Rule number one

Healthy man has 1000 problems, sick one has only one. Up until recently, this sounded like something my old man would say. But I’ve given it some thought and came to the conclusion that the worst periods of my life, in all areas included, were the ones where I struggled with an injury or sickness that took weeks or months to heal.

Some of those weren’t of my own making, they were just part of the journey and the odds stacked against me, but some were purely the result of my own ideas and actions.

Usually, once the healing phase was over, I’d jump right back into doing the same stuff I always did, and inevitably, lo and behold, ended up with the same injury or sickness again.

After a decade or so, I hit a wall and found myself with a lot of time to really dig into my experiences and feelings. I came to one simple conclusion:

Skipped meals or skipped training days, suboptimal exercises, or not being up to date with the newest fad, have actually done little to no harm. It was being injured and on the sidelines for weeks or months that caused most of the damage to my health, physique, and subsequently my mental health.

I decided to go completely basic, ad fontes, back to the source, back to the roots, and do everything according to my real goal: to be healthy and fit and actually feel good about it. What’s the point of looking good if you can’t walk or run without pain? Life is meant to be experienced holistically, not one-dimensionally.

Whatever I do, I ask myself, can I do this sustainably?

If it hurts, or feels off, do I have another exercise I can do instead?

Fitness is not gospel or dogma. You don’t have to follow everything to the letter or believe that everything will work for you. Find what works for you and what becomes effortless over time.

Actions to take

• Don’t chase perfection, chase sustainability. Find habits and routines that you can stick with day after day, not quick fixes or crazy challenges that burn you out in a week. The long game wins every time.
• Listen to your body like it’s sending urgent texts. If something hurts or feels off, switch it up or take a breath. Pushing through pain usually just costs you more time on the sidelines later.
• Do what you actually enjoy. Fitness isn’t supposed to be a punishment. Pick activities and foods you like. It makes showing up way easier and keeps your mind happy too.
• Set goals around how you feel, not just numbers on a scale. Being strong, functional, and energized beats chasing perfect body stats any day. Because looking good means very little if you don’t feel good.
• Make rest and recovery part of the plan. Your body needs downtime to heal and get stronger. It’s not slacking, it’s smart training.
• Stay curious and flexible. Life changes, your body changes, and what works today might need adjusting tomorrow. Keep experimenting and don’t get stuck in one way of doing things.
• Take care of your mental health like it’s part of the workout. Stress, sleep, and mental peace are just as important as reps and sets for true health.

The key is to build a way of living that respects your body’s needs and keeps your mind at peace. At the end of the day, that’s what real health and fitness are all about.

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DO NOT GET INJURED!