How Long to Form a Habit – You may have heard along the way that it takes 21, 28, or maybe 30 days to create a habit. This is commonly heard in the health and fitness industry particularly when it comes to forming dietary habits. I’ve read and heard experienced personal trainers claim 3-4 weeks based on their anecdotal evidence. Although these estimates might be true for some, where did these guidelines come from? The answer might surprise you! When it comes to changing habits it’s been suggested to use the baby-steps approach by picking one and only one habit you’re ready to change. Don’t try to change everything all at once. According to Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less, people have an 85% success rate when they focus on changing only one habit at a time. If they attempt to change two habits at once their success rate drops to 35%. When trying to change three habits only 10% succeed.

The health hazards of sitting – Low-back pain is a primary cause of musculoskeletal degeneration seen in the adult population, affecting 80% of all adults.

The Magic of 10,000 steps – In 2013, Fitbits, Jawbone UPs, and Nike FuelBands accounted for 97 percent of all smartphone-enabled activity trackers sold at brick-and-mortar stores or through big ecommerce sites, according to NPD Group, which tracks the digital fitness device market at the point of sale. Fitbit’s devices accounted for 68 percent of devices sold; Jawbone UP sales accounted for 19 percent of all devices sold; and Nike FuelBand sales made up 10 percent of sales. NPD Group found the overall digital fitness device market to be worth $330 million in 2013.

The Best Kept Secret: Why People Have to Squat Differently – This is an awesome analysis of how and why some people have to squat differently than others, using photos of actual bones and joints to explain the anatomical differences.

Pinpointing the higher cost of a healthy diet – Study finds it takes $1.50 more per day to eat a nutritious diet rather than an unhealthy one.

The Real Biggest Loser Is the Show Itself – Interesting perspective! Nonetheless, approximately 34% of Americans are obese which equates to approximately 72 million Americans. The same trend is occurring among youth (ages 2-19) as more than nine million young people are overweight or obese. Experts predict nearly one in four kids will be overweight by the year 2015.

Dustin
Certified Personal Trainer
NASM-CPT, EMT-B