Diet or Exercise

Is it better to have a good diet or a good exercise program? Of course, we all know that having both is the ideal situation, but which one is better? Maybe one is not better than the other, but my experience leads me to believe that exercise is better. Someone that follows an exercise program, but neglects proper diet is prone to a lot of illness. Especially later in life. Lacking the essential nutrients that are body needs can lead to us losing the ability to exercise as well. However it seems to me, that it is more likely for us to lose our ability to move around and function from lack of exercise than it is from poor diet.

Think about it. Our bodies are living organisms, and living organisms thrive off of work. When we exercise our muscles we are putting stress and strain on our bodies. That’s a good thing. Even if it doesn’t sound like it. After the stress is induced the body responds by not only healing the damaged system, but by fortifying it’s defenses. That’s the beauty of an organism versus a machine. A car will run great for years if we give it the right fuel, and maintenance procedures. We can even make it faster or more fuel efficient by changing parts or by the way we drive. Don’t get me wrong. That’s pretty awesome. I love cars and think they are amazing, but they aren’t nearly as amazing as the human body. If we put a car through a daily physical regimen of pulling, four wheeling and high miles, it will wear down fast. If you make an effort to put a modest amount of mileage on your car over the course of it’s lifetime then it will last you awhile.

If you do the same with your own body, you will not only live longer, but you will get better at what you’re doing. You will also have a better quality of life. But just like the car, our bodies do need proper maintenance. The constant wear and tear of our bodies will catch up to us just like it does with any car. A semi truck that travels 100,000 miles a year will need frequent tire replacements, oil changes, and filter changes among other things. That kind of stress on a human would be equal to a professional athlete or a manual laborer. That’s where diet comes in. Most people look at diet as a way to lose weight. They don’t think much about the many other more important roles that diet plays. The nutrients in food provide our bodies with the ability to adapt to stress at a faster and more efficient rate. If enough nutrients are lacking in our diet, our bodies may not adapt. In this case, we will not get stronger, and eventually will get weaker in our workouts. Sleep is a similar issue, but that’s for another article.

The point that I am trying to bring home, is that we should focus on a moderate diet with an excellent exercise program. That’s my opinion based on my research and experience. If you can and want to eat a healthy diet filled with the proper amount of fruits and vegetables then I definitely recommend that option. However, if you choose to eat only a few servings of fruits and vegetables a day, but still follow a regular exercise program, you can still see great results. To me, it’s not about eliminating junk food completely. Like I said before, I’m not against that, but I don’t think it’s mandatory. You can live a healthy and strong life through a great exercise program, and a moderate diet.