thrive. They are not meant to sit at a desk all day or lay on the couch watching all extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (though I have been known to do that).

As a gym, we are excited about the use of formalized training methods to optimize our bodies, but it can be done outside the gym. It can be done, but it's a whole lot easier in a gym. You'll have to spend most of your day moving and being conscious about moving your joints through complete ranges of motion. Most people don't have the time or knowledge to build a sufficient movement practice on their own. Nor do most people have the self-discipline to do it every day without some sort of structured accountability.

Spend time with Friends

What? Isn't this about health and fitness? Yep, it sure is. There is a strong connection between the health of your body and the quality of the friendships you have. It's a connection that is beginning to be studied in a formalized way, but there is anecdotal evidence everywhere.

There is something about having solid connections with other human beings that brings joy and happiness, reduces stress, and refreshes the body. Find some people that you like being around and spend some time with them on a regular basis. Have some fun.

That's it. The list isn't too long or complicated. These are our "First Principles." That means they come before everything else when it comes to our health and fitness. If you're not doing these things well, you'll find yourself in trouble. Consistently focus on these things, and you'll be healthy and happy. That's a drastically different message than you'll find from most fitness influencers on the internet because it isn't flashy, there isn't a secret, and there is nothing to sell.

Unlike a fitness influencer, we're here to help you live a better life, not to make our lives better.