Hello all-
In keeping with the theme of simple lifestyle modifications we can all make to improve our health, this post focuses on what physical therapists, chiropractors, and strength and conditioning specialists, among others, refer to as the 23:1 Rule.
The basic premise of the 23:1 rule is that your body adapts and "gets better at" whatever you practice, whether it be running, martial arts, strength training, or sitting on your butt eating potato chips and surfing the web. These adaptations fall into many different categories, as some are physiological (ex. a lower resting heart rate, lower blood pressure), some are psychological (ex. increased confidence, calmness, or ability to focus), and some are structural (ex. larger muscle size, increased flexibility and range of motion, or changes in posture).
The 23:1 Rule states that, regardless of what you do in the gym for 1 hour each day (assuming you do some sort of training every day), it's the 23 hours out of the gym that have at least as great an impact on your overall health and performance. Now, if what you focus on in the gym is the same as what you focus on for the rest of your day, this isn't a problem, and the 23:1 Rule will work in your favor. But, for many of us, what we focus on in the gym is NOT what we focus on the rest of the day, and we unwittingly suffer the consequences. Here are some examples that may hit home for you:
1. In the gym, I move around a lot, but I spend the rest of the day sitting on my butt.
2. In class, I focus on moving correctly, staying in balance, and moving efficiently. The rest of the day, I'm tense, uncoordinated, and un-focused.
3. Before and after my workout, I make sure to drink plenty of water, but the rest of the day I chug coffee, energy drinks, soda, and beer.
4. During class, I focus on staying relaxed as I know this will make my movement better and I can concentrate much easier. The rest of the day, I'm tense and STRESSED OUT!
5. During my workout/class, I focus on proper breathing. I breath deeply between rounds or sets to recover and get ready for the next round or exercise. The rest of the day, I'm barely aware of my breathing.
6. When I'm doing strength exercises like squats and deadlifts, I make sure to keep good posture so I don't hurt my back. The rest of the day, I often find myself slouching in my chair.
7. (Here's one I'm guilty of). Before and after a workout, I try to eat as clean and healthy as possible so as to properly fuel my body and properly recover. On the days I don't workout, I'm tempted to eat stuff I know is not healthy.
Did any of these hit home for you? If you're like me, you may have read some of these and not even been aware of what you weren't aware of! Things like posture, breathing, hydration, nutrition, and just plain getting up and moving around are things we quickly lose awareness of as we scramble through our daily routine. But these are the foundations of health and wellness. So no matter how good your technique is when you practice, no matter how safe your lifting posture is, and no matter how effective your workout routine is, if you disregard these things outside of the gym, YOU'RE SABOTAGING ALL OF THOSE RESULTS!
All of this comes down to habit. Getting to class or to the gym each day to train is a habit. Keeping your hands up when you kickbox, or keeping your back in neutral alignment when you squat are both habits. If these are habits you've developed, good for you, but don't stop there! What we all need to do is take a look at our habits outside of the gym or school, and make those as effective as we can. Here are some habits that I've tried or am still trying to instill in myself that I can already see as having a positive impact on my health:
1. The first thing that goes in my mouth each morning and the last thing that goes in my mouth each night...WATER! I fill a water bottle each morning and don't take a sip of my morning coffee until I've finished it. Depending on the bottle, this may be anywhere from 20 to 32 oz of water. Given that we're supposed to consume at least 64 oz of water each day, I'm practically half way there before I get to work!
2. Ever notice how small children just can't keep still? Ever wonder why it is that we as a society discourage them from this practice? Basically, the idea is we want kids to sit still so they can listen and do well in school, eventually getting a good job where they can, you guessed it, sit still and be productive. That's all well and good for the company bottom line, except when you read the statistics of people missing work and heading to their doctor due to back pain.....Guess what the most significant cause of back pain is? SITTING TOO MUCH! Simply put, get up and move around as often as possible. Get up and walk to the drinking fountain, do a lap around the office to collect your thoughts. Go to the other end of the office and talk to that associate rather than calling or emailing them. Or, if you have the luxury of working from home on occasion, you might even try working STANDING UP. It'll be a little uncomfortable at first and you may want to take "sit breaks," but your back will thank you for it! Just get up and move around as much as possible. I like to take stretch breaks and do some joint mobility work (such as Z-Health) at several points during the day.
3. Eat before you get hungry. Keep some snacks in your desk at work or in the fridge, and eat them between meals. Apples, string cheese, nuts, carrots or celery sticks, and cottage cheese are all great options.
4. Also, make sure you put some protein in your mouth every time you eat. EVERY TIME! It'll keep you feeling full until your next meal and help rev up your metabolism so that you burn more calories, even when you're not working out.
5. GO TO BED! This is a tough one for me, but getting to sleep early enough each night does wonders for the quality of your sleep, and thus the quality of recovery that your body gets. It's been said that one hour of sleep before midnight is the equivalent of two hours of sleep after midnight.
6. Unless it's immediately before or immediately following your workout, stay away from them CARBS! By carbs, I'm not talking about all carbohydrates, as even chicken has carbohydrates in it. Conventional use of this term nowadays refers to breads, pasta, crackers, chips, cookies, and anything made with flour or grains. Every time I eat a low carb meal, like some chicken and a mixed green salad, or stuffed peppers with ground buffalo, I think of it as money in the bank. I'm filling my body with what it needs and what it can use at a later time. I love pasta as much as the next Italian-American, so this one is particularly tough for me...but I'm working on it!
