The 5 "Healthy Habits" I Never Recommend To My Clients

The internet will constantly remind you that you're just one or two healthy habits away from becoming the most perfect-looking, highly optimized, healthiest human you could be.

Isn't it interesting that no matter how much you do, no matter how many extra steps you add, there always seems to be one more? And if you only had the time, money, and capability to soldier on, maybe then you'd finally sleep well at night, lose 20 pounds, and not crash at 3 pm?

Yeah... it's like playing whack-a-mole. Exhausting.

Instead, I'm going to tell you five habits you don't need to worry about. Let me take something off your plate. You've got enough going on.

1. Drinking a gallon of water a day: Nope! More is not always better. Yes, people are generally not as hydrated as they could be. But you can't prescribe a water intake to the general population. Your size, activity level, and environment will dictate your water needs. All you need to do is watch your thirst and watch your pee. Are you thirsty? Reach for water. Feeling hungry? You might actually be thirsty—drink water first. Is your pee too yellow (it should be a very pale yellow)? Drink more water. That's it!

2. Labeling foods as "good" and "bad": We all know the stereotype of the personal trainer and nutrition coach who reprimands you for eating "bad" foods and tells you to avoid them at all costs. I hope you never see me that way—because it couldn't be further from the truth! Food has no morality. Food cannot be "good" or "bad." Are some foods more nutrient-dense than others? Absolutely! But all foods can fit in your diet. Foods don't make you fat; amounts do. And when we deprive ourselves, restrict, and create unnecessary rules? We end up eating more of the foods we see as "bad," gaining weight, and becoming less healthy than we would have if we just saw them as yummy and enjoyed them in moderation.

3. Stretching before a workout: When you hold a stretch for 30+ seconds, your muscles temporarily relax and lose some of their ability to generate force—which is counterproductive when you're about to work out. Dynamic warm-ups are more effective because they increase blood flow, raise your body temperature, and activate your nervous system while moving your joints through the ranges of motion you're about to use. You're preparing your body to work rather than signaling it to relax right before you need it to engage.

4. Avoiding salt: The blanket "reduce sodium" advice makes sense for a specific population—people with hypertension or those eating a lot of packaged and processed foods. But if you're active, eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods, sweat regularly, and drink enough water, you might need more sodium, not less. Electrolyte imbalances are more common than you think. I'm a self-proclaimed salt-aholic. Salt is not the enemy!

5. Chasing soreness after workouts: Soreness isn't a reliable indicator of an effective workout—it just means you did something your body wasn't used to. You shouldn't gauge exercise by how wrecked you feel the next day. Constantly chasing soreness often means you're under-recovering, being inconsistent with your programming, or pushing intensity at the expense of sustainable progress. Side note: it's okay to be sore every once in a while, especially after starting a new program or introducing a new exercise. A good workout should challenge you, but not leave you unable to move for three days.