
Built to Last
05/11/25 • 29 min
What if everything you thought you knew about fitness was missing the most crucial element? Despite billions spent on gym memberships, supplements, and equipment, global health continues to decline. The answer may lie not in what we do, but in who we do it with.
In this enlightening conversation, David Amerland—chemical engineer, martial artist with 47 years of experience, and author of "Built to Last: The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Fitness and Longevity"—challenges conventional fitness wisdom. Drawing from science and personal experience, he reveals why social connection might be the missing ingredient in your health journey.
Amerland explores the fascinating paradox of blue zones—regions where people live extraordinarily long, healthy lives despite lacking fancy gyms or expensive health products. These communities share two powerful commonalities: strong social bonds and consistent movement integrated naturally into daily life. By contrast, westernized approaches often treat fitness as an uncomfortable add-on to already stressful lives, explaining why 85% of January gym-goers quit by May.
The conversation delves into the neuroscience of motivation, exploring how our brains calculate effort versus reward and why emotional connection to our health goals fundamentally changes this equation. Amerland offers a refreshingly practical framework: make fitness personal (meaningful to you), possible (easy to implement), and persistent (something you can do daily).
Whether you're just beginning your health journey or looking to maintain vitality as you age, this episode provides actionable insights for creating sustainable fitness practices that evolve with you. Discover why one-minute workouts might be more effective than hour-long gym sessions, and how understanding your unique needs creates lasting change where cookie-cutter programs fail.
Subscribe now and join the conversation about building habits that truly last. Your future self will thank you.
Intro for podcast
Here is the link for Sunday's 4 pm Pacific time Zoom meeting
What if everything you thought you knew about fitness was missing the most crucial element? Despite billions spent on gym memberships, supplements, and equipment, global health continues to decline. The answer may lie not in what we do, but in who we do it with.
In this enlightening conversation, David Amerland—chemical engineer, martial artist with 47 years of experience, and author of "Built to Last: The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Fitness and Longevity"—challenges conventional fitness wisdom. Drawing from science and personal experience, he reveals why social connection might be the missing ingredient in your health journey.
Amerland explores the fascinating paradox of blue zones—regions where people live extraordinarily long, healthy lives despite lacking fancy gyms or expensive health products. These communities share two powerful commonalities: strong social bonds and consistent movement integrated naturally into daily life. By contrast, westernized approaches often treat fitness as an uncomfortable add-on to already stressful lives, explaining why 85% of January gym-goers quit by May.
The conversation delves into the neuroscience of motivation, exploring how our brains calculate effort versus reward and why emotional connection to our health goals fundamentally changes this equation. Amerland offers a refreshingly practical framework: make fitness personal (meaningful to you), possible (easy to implement), and persistent (something you can do daily).
Whether you're just beginning your health journey or looking to maintain vitality as you age, this episode provides actionable insights for creating sustainable fitness practices that evolve with you. Discover why one-minute workouts might be more effective than hour-long gym sessions, and how understanding your unique needs creates lasting change where cookie-cutter programs fail.
Subscribe now and join the conversation about building habits that truly last. Your future self will thank you.
Intro for podcast
Here is the link for Sunday's 4 pm Pacific time Zoom meeting
Previous Episode

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Intro for podcast
Here is the link for Sunday's 4 pm Pacific time Zoom meeting
Next Episode

Vibes Tribe: Building a Haven for Women in Midlife
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Ready to redefine your relationship with vitality? Visit vibestribeco.com for a free ticket to their monthly workshop or join their "Holistic Anxiety Relief for Women" Facebook group to connect with like-minded women on similar journeys.
Intro for podcast
Here is the link for Sunday's 4 pm Pacific time Zoom meeting
Healthy Living by Willow Creek Springs - Built to Last
Transcript
Well , hello and welcome back to the Healthy Living Podcast . I'm your host , joe Grumbine , and today I have a very special guest . His name's David Amerlund , and David is an author
Speaker 1and much more than that , but he's got a book called Built to Last the Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Fitness and Longevity the Ultimate Guide to Sustainab
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