Abs Aren’t Everything: Embracing a Lifestyle That Fits You

Trying to obtain, or maintain, a leaner physique comes with consequences. Also, you don’t need abs to be healthy, nor does having abs mean you’re healthy.

Why is this so important? Because it will help equip you with a better understanding, and context, of what having different physiques can mean from a lifestyle standpoint.

I’m going to paraphrase two examples from a great article by precision nutrition:

Example 1: Anthony and Valerie

Anthony and Valerie have very amazing physiques, and everyone wants to look like them. However, there are “costs” to this:

• Little personal time – maintaining their physique is a full-time job, on top of their full-time job. They miss things that used to interest them (e.g. practicing violin).
• Nutrition is very structured and controlled with little flexibility for things like alcohol or desserts
• Poor social lives – social events can get really awkward, due to the above two points
• It can be all-consuming and “Fitness” can start to feel pretty crappy.

Example 2: Dev and Sarah

Dev and Sarah are both overweight, sedentary, and pretty stressed; the depiction of most North Americans. Their physical activity is poor, and so is their sleep and stress, but their social lives are generally good, they have more personal time, and they choose to eat any food that they want. Their “costs”s would be:

• Don’t feel very good.
• Their health is starting to decline.
• They’re pre-occupied with their body image.

You don’t have to be Anthony and Valerie, or Dev and Sarah – you can be anyone you want, and be anywhere along the spectrum. Just know that there’s more to physiques than the external look, and it’s important to consider the different factors involved in deciding what type of physique you want and why.

There are different benefits and consequences, beyond the external image, involved with different physiques. You should strive to choose a physique that matches what’s really important to you: your values, priorities, and goals – not just what you look like in the mirror.

• Read about my experience with Body Dysmorphia

Further, know that you can always change what’s important to you at different times in your life; we aren’t always in the right place or nail our workouts, nutrition, or health in general – see the infographics below.

Photo credit

Physique, and different levels of leanness, is a spectrum based on different consequences of circumstance and decisions. Health, body weight, and body composition are affected by different factors: nutrition, physical activity, stress, sleep, work, social life, and personal time. Each factor can be impacted differently, and they are often interrelated.

Most of us just want to feel great in our bodies, be free from health worries, and have more energy. You can get all of that without having abs, while still enjoying some of the finer things in life.

To be clear: I’m not arguing for or against being lean, rather advocating achieving the physique you want for the right reasons. Also, it should be noted that regular exercise is always important. And, to be healthy “internally” (low blood pressure, proper blood glucose levels, etc.), you don’t always have to have an externally superior physique. One’s weight, and BMI, isn’t always the best way to suggest one’s health; read this for more on this.

Till next time,

-Mike

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