. If you want to keep up with my latest thoughts on fitness and health, enter your email address in the box above to receive my newsletter straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\nExercise is often seen as a battle of willpower. Gym bunnies are synonymous with extreme discipline and motivation, but people who don’t exercise are often labeled as lazy or apathetic.<\/p>\n
But we are products of our environment. A “highly motivated” 21-year-old bodybuilder might have a pretty good schedule and plenty of time to train, while a “lazy” parent is juggling childcare, work stress, and all sorts of other commitments.<\/p>\n
Now, my goal is to help people move more and feel better, but I can’t force my boss to take you out of your job. Also, I can’t make your kids perfectly well behaved or make your schedule too busy. However, we can offer some tips from experts for manipulating your environment for better health.<\/p>\n
That’s the theme of this week’s newsletter.<\/p>\n
Dan John is one of my favorite coaches. Because for over 40 years, his advice has always been tried, tested and based on common sense. But the last time we spoke, he gave me a fitness tip that I wasn’t expecting. It’s about exercising outside.<\/p>\n
“When you train outdoors, people start to gravitate towards you,” he told me. “If you go to the park every Saturday at 9 o’clock, invite your friends, and your friends invite their friends, you’ll be building an intentional community in no time.” <\/p>\n
Meeting and socializing with friends may have greater appeal than exercise. On the other hand, you might just want to avoid asking “Where the hell are you?!” An email from an acquaintance on Saturday morning. Either way, you’re responsible and will definitely follow a more consistent (and effective) exercise routine.<\/p>\n
You don’t have to attend a grueling boot camp class in the park either. If it’s practical, you could just schedule a brisk walk, a conversation with a friend, or even do a quick kettlebell workout with a partner.<\/p>\n
John’s bonus tip for making these habits stick is to go out for something (relatively nutritious) every now and then.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the time everyone has food in their bellies, the conversation turns to next week and how we can make things better,\u201d he says. “It’s becoming more common for people to not care about training.”<\/p>\n
Another way to manipulate your environment is to have exercise equipment available throughout your home. Spread out your yoga mat next to your home office or keep a resistance band in your kitchen and tackle a few exercises while the kettle, microwave, and oven are working.<\/p>\n
Even just moving your kitchen trash can to the other side of the room or moving a few work essentials away from your desk can add a surprising amount of movement to your day.<\/p>\n
These environmental changes also extend to our eating habits. I recently had an interesting conversation with Dr. Thomas Sambrook from the University of East Anglia, who led the research into why we can’t stop snacking.<\/p>\n
We will share the full interview once it is published. But while I’m waiting I’ll sample it here. His research team found that even when people feel full, the sight of food triggers electrical impulses in parts of the brain. “Electrical stimulation begins not only when you see pictures of delicious food, but also when you eat delicious food, win money, or see risqu\u00e9 pictures.” <\/p>\n
“Simply put, even if you eat food until you’re completely full, when you see a picture of it, your brain still says it’s delicious,” Sambrook explains. <\/p>\n
When you see something delicious, you develop a subconscious habit of wanting to eat it. This may have been quite helpful for our ancient ancestors, but in the modern world where food (and its advertising) is everywhere, it can override our bodies’ natural appetite control and lead to overeating.<\/p>\n
Dr. Sambrook uses the example of sitting with friends over an open package of crisps or biscuits. Before you realize what you’re doing, the food is in your hands and in your mouth. He offers some interesting solutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe key is stimulus control,\u201d he says. “It may seem silly, but when you see a food ad on TV, stand up and stretch your legs or put down the kettle.”<\/p>\n
Dr. Sambrook also suggests replacing your regular bag of crisps or biscuits with rice cakes. Eating something from a rustling packet satisfies the cue-response relationship, but the habit may weaken over time because what you’re eating is low in calories and doesn’t taste as good.<\/p>\n
fat loss habits<\/em> Ben Carpenter, author and longtime personal trainer, agrees. Creating a familiar eating environment is one of his 13 habits mentioned above.<\/p>\nThis means keeping pre-cut vegetables at the front of the fridge for snacking, and storing less nutritious snacks like crisps, chocolate and biscuits out of sight in the back of the cupboard. Or you might avoid eating these snacks at home. The added friction of having to leave the house to buy a bar of chocolate can be a surprisingly powerful deterrent.<\/p>\n
Now, this isn’t to say you have to be pure in your fitness efforts. Realistically, it’s hard to exercise regularly (though everyone would do it even if they weren’t, given the many benefits), but good food has immense social and cultural value. Almost everything can be enjoyed in moderation.<\/p>\n
Rather than overhauling your entire life, these tips are simply meant to get your health on the right track. Move your body a little more, eat a little more nutritious food, and treat your snacks as exactly what they sound like: treats.<\/p>\n