During WW2, military planners analyzed returning planes to identify vulnerable areas, assuming reinforcing them would increase survivability. However, they missed crucial insights from planes that didn't make it back, hindering progress in aircraft design.
Similarly, living an unhealthy lifestyle can indeed be influenced by survival biases, leading individuals to believe that the habits they are adopting are safe, even when evidence suggests otherwise.
1️⃣Sedentary Behavior: These days everything comes down to convenience and time saving. We use the car to drive to places that could easily be walked and use the justification that it's to save time.. that 10-15min walk is like money in the bank.. over time it adds up and could potentially add years to your life.
➡️Here's one for strength athletes.. individuals who focus on getting stronger will justify forgoing cardiovascular exercise by stating that it will have a detrimental impact on their progress.
2️⃣Poor Dietary Habits: Often people will justify their eating habits by looking at their consumption on a daily basis as opposed to a weekly one.. I've heard this so many times "I eat hardly anything but I can't seem to lose weight" This is subjective- when we look objectively into their calorie consumption using Myfitnesspal their either massively underestimating their daily food consumption or their adhering during the week and being a dickhead on the weekends- the worst of both worlds imo.
3️⃣Inadequate Sleep: Consistently getting insufficient sleep can negatively impact physical and mental health, affecting mood, cognitive function, and overall well-being.. Ever got home from work and then spent 3hrs sat in front of the TV? The justification is that I need to chill out after a hard day's work when in realty the best way to chill out is to actually get your arse to bed and disconnected from devices.
WHY AM I WRITING ABOUT THIS.. BECAUSE THESE ARE FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE..
We are human and not robots- lots of expectation of us in this day and age.. We don't need to be perfect BUT having a plan of action in place positively helps tick more boxes and create new, more sustainable healthy habits.
To address this bias and improve overall health, having a fitness coach can be highly beneficial. Much like how the military eventually started considering data from both surviving and destroyed planes, a fitness coach offers a balanced and comprehensive approach to health and fitness.
With each one of my client they have to opportunity to assess body composition, fitness and strength levels from a variety of angles- this is objective, the numbers don't lie! It will give a driving force to push and improve for your next assessment and provides valuable feedback on how we can look to improve specific aspects within your training.
Moreover, a fitness coach provides ongoing support, motivation, and accountability. They recognise that adopting healthy behaviours can be challenging and that setbacks may occur.. by helping a client to learn from failures and stay committed to their health goals, they foster resilience and determination.
LETS BREAK FREE FROM COGNITIVE BIASES AND BUILD A LIFE THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR WELL-BEING GOALS! 💪
Contact me directly for 1-1 Personal Training & Online Coaching: training programming, technique analysis, nutritional advice, support and guidance.
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Mankel Over Matter - Getting Stronger Together.
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