Blog

Oct 10

Legendary UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden once said: “Little things make big things happen.”. It's a philosophy many would agree with, whether in sport or in other domains of life, and one that I was happy to see recognized, even if indirectly, earlier this week on Pro-Activity's "Athlete of the Week" post. The accomplishment is clearly a "big thing"; however, the years of steady build-up can't be understated. When we first met Mike, he was a busy professional, a Dad, and an involved member of the local community. He decided it was time to invest in his health, and along with a few of the other ELEMENTS, he got moving, literally, in that direction. What made him different from many, however, is that he never stopped. Running miles became cycling miles, which eventually became hiking miles. Mountains became milestones with selfies from epic (and enviable) locations, and as the post makes clear, steady steps forward became summits with the included bonus of strength, fitness, and health - exactly the kind of adventure many of us hope for in retirement.
 

But maybe you find yourself asking the question we so often get: "Could it really be that simple"? 

Thankfully, the answer is yes...but we should never confuse "simple" with "easy", something a cool new study reinforces this week.

Some history - Before 2010, the American Heart Association promoted "The Simple 7", a group of habits and health measures that they advised to be the most critical in preventing heart disease. The habits included: Avoiding Smoking, Eating Healthy, Getting Active, Maintaining a Healthy Weight, Managing Blood Pressure, Controlling Cholesterol, and Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar levels. Those who were able to achieve some or all 7 had significantly better health and saved money on healthcare. Then, with growing evidence that showed the connection between sleep habits and health, they added "Get Healthy Sleep" and rebranded the habit cluster as "Life's Essential 8" (4 health behaviors and 4 health factors).

Around that same time, a research team was tracking the health habits of more than 4,000 young adults across 4 major cities in the US in an attempt to understand exactly how protective, over a longer term, these habits could be. With at least 20 years of data, as reported this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they found resounding evidence that the effect was massive and that consistency was critical. 

Individuals who achieved and maintained a high healthy habit score (80% average score or better across all 8 markers as listed on page 11 here) and remained consistent over the course of time were nearly 10 TIMES less likely to have heart disease or a heart-related incident by the end of the study period when compared to those who averaged 50% or less. However, the effect wasn't only seen at the two ends of the spectrum. Every 10-point difference in average score changed a person's risk by 53%. 

It's not always easy, but it isn't super complicated - get started as early as possible and keep going until it's a habit - there are amazing views that await!

Have a great weekend,
Mike E.