{"id":687690,"date":"2026-06-06T09:42:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T09:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/687690\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T09:42:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T09:42:13","slug":"this-is-the-most-boring-fitness-article-youll-ever-read-but-also-one-of-the-most-useful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/687690\/","title":{"rendered":"This is the most boring fitness article you\u2019ll ever read \u2013 but also one of the most useful"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIn health<\/a> and fitness<\/a>, the things that we know work aren\u2019t revolutionary<\/a>,\u201d experienced PT and author Ben Carpenter told me a couple of years ago. His words stuck with me. And every expert I interviewed before our chat and every expert I\u2019ve interviewed since seems to support his message.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that exercise<\/a> is good; we know that certain dietary habits like eating fruits and vegetables<\/a> are good,\u201d Carpenter said, simply. <\/p>\n

The problem is that that isn\u2019t as sellable<\/a> as a promise on social media that one exercise, supplement, protocol or hack will transform your life. <\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need me to tell you that one product is unlikely to overhaul your fitness fortunes<\/a>. But the good news is that if you nail the basics below, you can enjoy impressive results \u2013 all without denting your bank balance. <\/p>\n

How to get fitter <\/p>\n

If you move a decent amount daily, regularly do something to strengthen your body and eat an appropriate number of calories for your activity levels, chances are you will be in remarkably good nick, according to strength coach Dan John,<\/a> who describes fitness as the intersection between \u201cstrength training<\/a>, walking and caloric correctness\u201d. <\/p>\n

There is more nuance you can dive into here, such as protein quotas and specific exercises to work muscles at different angles. But in this nuance, people often get lost and give up. <\/p>\n

Instead, focusing on improving the three foundational factors above will leave the vast majority of people in a far better place than when they started. <\/p>\n

Read more: New research reveals the exercise six times more effective than walking<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The world\u2019s simplest exercise plan <\/p>\n

1. Do two full-body strength training<\/a> sessions per week (you can find an example in the video above) <\/p>\n

2. Walk 8,000-plus steps a day<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Do an aerobic activity (such as running, cycling, swimming, walking or many other sports) that gets you out of breath twice per week<\/p>\n

This exercise plan<\/a> echoes one I was introduced to by seasoned strength coach Darren Ellis<\/a>. As a minimum effective dose for adults aged between 19 and 64, it aligns with the insights of the academics, researchers, coaches and athletes I\u2019ve spoken to over the years. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n

A new study<\/a> found that consistent strength training can significantly lower your risk of early death, neurological diseases, heart disease and stroke, all while building a more functional, robust body and being the best evidence-backed way to improve mobility<\/a>. <\/p>\n

University of Granada research<\/a> from 2023 \u201cprovided the first scientific proof for how many steps you need to take per day to significantly reduce the risk of premature death: 8,000\u201d. However, authors added that more daily movement can deliver added benefits, albeit with diminishing returns as your step count climbs higher. <\/p>\n

And finally, Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, a leading physical activity researcher from the University of Sydney, says a short burst of breathlessness-inducing intensity \u2013 anything from sprinting to climbing the stairs, depending on your fitness level \u2013 is one of the most efficient routes to several health perks. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to functional capacity, and cardiorespiratory fitness in particular, you need intensity to challenge your physiology,\u201d he explains. \u201cVigorous-intensity activity will force the heart to strengthen its muscle, improving its capacity to pump blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: There\u2019s a new golden rule for strength training \u2013 expert coaches reveal everything you need to know<\/a><\/p>\n

\"WalkingWalking is one of the most accessible ways to increase your activity levels and improve your health (PA)<\/p>\n

The golden rule of fitness: change leads to change<\/p>\n

For those who think the guide above is too easy, I would point out that this is a baseline, not a ceiling. You are free and encouraged to do more for added health benefits \u2013 especially if you enjoy it. <\/p>\n

For those who think it is too hard, I have more good news. \u201cEvery move counts towards better health,\u201d a 2020 statement from the World Health Organisation<\/a> reads. <\/p>\n

Something is invariably better than nothing on the health and fitness front. Any move you can make away from a sedentary lifestyle or a non-nutritious diet is highly likely to improve your health. <\/p>\n

Think of it like Newton\u2019s first law of motion: \u201cAn object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line, unless acted on by an unbalanced force.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you are currently overweight and you continue living life in exactly the same way, you will probably remain overweight. If you want to build muscle but you don\u2019t make lasting changes to your diet or exercise routine, your mission will be unsuccessful. <\/p>\n

If you want to change your fitness, you need to change something in your life, and you need to maintain this change on a consistent basis. <\/p>\n

Read more: This is what happened when I took the RAF fitness test<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AnyAny positive move above your baseline behaviours \u2013 such as a few extra steps or strength training sessions each week \u2013 can deliver impressive improvements to your health and fitness levels (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

The small changes that actually make a difference<\/p>\n

Small changes quickly add up to have a significant cumulative impact, provided you do them consistently. <\/p>\n

For example, if you currently walk an average of 2,000 steps a day and you up this to 2,500, your monthly total jumps up by roughly 15,000 and your health will likely experience a similar upward trajectory. <\/p>\n

Upgrading from zero weekly strength training workouts to one 20-minute full-body session (like the one in the video above) will also deliver enormous return on investment, while an extra portion of fruit or vegetables each day has been proven to boost longevity. Don\u2019t just take my word for it, though. <\/p>\n

A 2025 study from the University of Sydney<\/a> found that consistently hitting an extra 15 minutes of sleep, 1.6 minutes of exercise and half a serving of vegetables each day was linked to a 10 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality in those with the least healthy existing routines. While greater changes led to greater benefits, small, consistent tweaks still delivered results. If you can make positive changes to your baseline behaviours, you will reap the rewards. <\/p>\n

Read more: I did goblet squats every day for a month \u2013 the results surprised me<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AsAs appetite is finite, prioritising more nutritious foods in your meals tends to displace less nutritious items such as crisps and chocolate (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

Add to your diet rather than giving up foods you love<\/p>\n

If you are looking to reduce your calorie intake or make your meals more nourishing, I like Carpenter\u2019s approach to dieting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of diets focus on restriction and avoidance: you\u2019re not allowed to eat certain things, or you have to reduce your intake of xyz,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

\u201cI like focusing on nutritious foods you can add in. They tend to have a habit of displacing other [more energy-dense] foods out of your diet because appetite is finite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eating an apple or banana before reaching for a big bar of chocolate often (not always) leads to you eating less of the latter. <\/p>\n

Prioritising other \u201cslightly less processed\u201d foods such as vegetables, lean proteins, beans, lentils and wholegrains, and opting for lower-calorie drink options, will also help increase the nutritional value and reduce the calorie count of your meals. <\/p>\n

Read more: I specialise in coaching people aged 40-plus \u2013 do these six things for immediate results<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AdoptingAdopting healthy habits, such as staying hydrated throughout the day, can often feel difficult at first \u2013 but they soon settle in (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

The most valuable fitness tool in the world <\/p>\n

The most valuable fitness tool in the world is not some expensive gadget or strength training stalwart such as a dumbbell or kettlebell. <\/p>\n

Surprisingly, it\u2019s habit. <\/p>\n

Starting to live a healthy lifestyle can be incredibly difficult. The new behaviours you are trying to adopt often jar with your existing routine, making it easy to fall off the wagon. <\/p>\n

\u201cMaking major behavioural changes on a large scale is very complex, and if you set the bar too high \u2013 such as telling people to make drastic changes to their diet, sleep for an extra hour every night or go to the gym five times per week \u2013 they may be less likely to succeed,\u201d Professor Stamatakis tells me.<\/p>\n

The antidote to this is starting conservatively and introducing minor behavioural tweaks with as little friction as possible. Exercise snacks<\/a> are a great way to do this. Then, once you\u2019re into the swing of things, healthy behaviours can become remarkably manageable \u2013 habitual, even, like brushing your teeth. <\/p>\n

A healthier person tends to make healthier choices. An already active person takes more opportunities to be more active. Someone who has felt the benefits of a nutritious diet will usually pursue it further. <\/p>\n

Tiny tweaks can kickstart this virtuous cycle that plugs into better health. All you have to do is start small and stick with it. <\/p>\n

Read more: The easiest way to strengthen your entire body, according to this expert coach<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cIn health and fitness, the things that we know work aren\u2019t revolutionary,\u201d experienced PT and author Ben Carpenter…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":687691,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[337,97,298695],"class_list":["post-687690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-pa-feature-health-weigh-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687690\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/687691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=687690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=687690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}