Howdy, folks! Some housekeeping (I personally hate when people use that word in this context, but what else can we say?? Please lmk if you have an alternative. Some… notes? Boring.).

Anyway, I’ll be taking next week off of the newsletter as I’ll be traveling on the days I usually write and don’t think I’d have the time to create a good blog post. Don’t worry, I’ll be back after Memorial Day, hopefully with chlorine residue in my hair by then! 🏊‍♂️ 

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🤖 Critiquing AI Health & Fitness Advice

It was only a matter of time until AI got brought up in this newsletter. Artificial Intelligence seems to have taken the world by storm the past year or two. Don’t worry; robots won’t be taking over Move to Improve anytime soon. I’m much cooler and funnier and more likable than Chat GPT, right? Right?? 😅 

Anyway, rather than using Chat GPT to write my newsletter (I would never! *clutches pearls*), I’m going to critique its advice. It can function like a sort of search engine, but instead of giving you thousands of possible links to click, it just kinda sums up the available info out there and gives you its best shot at an answer. 

There are many possible use cases for AI in assisting (not directing) some aspects of our lives. It can be especially useful when just trying to get the “101” on a new topic. However, despite the best fact-checking efforts and continual refining, these language learning models still make mistakes—some more severe than others.

So let’s see how Chat GPT stacks up. I’ll share its answer to my prompt below, then provide critique, feedback, and an overall assessment of its possible role in assisting us in the realm of health and fitness.

My prompt: Please give me the best health and fitness advice with actionable steps to follow for optimal health, healthspan, and longevity.

Its response: 

To achieve optimal health, healthspan, and longevity, it's essential to adopt a holistic approach that encompasses diet, exercise, mental health, and preventive care. Here are some comprehensive and actionable steps you can follow:

1. Adopt a Balanced Diet

• Eat Whole Foods: Focus on a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

• Limit Processed Foods: Reduce intake of sugary snacks, ultra-processed foods, and those high in unhealthy fats and preservatives.

• Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

• Moderate Portions: Be mindful of portion sizes to avoid overeating.

• Plan Meals: Consider planning your meals to maintain a balanced diet and prevent impulsive eating.

2. Regular Physical Activity

• Aerobic Exercise: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week.

• Strength Training: Include muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week.

• Flexibility and Balance: Incorporate stretching and balance exercises like yoga or Pilates.

• Be Consistent: Make physical activity a regular part of your day to boost energy levels and manage weight.

3. Mental Health

• Manage Stress: Practice stress-reducing techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, or deep-breathing exercises.

• Sleep Well: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.

• Social Connections: Maintain an active social life. Engage with family and friends to enhance your emotional wellbeing.

• Pursue Hobbies: Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing.

4. Regular Health Check-ups

• Screenings: Undergo regular health screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure, and other potential issues.

• Preventive Vaccinations: Stay up to date with recommended vaccines.

• Dental Checkups: Regular visits to the dentist can help prevent diseases elsewhere in the body.

• Vision Tests: Regular eye exams can detect early signs of conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration.

5. Healthy Lifestyle Choices

• Avoid Tobacco: Smoking and tobacco use are significant risk factors for many diseases.

• Limit Alcohol: If you consume alcohol, do so in moderation.

• Sun Protection: Protect your skin by using sunscreen and wearing protective clothing.

6. Continuous Learning

• Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with the latest health guidelines and research.

• Adjust as Needed: Be open to modifying your health strategies as you age or as your health needs change.

7. Mindful Eating

• Listen to Your Body: Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.

• Enjoy Your Food: Eat slowly and savor your meals.

Each step is vital and contributes to a healthier and potentially longer life. Incorporating these practices into your daily routine can help you achieve your health and longevity goals.

The Analysis

Not bad, eh?! Honestly, big picture, if 100%---even 80%---of Americans followed this advice 80–100% of the time, we’d probably be the healthiest, happiest, longest living nation in the world. 

But easier said than done, ain’t it? 

I won’t address every point. The ones that don’t need further discussion, I’ll leave alone. Here are a few thoughts:

On the categories: I LOVE the seven overall points. Love that it started with diet and physical activity and mental health. Then how it brought in holistic medical care followed by lifestyle risks to avoid. LOVE the continuous learning point; that’s a staple of the Move to Improve philosophy. Ending with mindful eating was interesting; that probably could’ve been looped into the diet category, but oh well.

As for the dietary advice, I pretty much agree with everything there! That really covers all the bases. Frustratingly simple, isn’t it? The only thing I’d like to see more emphasis on is eating plenty of protein.

The physical activity section is pretty great, too. It pulled from current recommendations for both cardio and resistance/strength training guidelines. Would a bit more volume and frequency of these two be even better? Yes. But meeting these guidelines with years-long consistency will have tremendous benefits. Incorporating mobility and balance are certainly important, too, especially as we age. And I love to see that it recommended consistency as well. What I might add is room for sport, play, and enjoyment!

Seeing mental health land the third pillar is giving it the justice it deserves. This is critical to our healthspan and lifelong fulfillment. I find it interesting that it put sleep under this category. Good sleep is no doubt essential for our mental health. It’s vital for robust physical health, too, though. Virtually no aspect of our lives won’t benefit from good sleep but could suffer if we sleep poorly or inadequately. Social connections and hobbies are essential aspects of our mental health as well. I would’ve written a bit more about meaning and purpose in this section, but it did a good job overall.

The fourth section has great content that we don’t touch on much in this newsletter but which is nonetheless essential for living a long, happy life. Regular check-ups, up-to-date vaccinations, and oral and vision healthcare keep some of our most important organ systems running in tip top shape. It’s a reminder that just the two fields of diet and exercise don’t cover everything!

Protecting ourselves from three of the potentially most harmful substances in excess is great advice. I’d say there’s no level of tobacco/smoking that is healthy, only a low amount of alcohol that one can get away with without too many deleterious effects, and that sun exposure in healthy moderation is good. But of course once one passes over a threshold, any of these in excess can cause major damage. While we’re in the risk mitigation category, avoiding excessive drug use that could lead to overdose, as well as safe driving practices are essential to mitigate accidents. Overdose and automobile accident deaths are proportionally some of the biggest killers of young and middle aged adults. 

Continuous learning is one of the best things we can do, not only in health but in all aspects of life. What is a scientist if not a critical thinker who’s open to changing their mind when presented with new information? Be a lifelong learner, holding many of your beliefs with a loose grip, and you’ll find that adaptability will lead you far.

The last point of mindful eating was kind of a flop as far as grand finales go, as this could’ve been worked into the diet point, but it’s very valid, good advice, nonetheless! I try to follow it.

The Criticisms & Takeaways

So what’s missing? Human touch and connection, most obviously. We can read all day, but there’s just something extra special about the nuances of working one-on-one with another person. The relationship is fluid and dynamic and ever-changing. Body language, emotions, and nuance are all present in human connections in a way that’s hard to pull from any technology, no matter how advanced. 

The advice given here is just the basics. It will get most people most of the way to success. But when it’s time to dive into specifics and the nitty gritty, I’m not sure a chatbot can hold up. Obviously these topics all go infinitely deeper than how they’re described above, and I’d hesitate before relying on an AI-generated answer for anything deeper or higher stakes than general health recommendations. 

Lastly, AI is notorious for missing recent news, information, and updates. It just puts together words that it thinks go together based on everything on the internet. Note that it doesn’t cite any specific sources or studies. As science develops, it’s important to stay plugged into trusted sources (like Move to Improve, perhaps? 😉) to stay up to date on current information and recommendations.

All in all, AI is another tool in our toolbelt that can be helpful! If you want to experiment, you could ask a GPT for some sample meal plans or workouts, or what the evidence says around a certain topic. You might find insights that are a net positive!

At the end of the day, learning is best done when we take in multiple, multiple inputs. Diversify your sources and refine your own viewpoints. Know what should be held firmly as fact and what should be held loosely as opinion. 

Ultimately, stop asking your technology questions and just get up and move. Exercise is one thing AI will never replace. 🤞 

✅ Take Action

Every newsletter's Take Action section will invite you to take small steps to improve your health. Recognizing that we all have different capabilities, I'll offer three different levels of action you can choose to take.

Level 1: Ask a GPT for some advice! Or any question. You don’t have to heed it, but it’s good to know how these tools work.

Level 2: Maybe pit some advice against evidence or other sources you’re aware of. How does AI stand up in your experience?

Level 3: Robots don’t rule the world. If you’re ready to take your health and fitness to the next level, work with a real person! Hit reply to this email if you’re interested in learning more. 👀 

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✍️ Drew's Picks:

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Catch y’all back here in a couple weeks! Feel free to ask Chat GPT a health question next week if you miss MTI, but please don’t replace me. 🥹 

Share with a friend if ur cool. Get 5 people to sign up before I’m back in two weeks (and show me proof) and I’ll buy you two coffees!!! ☕️ 

Keep moving,

Drew

The content in Move to Improve is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. It is always a good idea to consult with a trusted health professional before making any major lifestyle changes that could have a significant impact on your health. This is not a medical resource, and any opinions and articles are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional. Please think critically and take what I say with a grain of salt (aka don’t sue me).