Have you seen Jane Fonda lately? She looks healthy and amazing. She’s obviously still making exercise a priority in her life. But I doubt that she’s sticking with her 80s workout videos. As she’s learned more about what’s good for her body, I’m sure she’s evolved her fitness philosophy. Have you?

In the last 40 years, we’ve learned so much about what kind of nutrition and fitness is really, truly beneficial for our bodies. We understand so much more about metabolism, hormones, and body composition. So why do we still fall into fitness patterns from the 80s and 90s?

What are the 80s fitness patterns you’ve internalized?

We tend to internalize the mindset of the fitness culture we grew up in. And if you grew up in the 80s, you probably grew up being told to eat as few calories as possible and burn off calories with cardio.

The cottage cheese diet, juice cleanses, and diet pills... Even if you've never tried any of the diet fads from the 80s and 90s, you probably picked up some rules and ideas from growing up around them. And I’m sure you picked up the idea that a healthy diet is one where you eat as few calories as possible, cut out entire food groups, and try quick fixes that will help you lose as much weight as possible as fast as possible. You may even equate health with hunger.

And what about the 80s mindset around exercise? Did you internalize that? In the 80s, step-aerobics seemed to be the answer to everything. Even if you weren’t taking aerobics classes, you probably picked up on the idea that cardio is the way to lose weight and be healthy. 

But that thinking isn't backed up by science. In fact, restrictive starvation diets will damage your health and metabolism. And they'll probably end up in weight gain over time. So it’s time to examine the fitness rules we picked up on as kids and teens, and start to update our mindset!

5 fitness ideas from the 80s that are outdated

What outdated fitness ideas do we need to move past? I’ve got five I can give you right now…

1. “The same guidelines will work for everyone.” Wrong! Your body is unique. But I still find people trying to use one-size-fits-all approaches to their health. Cookie cutter approaches were popular decades ago because, frankly, we didn’t know that much. But now we understand that my needs are different than your needs. And your needs 10 years ago are different than your needs right now. Your fitness plan should be put in place after you learn about what’s going on with your body. It should be customized to you.
2. “Eat less to lose weight.” No. We now know that nutrition is more than just calories. Yes, thermogenesis comes into play, but nutrition is so much more complex than cutting calories. And a food being “low calorie” does not mean that it’s good for you.
3. “Cardio is the way to go.” Nu uh. In the 80s, women didn’t really lift weights. It wasn’t a thing. Cardio was the healthy thing to do. And the more weight you wanted to lose, the more cardio you were told to do. But now we know that strength training and building muscle is great for looking good, and it's critical for feeling good. Strength training has a major effect on metabolism, bone density, longevity, and hormone regulation. Cardio may be a piece of the puzzle, but it’s not the whole puzzle.
4. “You have to go to extremes.” Wrong again. The 80s and 90s were all about extreme measures and cutting out entire food groups. First, fat was the enemy. Then carbs. They’d suggest skipping meals, or replacing them with shakes and bars. And that just doesn’t work! First of all, you’ll be miserable. But your body will also adapt and you’ll probably gain weight. We know now that health is about balance! And protein shakes are meant to supplement, not replace, the food you’re eating.
5. “Self-care is selfish.” Come on. The idea of self-care wasn’t popular in the 80s. And maybe that’s because there was a focus on the Gordon Gekko hustle and grind. The phrase “greed is good” meant a selfish focus on the external. On what you owned. But now we have a better understanding of what true self-care is. It’s not the same as greed or selfishness. Self-care is essential for your health and sanity!

So what is your current fitness mindset? Are you still internalizing the rules you were taught in the 80s and 90s? If you’re ready to leave those rules in the 80s where they belong, let’s talk! There is a better, healthier, sustainable way to create a stronger, more energetic body and I’m ready to show you how to feel better in your body than you ever have before!