05/21/2025
You’ve seen the clickbait headlines online: ‘Doctors HATE him! He discovered ONE WEIRD TRICK to melt fat in his sleep using nothing but spaghetti water and positive thoughts!’
These headlines always promise a quick fix. Usually, they lead you to something like apple cider vinegar, a “lost” yoga move from 3,000 B.C., or a collagen supplement.
But here’s “the truth”: the real ONE WEIRD TRICK that improves almost every part of your life isn’t weird at all. And it’s not a trick.
It’s exercise.
Plain, boring ol' exercise. It’s not a shortcut, and it won’t show up in a pop-up ad. But it works. Every time. For every body.
It boosts your mood. Strengthens your heart. Sharpens your mind. Protects your bones. Helps you sleep better. Reduces aches. Increases energy.
The key is doing it consistently. And to challenge yourself enough to make progress.
There are 168 hours in a week. Give yourself five of those to move with intention and intensity. Exercise one hour per day and do whatever you want the other twenty three.
If you’re consistently too busy to exercise, you’re too busy.
Spending time on your fitness is not selfish. It's selfless. You can't help others if you are unhealthy. Take care of yourself, so you can take care of others.
It’s easy to get in the habit of only exercising when everything aligns perfectly. When you have time, energy, and motivation. But that mindset makes consistency nearly impossible. And getting the results you want even harder.
Of course, life throws curveballs—like caring for a sick loved one or dealing with an emergency. In those moments, it’s completely understandable to hit pause. But when things are more settled, getting back into a rhythm is the only way to get the results you want.
Maybe your shoulder hurts. Maybe your back hurts. You need to find a way to keep moving that doesn’t irritate it. Modify the movements. Keep the momentum.
Motivation can be fleeting, but consistency builds results. When you make exercise a habit, it becomes part of your routine. It’s not something you have to feel inspired to do.
Life will always bring travel, family responsibilities, or unexpected detours. But the key is finding ways to stay active through it all.
The specifics may be up for debate, but the fact that exercise improves almost every aspect of your health has reached a scientific consensus. The evidence is so robust and well-established that new data is unlikely to overturn it. It is so well-supported by diverse and repeatable lines of evidence that further discussion is not productive.
You may not feel like exercising. You may hate exercising. Do it anyway. Do it for yourself. Do it for your future self. Do it for your kids, or your grandkids.
Getting started is always the hardest part. Walk through the door. You'll almost always feel better when you're done.
A little sweat now saves a lot of struggle later.
It’s not apple cider vinegar. Or bone broth. Or juice cleanses. And its definitely not spaghetti water. It’s not magic. Just movement.
I am not telling you anything you don’t know. The most obvious things are often hiding in plain sight, so familiar we stop noticing them. But that doesn’t make them any less true or important.
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Longevity Bloomington is an adult fitness program designed for people aged 50 years and older. We offer functional fitness and yoga group classes. Our focus is on safe and effective exercises designed to maintain a high quality of life and ongoing independence. longevitybtown.com
