The very best health and fitness program? Trying stuff.

People ask me, “What do you do to stay in shape?”

My highfalutin, deeply scientifc answer?

I try stuff.

I keep the things that work. Discard the rest. And then try to displace the things that work with things that deliver better results, in less time, or just prove to be overall more healthy for me (like cutting sugar).

Beware “experts” with dogmatic, “one-size-fits-all,” magical nutritional and exercise advice. Even—especially?—if they come with a government credential.

In my 30-year fitness journey, I have found one single tried and true formula that has never let me down:

Learn something new and interesting. Create n=1 experiments.

I consume lots of nutrition and fitness information. I conduct many small experiments. And I adopt the practices that yield positive results.

This never ends. I experiment and adjust as goals, time availability, and my age changes.

I have a million examples of this from my personal life:

•I removed beer. I got leaner, and happier. Beer no longer served me. It left.
•I was vegetarian for nearly two years. Suddenly, I felt that if I didn’t eat roasted turkey I was going to commit a violent crime against vegetables. Now I am protein-heavy.
•I jogged for 30 years. One day I quit, and replaced it with sprint-interval training (SIT) on a bike. I got leaner. Now I do SIT, and walk. No more jogging.
•I tried bodyweight squats. Wasn’t a fan. Tried goblet squats. They suck, but my legs are getting stronger. Now goblet squats are part of my weekly routine.
•I have cut out most processed sugar. Sometimes I get migraines. Will less sugar ward those off? We will see. It’s an experiment.
•I used to think I would die without breakfast. Now I intermittent fast and eat two (BIG) meals a day, and have for about a year.

Effective health and fitness requires a lifetime of learning and experimentation. Be careful, be smart, and be opening to trying new things, over and over.

You are your own best health advocate. So be your own personal wellness scientist.

Learn. Conduct field experiments. Repeat.