FRICTION: Our Friend and Foe in Fitness and Nutrition
When it comes to fitness and nutrition, friction can be both your greatest ally and your biggest enemy. But what exactly is friction, and how does it impact your daily decisions about staying healthy?
Friction, by definition, is the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another.
Imagine you're using sandpaper. Low-grit sandpaper feels rough and significantly impacts the surface it touches, while high-grit sandpaper feels smooth and has less effect.
How Friction Shapes Your Fitness and Nutrition Habits
In life, we naturally gravitate towards frictionless things, meaning they require less effort. Your phone, for example, is probably the most frictionless piece of technology you own. Companies like Apple and Google have designed it to be simple and easy to use, allowing you to integrate it into your life without much thought. Imagine if using your phone required you to input a password that changed every ten uses or bring it into your cellular provider for updates every six months. Eventually, you’d stop using it as frequently because those added steps create too much friction.
Friction works the same way in your fitness and nutrition journey.
You're less likely to take action when there’s more friction in your life—whether having to drive across town to get to the gym or struggling to make healthy food choices. The key is learning to remove friction from positive actions and add friction to negative ones, like unhealthy eating or skipping workouts.
3 Tips to Remove Friction and Increase Action at the Gym
Choose a Gym That’s Close to Home or Work: Selecting a gym within 15 minutes of your home or work helps eliminate excuses. When it’s part of your routine, you’ll have fewer mental barriers stopping you, and you already know the traffic patterns, so there's less resistance to getting there.
Set Out Your Workout Clothes the Night Before: Ever notice how hard it is to make decisions first thing in the morning? Setting your gym clothes out before bed removes one of those decisions and makes it easier to head to the gym without thinking twice.
Prepare Your Pre/Post-Workout Meal Ahead of Time: Whether you work out in the morning or later in the day, having your meal ready before you start removes one more hurdle. If you’re a morning exerciser, prep your meal the night before. If you hit the gym after work, bring your meal to ensure you’re fueling your body without the temptation of hitting the vending machine.
3 Tips to Add Friction and Improve Your Nutrition Habits
Keep Junk Food Out of the House: This doesn’t mean you can never enjoy a treat, but make it harder to access. You'll likely indulge less if you have to get dressed physically, drive to the store, and check out whenever you want ice cream. More friction = fewer impulse cravings.
Make Your Meals an Event: Eating mindlessly, like grabbing fast food in the drive-thru, detaches us from the purpose of food. Sit down, minimize distractions, and enjoy your meals. Slowing down will add friction and help you eat more consciously and plan your meals better rather than just grabbing something on the go.
Order Small and Slow Down: How often have you ordered a large portion to realize you weren’t as hungry as you thought? Slow down and give yourself time to assess your hunger. Skip the large portion, eat slowly, and if you’re still hungry, you can always order more. Let friction help you pace yourself and prevent overeating.
Friction Can Be a Tool for Your Success
When we understand friction, we can use it to our advantage. By removing friction from your fitness routine, you’ll find it easier to stay consistent. Conversely, adding friction to less healthy behaviors can help discourage them.
At FitNKC, we’re here to help you eliminate barriers and make fitness part of your daily life. If you live in Parkville, MO, or near North Kansas City, come visit us and see how we can help you reach your goals with less resistance!
