Holistic Wellness in 2022
If you’ve recently set out on a fitness journey, you’ve likely heard the term, “holistic health,” or “holistic wellness.” I’ve had some clients inquire about this, assuming it means using natural remedies rather than modern medicine. I want to explain more about holistic wellness and what it means in present day. Different from holistic medicine (which usually steers away from vaccines and medications), holistic wellness refers to treating the entire person rather than just the aliment.
It would be easy for a fitness professional to get someone in the gym and start working out, lifting weights, completing intense workouts, and call it a day. Any decent fitness professional knows that this approach would be a cheap alternative to providing the best standard of fitness. Holistic wellness includes the mind, body, and spirit, acknowledging that fitness isn’t only a physical thing. Most people are aware that it is beneficial to bring awareness to nutrition, especially when beginning an exercise regimen (to get the most out of workouts). Nutrition and fitness go hand in hand, and people know it. Long gone is the notion that we exercise in order to eat like junk, but rather we eat consciously to produce mass gains from our fitness program.
What if I told you that achieving optimal health and performance is more than how you move and what you eat? Taking notice of other aspects of your health can improve your fitness and promote steps toward the best version of you. More specifically, holistic wellness would look like being in tune with your body in all aspects - when you exercise, be sure to take notice of flexibility and mobility. Exercise isn’t all performance based, in fact you can cause yourself injury when flexibility isn’t a part of your usual fitness routine. Being sure to stay within physical limits while challenging them is also important. Think about how you feel when you’re working out - do you feel strong and empowered? Maybe you feel discouraged, but motivated to achieve your goals. As far as nutrition is concerned, being aware of what you’re putting into your body is incredibly important. Too much sugar, caffeine (up to 400mg is considered safe), etc., can make you feel lousy, and do harm internally. Paying attention to ingredients and portion sizes is the first step!
Things that I personally do that place me in the school of holistic wellness include meditation, yoga, therapy, chiropractic, massage - in the past I’ve also done physical therapy. I am constantly in the gym and focused on my nutrition, and have always been a supporter of general western medicine. Being in tune with your body and knowing where these things can fit into your life and needs is important in overall wellbeing. Assuming you would be involved in all of these things all of the time is unrealistic, but I prioritize fitness/nutrition, meditation, yoga, massage, all the time, and therapy as needed. The other things are supplemental based on how I feel, and if I have a medical concern, I consult my physician.
If you’re in a place where you’re down about where you’ve currently landed, there are plenty of health coaches out there that will meet you where you are and help you get where you want to go. Let someone help you overcome the barriers preventing you from reaching your fullest potential. It’s never too late to start something life changing.