Just Do What?

Nike has an ad campaign that says "Just do it." There is even a fitness movement here in this part of the country that suggest people should "Get up and do something." But what should you actually do?

In her adventures in Wonderland, Alice asks the cat, "Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?" The cat replies, "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." Alice answers, "I don't much care where," to which the cat's responds, "Then it doesn't matter much which way you go."

This demonstrates the importance of having a specific goal. With out knowing the desired outcome of a fitness program, you may not achieve the results that you really want. To make things even more challenging, the media is notorious for sending mixed messages about health & fitness. If you watch the 6'o'clock news you may hear that a particular exercise or food has been classified as "bad". If you stay up to watch the late news you'll hear that the same exercise/food is now good for you. Next thing you know, Regis and Kelly will tell you something completely different again in the morning. Who's right?

They all are! (but they can also be wrong!)...What does it all mean? In general, there is not one correct way to exercise, but adjusting certain variables in a training program can create different physiological adaptations. So the question should be, "which exercise will help me achieve MY goals?". Without first defining your goals (and then understanding what is appropriate), you may end
up spinning your wheels in an effort to create a change that may not happen.

Common fitness goals are:
* Lose body fat
* Gain Muscle/Tone
* Increase Endurance
* Improve functional abilities
* Improved sport performance
* Greater Flexibility
* and so on...

Each goal (and individual) has it's own unique characteristics that need to be considered when designing an exercise program. The more specifically you can state your goals, the better chance you will have of identifying the exercise variables that will cause the desired adaptation response. Figure out what it is that you really want to achieve and then take Nike's advice (with my own twist added):

"Just do what is appropriate!"

It might not sell a lot of shoes, but it's the real answer to achieving your potential in sport and fitness.

Good luck!

Joe Stankowski