I get asked this question at least once a week. It comes in many forms: “What’s the best exercise to keep me in shape?” or “I only have 30 minutes a day to workout, what’s one thing I can do?” or “what gets the most done in the shortest amount of time?” My favorite of all is: “Which exercise gets rid of this…right…here?”
My answer is always “Move often – in all directions – to promote stability, mobility, balance and agility in ways that don’t compromise your structural or postural integrity.”
The next thing I usually hear is: “But, seriously, which exercise is the best to .…”
The hard truth is that there is no one thing that is the best exercise. The idea that there’s one exercise that’s better than another doesn’t line up with how your body works.
Uncomfortable fitness truth #1:
Our bodies are constantly changing as we age, starting at birth; so are our fitness needs. Even if you found the “one” thing that works now. It might not next week, next month, next year, in two years, in 5 years. You would be wise to assume that what worked effectively for you in the past, may not work as well now; and what works for you now may not work as effectively in the future. So, don’t get too attached to any one exercise, especially the one that’s working for you now. It won’t always. Spend your time broadening your definition of what fitness is. (hint: stability, mobility, balance and agility while maintaining structural and postural integrity).
Uncomfortable fitness truth #2:
Fitness works on the law of diminishing returns. The longer you do it, the harder you have to work to get the same benefit until eventually you’re working harder to get less benefit. Marathons are a great example. The average caloric output of someone running their 1st marathon is about 10,000 kcalories. By the time that same person has run their 5th marathon, the average caloric output is only 4,500 kcalories. A marathoner loses 65% of their caloric effectiveness after only 5 marathons. Eventually, all exercises lose there “best” status. So, don’t get too attached to any one exercise, especially the one that’s working for you now. It won’t always.
Uncomfortable fitness truth #3:
Most of the exercises you are taught aren’t really designed with you in mind, they’re athletic performance methodologies. They’re usually some combination of strength, conditioning and power training. It’s what athletes use to gain small advantages over similarly matched adversaries (See truth #2). But athletic training ASSUMES you have already MASTERED stability, mobility, balance and agility training (most athletes have). For many of us, it doesn’t matter what the best exercise is, if you’re not stable, mobile, balanced and agile. Without these, the “best” exercises you’re doing not only will diminish over time, but may lead to more movement dysfunction and long term injury.
It’s best to look for exercises that solve your stability issues (exercises where you’re having to work hard to maintain stillness,) mobility issues (exercises to improve the range of motion at your joints,) balance issues (exercises where you shift your weight from one foot/hand to the other,) and agility issues (hand/eye and foot/eye coordination exercises). You want to be looking for 4 to 6 “best” exercises at any given time, not just one. And those need to be periodically changed over time (see truth #1).
Instead of worrying if you’re running long enough or fast enough; or lifting heavy enough or more powerfully; spend your time and energy evaluating and improving how stable you are; how mobile you are; how good your balance is; and how agile you are. Often times improving these functions allows your body to work more effectively – and that will get you to running faster and farther, and lifting heavier and/or more powerfully – with less pain and injury.
I’m just saying…
a
