6 Simple Steps to Get Fitter Than Most People

Instead of spending money on supplements or hours at the gym, experts suggest that improving your fitness can be achieved through simple lifestyle changes.

Focusing on supplements and complicated workouts can lead to easily attainable health gains by sticking to basic habits like regular walking, simple resistance training, good sleep, and a balanced diet. The key to fitness success is consistency, not perfection.

I recently witnessed a heated online debate about the best way to perform push-ups, an exercise whose name clearly indicates the correct technique. Sure, you can use precise techniques to better target muscles, but for the vast majority of people, simply pushing themselves off the ground (whether in a kneeling position or otherwise) will provide the most benefits.

This debate isn't an isolated incident either; it's part of a larger phenomenon. Everywhere I look, I see people trying to make minor improvements in health and fitness by resorting to shortcuts, tricks, and (often expensive) supplements, while neglecting fundamental practices and missing out on potentially significant gains that are readily available.

We spend excessive time in saunas instead of getting the restorative sleep our bodies need. We rely on a large quantity of supplements when a little fruit and vegetables would suffice. We chase after trendy bosu ball exercises when a simple squat can provide far greater benefits.

I don't deny the effectiveness of these methods, but they won't yield the desired health results unless they are built on a solid foundation from the start. After a series of extensive interviews with leading researchers, trainers, and athletes in the fitness field, it became clear to me that, despite their diverse experiences, they all agree on fundamental principles they recommend for overall health and well-being.

Based on these recommendations, I've compiled six practical, easy-to-understand, and applicable tips, agreed upon by experts, to guide you if you want to advance in the fitness world and outperform the majority.

Lesson One: Don't strive for perfection; aim for consistency.

Sally Gunnell, former Olympic champion and founder of Life's Hurdle (a consulting firm specializing in advising people facing life challenges), says, "Most of us believe that more is better [in terms of effort, time, performance, attempts, or results], and that we have to be absolutely perfect in everything. But the truth is, you can't be perfect every day. This is the problem that often leads to the failure of both exercise programs and diets."

When people make a mistake and miss a day of their exercise program, they often abandon it altogether. Similarly, not adhering to strict diet rules leads to a similar fate.

Ganell likens this "all or nothing" mentality to getting a flat tire and then damaging the other three. Instead, she recommends fixing the flat tire—finding simple ways to improve your health and fitness.

"If you miss a workout or overeat one day, don't ruin the whole week by telling yourself, 'I'll start all over again on Monday.' Simply get back to your usual healthy routine, and remember that progress doesn't mean perfection," Ganell says.

She categorizes days as "red, amber, and green. Your green days are the days when you're full of energy and enthusiasm. But you'll most likely have a red day when you have no desire to do anything. On those days, can you do just one thing to turn your day amber?"

Turning a red day into an amber day can be achieved simply by taking a short walk instead of scrolling through your phone, or by dedicating five minutes to a quick physical activity (like a short resistance training routine) during your break from work.

A few minutes of effort may not seem like much, but consistent activity has a cumulative effect on your fitness, with benefits growing day by day, just like interest accumulating in a bank account.

Lesson Two: Vary Your Movements

Generally, the body deals with movement according to the principle of "use it or lose it." If you regularly engage in an activity, your body adapts to perform it more efficiently. If you neglect it, you will gradually begin to lose the strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular and respiratory health it requires. Therefore, if you want to be able to move freely, frequent activity is not an option, but a necessity.

Strength trainer Dan John identifies five basic patterns of human movement: pushing, pulling, joint movement, squatting, and lifting weights.

Kinesiology expert Ash Grossman highlights the importance of movement across the three planes of motion: the sagittal plane, which includes up-and-down, forward-and-backward movements; the frontal plane, which includes lateral movements like bending; and the transverse plane, which encompasses twisting and turning movements.

If you adhere to these eight principles weekly, whether through strength training, Pilates, or any other activity you prefer, you will likely give your body a level of flexibility that surpasses most people's abilities.

Lesson Three: Do Resistance Training in Any Form

In fact, resistance training is a treasure trove for health, fitness, and longevity. It offers significant health benefits at a lower cost, with less time and effort compared to most "biohacking" options. [Biohacking is a term referring to methods for improving health, performance, and longevity, including dietary and lifestyle changes, and the use of wearable devices.]