I can't remember exactly where I saw it, but it went something like this. Imagine you have a graph. On the horizontal axis, someone who doesn't move at all is on the far left hand side. On the right hand side is Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, Jay Cutler, a.k.a elite athletes. So overall, the horizontal plane stretching left to right is summarized as time energy and discipline spent on exercise. The vertical axis is the benefit to your body and mind depending on that exercise that you put in. Now, what is your first natural thought? For me, I would think that the more time, energy, commitment, and consistency you put into your fitness (getting closer to that Kobe Bryant level of discipline) that the return on investment on your health would be linear, for example, the line would steadily reach further to the top right hand corner of the graph in-step fashion. However, that is truly not the case.
What the research and practice show, is a different story. A story that works in our favor! What I mean is this. Working out 2 to 3 days a week focusing on getting stronger each time, walking daily, eating mostly whole foods (or at least minimizing processed foods), and drinking enough water, will bring you well into the right hand side of that graph! So overall, we do not need to all be Michael Phelps level of athletes to reap 80% of the benefits of that intensity level for our bodies and mind. I see often the all or nothing mentality, or something like "I could never be that disciplined" or "I don't have the time to workout 6 days a week" or something of the sorts. However, I wanted to motivate you that even 2 to 3 days a week of getting stronger, combined with the healthy habits outlined above, will move the needle significantly for your health.
Now, also throw in the Ruhl Method domains such as daily breath work and grounding in nature, and you will supercharge the return on investment in your health. That is why we focus and harp so heavily on lifestyle integration. Trust me, each day may look completely different from the one before it, and similar to the one to follow. This life is dynamic, and it is important to be agile in our behavior and mindset. No, you did not fail yourself if you miss a day. No, you did not fail if you didn't hit the weight you wanted to. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. For you to even be reading still by this point you value yourself and any information that could benefit your health and ability to take care of yourself and those around you. So be patient and kind with yourself and take each day as it comes. That being said, have a system in place that calibrates to your lifestyle. Let's move the needle together towards better health.
With love and gratitude,
Brian