America, a place where people love to visit and live, has acquired a serious problem in the past couple decades. This once healthy and active nation has evolved to the point where physical activity is a large burden to most people. Obesity in America has become a huge problem that many people do not want or do not know how to combat. This is a dangerous trend that is being shown by statistics taken from all parts of the United States. Today, 14% of all adolescents are overweight. This is a sickening fact, but it can be deterred like a sickness can be stopped by medicine. If people, especially teenagers, started to exercise more these ugly statistics would go away for good. By following some simple steps you too can become a more healthy person.

Step one, which is usually the hardest for most people to follow, is to make a plan. When people talk about getting healthier and starting to work out, that is all that comes of it. Most people think that they can go and get fit and strong in a couple weeks. You can see for yourself by typing in “5 minute” on your google search bar, the top choices are 5 minute abs, and 5 minute workout. People think that working out is easy and fast but in reality it is not. It takes dedication, time and effort. A good example of an ideal step one is this. Workout three days a week. Lift upper body on day 1, lower body on day 2, and cardio on day 3. This is as simple as you can get for step one. Many people go beyond this by listing workout you can do, repetitions for each workout, and number of sets of each repetition. If you do not know which workout works what part of your body, there are many websites online you can use, such as youtube.com and bodybuilding.com. By following a plan that you made yourself, you are on track for becoming a stronger and more fit person.

Step two is also a step that people usually do not follow because it can be difficult for them. This step is to follow the plan you have made every day and follow it perfectly. If you do not follow this step, you may see small results in the gym but not the results you could have the potential of getting. If you do not follow this step, it may be the downfall to your progression. Most people may be thinking “hey, it doesn’t hurt if I miss a day or two once in awhile”. I can strongly argue that by taking a day or two off can and will hurt. Lets say there are two friends named Tom and Mike that decide to workout to become healthier. Tom is more motivated than Mike but Mike still wants to get big and strong. Tom plans that he will workout a solid 4 days a week, and Mike plans to workout 5 days a week because he is already more fit than Tom. What Mike didn't expect was that working this much in a row really takes a toll on the body and eventually starts missing days. Now he is working 2-3 days a week while Tom is working a steady 4 days a week. After a couple months of following his plan exactly, Tom is stronger and healthier and Mike. Mike now noticing that Tom is bigger than him gets discouraged and stops working out altogether. This is a scenario that I personally have seen happen to many people, and it is why I believe that people need to follow this step completely to see any type of real results.

Step three is a step that is overlooked by many. This step call for people to eat right and use protein when working out. You may imagine that by not following this step will not affect your overall results. That argument is completely false. To build muscle you have to do some type of physical activity to essentially damage your muscle fibers by tearing them. This may sound bad but it happens daily, which may result in the soreness feeling after doing something physically strenuous. What happens after you “rip” your muscles you may ask? They begin to rebuild and grow bigger than they were last time. The more you tear your muscles and they recover, the bigger your muscles will become. You may see these huge guys on TV playing in the NFL and instantly think “they must be on some type of steroids” but in reality they just work a lot and eat a lot. This is why this step is so essential to becoming healthier. If you do not eat much after working out then your muscles will not fully redevelop after being torn. This is a proven fact that should not be overlooked in any way shape or form. I personally recommend taking some type of protein, usually in a power or bar, because protein is needed in the process of rebuilding those muscles you have worked. Protein can be obtained by eating daily foods such as meats, fish, and peanuts but it may be hard to acquire the total amount needed to fully recover from a hard days work.

If you follow these three easy steps, you can help combat obesity and become physically healthier. Ask yourself, are you honestly in good shape right now or would you change something about your physical appearance if you could. If you want to do something about your fitness go plan, follow that plan, and eat right. The future is the only thing that you can change by either doing this or not, and it is entirely up to you. It is so easy if you make it part of your lifestyle, there will be so many payoffs in the years to come.