In the past couple of years I have developed a fondness for fitness. It all stemmed after I quit smoking and wanted to start mountain biking again after having left it some 15 years ago. Since then I have rekindled my love for mountain biking as well as starting to do weight lifting, trail running, etc... I also started to look into what the so called “experts” have to say is the “proper way” of nutrition and exercise. I then found that if there was ever a place for the woo to breed, it's within the fitness community. There are so many supplements and methods that you don't know if you are reading about nutrition or the script of some new sci-fi film.
It seems that what is good for you one day is going to kill you the next. Sure, there are some tried and true methods of getting the most out of fitness but there are still those that are just plain quackery. These are the ones that are titled as such things as "John Smith's Way of Exercising" which goes into a whole slew of crazy exercises and magic potions to "get you ripped". Within the book you might find that there's no scientific evidence to backup what this person is trying to sell you. Instead it is filled with plain and simple hog wash. There are some definite supplements that do work for your benefit. However, these have been proven with controlled studies and given scientific evidence of their benefits. Such items as whey protein have been shown to aid in muscle recovery, but there are always those items that are only talked about on websites solely devoted to body building.
I can't say that what I do as far as exercises and nutrition is the perfect way. But I do steer clear of any supplements that are not proven to aid. I also refuse to do an exercise that requires machinery that looks like it came from the Spanish Inquisition. What I have found that does work and is proven is that getting fit and remaining to be fit is simple. But it's not easy. It takes discipline to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But it does come down to a simple formula. Eat right and exercise.
