They say one bad apple spoils the lot. We see this in groups of people all too often, be they at work or play. All it takes is one negative influence in an otherwise perfectly functioning team to erode motivation, enthusiasm and productivity.

A little care and attention to each individual working part of a machine, while appreciating the grander scale of things as the entity functions smoothly like a well-oiled machine, can be the perfect recipe for management success.

Philosophers might call it individualism versus holism: the idea that individual elements are self-contained and independent on the one hand, or inseparable and interdependent on the other.

From a holistic perspective, you cut away one piece and the entire organism suffers. While the truth in such debates can so often be found by striking the happy medium, in some spheres we tend to find ourselves leaning too far in one direction.

Wherever individualism can be found to rule the roost, a little consideration for the holistic approach could establish a fresh new drive in the right direction.

The holistic approach is in. We see it in healthcare, education, and yes, exercise and fitness too. To understand at least one holistic approach to health and fitness, consider the amount of time you actually spend training each week.

Are you a recreational gym user? Do you go out walking or jogging regularly? If you’re like a lot of other recreational fitness enthusiasts out there, you might clock up a total weekly volume of, say, three to four hours.

If you’re competitive in some discipline or otherwise addicted to sport or active leisure, this figure might climb closer to the eight- to 10-hour range. More than 10 and you can consider yourself a seriously fit individual or maybe even a semi-pro-athlete.

Whatever the number is, compare it to the total amount of hours that exist in your week. There are 168 hours in your week, so it’s a pretty safe bet that your total training time pales in comparison. What is an eight-hour stretch next to 160? Perhaps a more poignant question: what are you doing during those 160 remaining hours?

It stands to reason that the choices you make during this significantly larger chunk of your time will have a significant impact on the outcome of your overall exercise and fitness regimen.

All it takes is one negative influence in an otherwise perfectly functioning team to erode motivation, enthusiasm and productivity

You could have the greatest programme on the planet, but if you are spending the rest of your time smoking, drinking, eating high-fat or high-sugar foods, skipping valuable sleep time and stressing yourself out about every small thing, then chances are your perfect programme won’t work, however hard you try. One step forward means little when followed by two steps back. By making better lifestyle choices, we can not only enjoy better health and cut down on the risks of contracting a range of health problems, but we can move closer to our goals, and a lot faster too. Eating habits, physical activity levels, smoking and alcohol avoidance, as well as stress management, are all essential factors that have a bearing on general health. They should be clearly understood if the vehicle of our progress is going to maintain effective forward momentum.

Good managers know how to leverage elements under their control and generate business success. Mismanagement of essential elements in a company on the other hand could very well lead to it going bust. Unfortunately, mismanagement of the essential lifestyle factors could lead to our very own health going bust.

So for a holistic approach to effective lifestyle management, consider this four-step plan. First, cut down on junk food and sweets, anything fried and anything high in animal fats or simple refined sugars.

Check out the ‘eatwell’ plate and implement the basic recommended guidelines for healthy eating. If you have a large training load, you will need to get pretty good at estimating your energy requirements too in order to support your efforts as required and maintain an effective energy balance.

Secondly, stay active throughout the day, or at least consider your physical activity levels as they relate to your overall exercise programme. It could very well transpire you need rest on some days to avoid overtraining or injury, and more activity on others to maintain energy balance as required. Thirdly, cut down on smoking and alcohol intake, safeguarding your cardiovascular and repiratory systems, as well as your liver, all essential components in the maintenance of good health and physical fitness.

And last, manage your stress levels. The complexity with which we have tainted our lifestyles and routines in this modern world of ours could be a contributing factor towards a range of mental health problems like depression or early onset dementia. Practising a range of stress-management techniques, like effective time-management, prioritising and goal-setting and increased mindfulness in dealing with everyday challenges, could go a long way towards improving your health and wellness, reducing circulating stress hormones in your system, as well as freeing your mind to focus more on the quality of your workouts, making them ultimately more effective.

matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.mt