Health and fitness are two of the most important areas of your life, but often, we don’t think about them. When we are in the midst of a fitness or health problem, we want to know what causes it and the things that can help us get better. When it comes to health and fitness, there is more to it than meets the eye.

In the past two years, the world of health and fitness has experienced a dramatic shift. We’ve started to see the emergence of the wellness movement and the rise of the quantified self movement. In today’s world, there is a clear divide between health and fitness experts who promote a traditional approach to healthy living and those who are more of the quantified self style. In this article, we will take a look at the results of our latest health and fitness survey.

In a recent survey we conducted, we asked 10,000 people to nominate the best fitness and health books they’ve read. The books created a buzz on both Twitter and Facebook, and now we’d like to share our results with you. We found that the titles below were the most popular: How to Get in Shape – 15,000 people cited it as their favorite fitness book; Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less – 14,000 people said it was their favorite book for weight loss; and The Mindful Diet – 12,000 people claimed they preferred this book for keeping a healthy weight.

What are the most prevalent problems that men and women face when it comes to staying healthy and fit? This article delves into the findings of our most recent fitness survey.

We recently performed an internal research poll in the hopes of helping people eat, move, and live better (and because we are, admittedly, data nerds).

We asked our audience how they felt about their present condition of health and fitness, as well as where they most needed assistance.

The survey was completed by about 10,000 persons. Adults of all ages responded, although the majority of those who did were between the ages of 25 and 44.

There were some notable commonalities in the responses. Men and women alike spoke out about their health and fitness issues, frustrations, and even potential answers.

We’ll show you the poll results in this article, then give ideas for dealing with the most common challenges our readers confront.

Perhaps you’ll notice some parallels in your own life.

If you’re like the people we surveyed…

1. You’re Busier Than You’ve Ever Been, and You’re Having Trouble Staying Healthy and in Shape

Children, careers, and commutes. Life may be really taxing.

And, whether you like it or not, you are growing older.

Signs of aging can be found everywhere—cracking ankles and knees, waking up sore, and doctor’s appointments.

Perhaps for the first time, you’re accepting the notion that your parents won’t be around indefinitely.

This is, in a nutshell, real life.

Most men’s lives have changed dramatically when they were younger

The majority of males who responded to our study said they have more stress, obligations, and less time and energy than women. Their sex hormones may have reached a peak and are now on the fall. And many men consume far more booze and eat far more junk food than they should.

precision-nutrition-fitness-survey-men-alcohol

Hundreds of the men polled expressed a desire to cut or eliminate their alcohol consumption.

Surprisingly, the majority of men know exactly what would have the greatest impact on their health: Nutrition and eating habits are the areas where 74% of people say they need the most help (compared to less than 30 percent who said they need to exercise and move more often.)

precision-nutrition-fitness-survey-men-help

The majority of men (74%) require assistance with their diet and eating habits.

Women, too, are feeling the strain

Women face many of the same issues as males, according to our research.

For starters, their hormones are fluctuating and their metabolisms are transforming, resulting in a slew of new problems.

Many women are pregnant (or considering pregnancy), just postpartum, or simply trying to figure out what’s up with their bodies as they age.

When you add in the burden of trying to keep everyone in the family happy and healthy while also trying to be happy and healthy yourself, it’s easy to see why 43 percent of the women we surveyed stated they need the most help lowering stress, whether at home or at work.

Hundreds of women, like the males, admitted to occasionally overindulging and utilizing alcohol or sugar as a temporary escape.

precision-nutrition-fitness-survey-women-sugar

Hundreds of women expressed a desire to cut back or eliminate their sugar intake.

Overeating is such a serious problem for women that 66 percent of those who responded to our poll believe they require the most assistance in overcoming their emotional eating habits.

precision-nutrition-fitness-survey-women-help

The majority of women, 66 percent, require the most assistance in overcoming emotional eating.

And it’s most likely because you’re busier than ever…

2. You’re Dissatisfied With the Way You Look and Feel

Ninety percent of women and 92 percent of men in our poll said they wish they could be happier with their body and the decisions they make on a daily basis. They desire to eat well and exercise, but they frequently:

  • a challenge to make time
  • are unsure on how to proceed
  • aren’t routinely putting their knowledge into practice

Over 65 percent of men and women polled believe they know what they should be doing to get healthy and fit, but they don’t do it as often as they would want.

Who can blame them, after all? Take a look at everything they’re up against:

(These are real quotes from the tens of thousands of submissions we received.)

  • “I’ve got a lot on my plate right now.”
  • “With these wounds…”
  • “With my children’s schedules…”
  • “With a full-time job…”
  • “With my thyroid issue…”
  • “Because I’m quite overweight…”
  • “I’m having intestinal problems…”
  • “Hormonal changes…”
  • “With so much traveling…” says the narrator.
  • “With these awful knees…” says the narrator.
  • “With all I’m going through right now…”

“What is one little change you could make to improve your health and fitness?” we asked. Men and women both have similar ideas, such as:

  • “You should be more consistent.”
  • “There will be no more sugar.”
  • “Get some more rest.”
  • “It’s time to cut back on the booze.”
  • “There will be no more junk food.”
  • “Go to the gym more frequently.”
  • “There will be no more soda.”
  • “Get some more energy.”
  • “Stretch a little more.”
  • “Drink more water,” says the narrator.
  • “Stop nibbling.”
  • “Reduce your stress levels.”

These are fantastic suggestions. However, they frequently remain just that: ideas. They’re only used once in a while. The good ideas are the first to disappear when things get hectic. And this is frequently due to…

3. You’re Aware That You Require Accountability, but You Lack It

Monitoring and responsibility are vital to being in better shape, according to almost 80% of the men and women we polled.

Most, however, lack a person or a program to hold them accountable.

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Men: 83 percent said they don’t have somebody in their lives to hold them accountable for eating well and exercising regularly.

precision-nutrition-fitness-survey-women-accountability

Women: 80% don’t have somebody in their lives to hold them accountable for eating well and exercising regularly.

So, even if you know it’s vital, why don’t you have responsibility and consistency?

It’s most likely because you’re managing work obligations while also trying to care for the rest of your family.

You’re preserving your family’s unity. Taking care of the bills. Getting the children fed, clothed, and ready for school. (Perhaps you’ve already started school.)

In other words, you’re responsible for everyone and everything. However, when it comes to health, exercise, and nutrition, you don’t have anyone rooting for you.

More information does not help you become in better shape, according to 72% of you

People are predictable in their behavior. Most of us feel that if we only learn a bit more, we would receive better results. If we read more blogs, we’ll be better off. We can learn from and follow more experts if we follow and learn from more experts. If we listen to a greater number of podcasts.

Unfortunately, knowledge alone is insufficient. And, based on the results of our poll, it appears that both men and women are aware of this—even if pursuing additional knowledge is a frequent method.

Only 28% of men and women said they would feel better about their decisions if they had more information about health, exercise, and nutrition.

Here’s what the rest of the group said they actually want:

precision-nutrition-fitness-survey-men-choices

Men: 66% indicated they want a well-defined nutrition plan to follow. And 56% want to learn how to make better decisions on a regular basis.

precision-nutrition-fitness-survey-women-choices

Sixty-six percent of women stated they want more mentoring and direction. And 61% want a well-defined nutrition plan to follow.

Why Not Stick to a Tried-and-True Strategy? Or Do You Like to Go It Alone? It’s Entirely Up to You

For more than a decade, has shared our methods for improving your health and fitness through hundreds of free articles and videos.

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, and we’ll continue to share our nutrition and exercise research and analysis with anyone who requests it. In fact, we’ll offer some of our greatest articles at the bottom of this page for the 28% of people who just want more health and fitness knowledge.

But we’ve known for a long time that certain people require more structure and accountability than an article can deliver. They want to enhance their health and get in better condition, but they’re too preoccupied to figure it out on their own.

That is why the Personal Coaching Program was formed. It’s a 12-month nutrition coaching program that we’ve put through its paces with more than 35,000 people.

We’re here to help if you’re struggling with any of the typical health and fitness challenges we’ve discussed in this article—needing a proven nutrition plan to follow, learning how to make healthier choices more consistently, or struggling with emotional eating.

Not everyone is a good fit for our coaching program. However, if you’re a good fit, it might be life-changing.

We are unable to accept more than 1% of the persons who express an interest in working with us. Our programs have typically sold out in a matter of hours due to this, as well as the fact that we only accept new clients twice a year. On July 14th, we will begin our next program. If you’re interested, you may learn more about it by clicking here.

precision-nutrition-client collage

Recent personal coaching program grads.

For Those Who Wish to Try Getting in Shape on Their Own, Here Is More Information and Articles

How to stop overeating and drinking while you’re upset

Emotional eating is the issue that women need the greatest help with, according to 65 percent of those polled. Both men and women appear to have issues with nibbling on junk food and sugar, as well as excessive alcohol consumption.

These are frequent problems that should not be ashamed of.

For folks who struggle with emotional eating, we have a 13-step strategy. (Note: based on our study, this essay was written for women, although all of our advice are equally applicable to males.)

Also, if you’re finding that drinking alcohol or eating sugar is becoming more of a compulsion that you can’t seem to break free from, you might want to read this article on food addiction.

How to make better dietary decisions

The vast majority of men and women stated that they require the most assistance with nutrition and eating properly. They want a clear dietary strategy but aren’t sure where to start. Of course, we suggest our Coaching Program, particularly if you’re a busy person who needs extra accountability.

However, you can obtain our best advice by reading these three articles:

How to select the most appropriate diet for you.

Three ways to get your eating back on track if your diet has gone off the rails.

There’s no need to monitor calories with this new eating guide for men and women.

How to be more consistent and accountable

People have a proclivity for overpromising and underdelivering. Particularly in terms of their health and fitness. They promise themselves that they will make all of these great changes… They easily burn out or fail to live up to their expectations.

If you’re having trouble sticking to your exercise or eating routine, check out this article:

I already know what I’m going to do! (How come I’m still out of shape?)

How to lower your stress levels and sleep better

According to our survey, the majority of men (49%) and women (37%) require the most assistance in enhancing the quantity and quality of their sleep. And 41% of men and 43% of women believe they require the most assistance in reducing their stress levels.

That comes as no surprise. As previously said, these issues become more prevalent as you become older. Typically, job demands rise. Payments on a mortgage have become the standard. Toss in a few of kids for good measure.

It’s just as vital to manage stress and get enough sleep as it is to eat healthy and exercise. Here are two articles to read if you’re having trouble with one or both:

Finding your sweet spot between good and harmful stress.

Hacking sleep: Creating a restful, high-quality night.

Do You Want to Be the Healthiest, Fittest, and Strongest Version of Yourself?

Most people are aware that getting enough exercise, eating well, sleeping well, and managing stress are all vital for looking and feeling better. However, they require assistance in putting that information into practice in the context of their hectic, sometimes stressful lives.

Over the last 15 years, we’ve used the Coaching technique to assist over 100,000 people lose weight, gain strength, and improve their health… for the long haul… no matter what obstacles they face.

It’s also why, through our Level 1 and Level 2 Certification programs, we teach health, fitness, and wellness professionals how to coach their own clients through similar issues.

Interested in Becoming a Coach? Join the Presale List to Save Up to 54% and Get a Spot 24 Hours Before the General Public

On Wednesday, July 14th, 2023, we will be accepting applications for our upcoming Coaching.

If you’re interested in learning more about coaching, I recommend signing up for our presale list below. Being on the list provides you with two distinct benefits.

  • You’ll get a better deal than everyone else. We like to reward the folks that are the most enthusiastic and motivated since they always make the best customers. If you join the presale list, you’ll save up to 54% off the general public pricing, the lowest we’ve ever offered.
  • You’ll have a better chance of getting a spot. We only open the program twice a year to ensure that clients receive the special care and attention they need. We sold out in minutes the last time we started registration. By signing up for the presale list, you’ll be able to register 24 hours before the general public, enhancing your chances of getting in.

This is your chance to transform your body and your life with the guidance of the world’s greatest instructors.

[Note: If you currently have your health and fitness under control but want to help others, look into our Level 1 Certification program.]

10,000 people is a big number to reach. Then again, that’s the number of people that used our app during the month of May 2012, which is exactly the kind of audience we were hoping to reach. So, what did we learn during this first fitness survey?. Read more about top 10 fitness trends 2023 and let us know what you think.

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