It’s almost made out to seem like it’s pointless exercising if you’re not eating healthy, but is it?

It’s three quarters the diet and only a quarter the exercise is something that is often expressed. Personal trainers, health freaks, and fitness folk alike will consistently affirm this. And rightly so, because this is what the science dictates and the studies show when it comes to achieving certain results. You know how it goes, the calories in, the calories burned, calorie deficit, calorie surplus and so on.

I’m going to take this chance to say something that might be a bit controversial. With all this being true, it still doesn’t mean that you have to do one to do the other. Both are important and especially if you want to achieve specific health, fitness, or weight goals. But here’s an idea: not doing one shouldn’t stop you from doing the other. To put it simply, you can eat healthy even if you don’t exercise and you can exercise even if you don’t eat healthy.

It’s strange even having to say this but the fact is that doing either or is still good for you. They are both stand alone beneficial. Eating healthy has many benefits on its own, not just with regards to weight and physique. I’m not  even talking about eating right for the lack of a better term, where you have a specific goal based diet. Just generally eating healthy goes a long way.

Without going too deep into it, the list of benefits is long. Eating healthy boosts immunity, strengthens muscles, and lowers risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers are just a few of the benefits that the CDC lists. If you do a deeper dive, you will find dozens of articles and studies on the subject. Of course, there is the question of what healthy eating actually means. But I’ll leave that one to the professionals.

The NHS also explains simply on its website when discussing eating a balanced diet that part of maintaining good health is eating a healthy balanced diet and continues on to say that it can help you feel your best. Because if you ask me that is quite simply what it really all is about. Just being healthy overall and feeling your best.

It’s the same thing with exercise. You shouldn’t not exercise because you’re not eating healthy. You don’t even need to necessarily have a fitness or weight goal to exercise. It is just good for you as it is, on its own. Just a few half hour sessions of physical activity and exercise has immense benefits. It could even be a nice long stroll through the park or whatever does it for you. Of course some forms of exercise have more benefits, but all are beneficial.

Again just a quick Google search will bring up hundreds if not thousands of articles and studies written on this topic. The CDC in this case discusses the physical benefits such as improving your brain health and reducing the risk of disease while the NHS provides a long list as well as touching on the mental benefits such as it can boost self-esteem, mood and energy. Do I really need to go on?

The craziest thing is that doing one often leads to doing the other. Eating healthy will often lead an individual to want to exercise and the same thing the other way around because there’s even more benefits to be gained. Once you start seeing how good you feel with one, you tend to want to feel even better knowing that it’s possible to achieve that with both.

Just to be clear, by eating healthy I don’t mean intense restriction of the foods you eat or strict calorie counting. I’m talking about just eating healthy. Choosing healthy options on the menu or just adding vegetables to a balanced dinner with protein and yes carbs. I never suggest restricting carbs unless you were advised to do so by your doctor. 

And the same thing with exercise. You don’t have to go all out, buy a gym membership and train for three hours a day six days a week. Albeit it being helpful, a gym isn’t even a necessity. There are so many exercises you can do at home, in the street, or in the park. Sports and fitness classes are also fun options. Any physical activity is beneficial in of itself on its own.

Of course doing both, eating healthy and exercising, is the best option. But it doesn’t demand that you can’t do one without doing the other.