What is the least I can do?

A friend asked me a simple, but thought provoking question yesterday.

Friend (he just started jogging recently):  "Hey Jim, what is the least amount of exercise that I need to improve my fitness".
My other friend (a high performance runner) standing nearby: "giggle, giggle, giggle"
Me:  "Well that's a good question.  All you really need to do, is do more than you used to do."

So, did I answer him well?  Isn't that really all it takes to get more fit (or in the competitive folks minds...to get faster!).  Sure, we love our books, we love our blogs, we love our gadgets, we love our data, we love our schedules, we love our technology...but really all that is required is progressive sport specific overload.

So what can you do to become more fit (or faster, if that's your cup of tea)?
Options include:

1) more training volume
2) more training intensity
3) more training frequency
4) more technique work
5) improved body composition toward the ideal for your body, health and your sport
6) more of all of the above in various combinations

Finding the right combination for each individual is a process.  It is my goal to help my athletes stay healthy, to train consistently and to help them stay passionate about their sport over the long haul...as we work through each of these above factors.  Finding that unique individual combination is the real trick for those that seek their ultimate full potential.

What is the least I can do...nope that's not my style, but it does get me thinking,  I'm still seeking my full potential...how about you?

I'm pretty confident that the guy in the dark shirt once found his full potential!