08/11/25

#219 Why Diet Alone Won’t Keep You Healthy: The Daily Movement Habits You Need

At Outlook for Life, we believe you can’t out-exercise poor food choices.
In other words, eating three doughnuts and then punishing yourself with an hour on the treadmill isn’t going to work. The maths simply don’t add up.

But the opposite is also true: eating a healthy diet doesn’t mean you can skip moving your body.

Why movement matters
All the science shows that the human body is designed to move. Movement is vital for our long-term mental and physical health. It supports metabolic health, brain function, staying at a healthy weight, and overall well-being.

If your goal is to live a long, healthy life — while reducing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and dementia — then daily movement needs to be non-negotiable.

The Outlook for Life exercise protocol has five parts.
We start gently by tracking incidental exercise. I often recommend tracking your steps to get a realistic picture of how much you’re moving each day.

You don’t have to hit 10,000 steps — research shows the same health benefits at 7,000 to 7,500 steps. The main thing? Don’t spend your day glued to a chair.

Even if you hit the gym for an hour, sitting for the rest of the day can undo many of the benefits. That’s why I encourage “exercise snacks” — small bursts of movement throughout your day:

• A quick 10-minute walk

• A few minutes on the exercycle

• Air squats, push-ups, jumping jacks, skipping, or step-ups

Why sitting is called the “new smoking”
We all sit far too much. I know a couple of brilliant exercise physiologists who have removed all chairs from their homes — they stand, squat, or sit on the floor instead. This way, their core and other muscles are always engaged instead of letting a chair do all the work.

Personally, I use a standing desk, and one of my clients has even bought a treadmill to go underneath hers. I make a point of getting up and walking around between work tasks. I also walk every morning and every evening — and on the days I can’t, I notice I feel more fatigued and mentally slower.

Simple ways to add more movement
Without becoming obsessive or turning it into another gadget-driven habit, I encourage you to:

• Track your steps

• Stand and walk whenever possible

• Take calls while walking

• Move between tasks instead of staying seated

Get out in nature first thing
One of my biggest tips is to get outside in the morning light, if possible. Early light exposure sets your circadian rhythm, tells your brain to start producing melatonin about 12 hours later (for better sleep), and even helps regulate ghrelin (your hunger hormone) and cortisol levels for the day.