Basic Fitness
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In 2009, the Navy launched a program called Navy Operational Fueling and Fitness Series (NOFFS). Health and fitness experts created this content to provide U.S. Sailors with an evidence-based fitness and nutritional resource. Within NOFFS nutritional content are the 10 rules to live by. (You can find this information HERE).
1. Come back to earth: Choose the least processed forms of food such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, and high-fiber carbohydrates.
2. Eat a rainbow often: Eat fruits and vegetables with each meal. Choose a wide variety of colors for the biggest benefit.
3. The less legs the better: Include a LEAN protein source with each meal (for example, how many legs does a pig have? How many legs does a chicken have? How many legs does a fish have? The less legs the animal has, the leaner the protein source).
4. Eat healthy fats: Include healthy fats in your diet like olive oil, nuts, natural nut butters, seeds, avocado, fish, flaxseed, and flaxseed oil.
5. Eat breakfast everyday: When you eat within 30 minutes of waking up, you jump-start your metabolism. This gives you more energy to get your day going.
6. Three for three: Eat smaller portions more often, spread evenly across the day. No excuses- you should be eating 4-6 smaller meals/day!
7. Stay hydrated: Dehydration = decreased performance. Drink at least 3 liters of non-caloric beverages everyday.
8. Don’t waste your workout: Have a post-workout recovery meal or shake that combines both carbs and protein immediately after your training.
9. Fuel first and supplement second. If you are not getting what you need through food, add a multivitamin supplement into your daily routine. Create a smart supplementation program that improves your performance without compromising your health or draining your wallet. Before you take any type of supplement, make sure to check-in with your doctor or registered dietitian.
10. Sleep: Aim for 8 hours of sleep. If you can’t get 8 hours daily, consider power naps when you can. The body recovers and repairs best when it is sleeping.
Bonus
The 80/20 rule: Each meal and snack is an opportunity to fuel your body optimally. Choose the foods that are best for you 80% of the time and incorporate some of those foods that may not be the best, but are your favorites, 20% of the time!
The Reality
Physical activity adds up. Find a way to integrate movement into every day. It doesn’t have to be a long duration. Something is always better than nothing. Exercise decreases stress, depression, and anxiety. It helps you think and feel better. Too often we think, “I don’t have time to exercise” or “I have a really big test coming up, I’d better study.” Yes, you need to study, but research shows you will actually remember the content better if you put an exercise or physical activity break into your study time.
Do not think you have to make big changes to your diet at once. If you are unsure where to start, look at the 10 rules to live by and pick one or two to concentrate on each week or month. Once you feel you have worked that rule into your routine, pick out another and so on. Eventually, your healthier choices will become automatic.
You will be successful if you: set a goal, make a plan, and find ways to stick to it. You will not be perfect every day and that’s okay. Use the next day to get back on track.
We would like to acknowledge the following people for their contribution to the creation of the activity-specific portions of the UGA PEDB course content. Their research, writing, review, and editing is much appreciated.
Ashley Baker ~ Chelsea Barr ~ Dr. Brian Berger ~ Allison Bodin ~ Velina Brackebush ~ Truitt Broome ~ Jeremy Elliot ~ Jake Fedewa ~ Katie Fritz ~ Lance Haynie ~ Meg Inscoe ~ Woo Young Jang ~ Charles Jones ~ Minhong Kim ~ Jupil Ko ~ David LaPlaca ~ Dr. Jeremy Lackman ~ Yumeng Li ~ Jake Lindheimer ~ Brian Loy ~ Dr. Ilse Mason ~ Chris Mason ~ Leah May ~ Chad McField ~ Brian Moore ~ Melissa Mullis ~ Leah Okner ~ Emily Pearson ~ Matt Peterson ~ Dr. Robert Pritchett ~ Kristine Polley ~ Susan Powell ~ Dr. Nilos Ramos ~ Derek Randolph ~ Gregg Rich ~ Walker Ross ~ Meghan Sherman ~ Dan Shill ~ Jennifer Stewart ~ Ryan Turcott ~ Clint Udell ~ Rebecca Vanderhorst ~ Surbhi Wagle ~ Junqi Wang ~ Yetao Wang