Our story begins at the top position of a circle where "Total Physical, Mental and Emotional Wellness" reside. As we start our journey clockwise around the face, our first stop is:
Physical Exercise - Humans were not created to sit. Exercise is a mandatory part of being human. Not surprising then that exercise is one of the first things in our circle of health.
Moving to find food is likely the first thing our ancestors did when they woke in the morning. They had no choice; their exercise was built into their survival. But times have changed. Although we are not required to hunt our meals down, it has not changed the fact that our bodies still need movement. The body is, without a doubt, a "use it or lose it" machine.
When done consistently, exercise strengthens both our body and our minds, helps build muscle, eliminates stress and plays an important role in our metabolic health and wellness.
Both cardio activity and strength training should be part of a routine. (A tip: strength training done correctly offers both cardio and strength building benefits, something cardio alone cannot offer.)
Exercise also helps us to sleep better, and quality sleep is another major player when it comes to our health. Sleep allows us to give pause to external daily activities, allowing our minds a much-needed reprieve from the day's stresses. Without it, our minds are muddled, our decisions confused and our lives complicated.
When sleeping, our energy once split between external and internal focus, shifts to an all-internal focus. Although our external senses are put to rest, our internal forces are continually active, repairing and reproducing cells and tissue, the same way a business closes its doors overnight to take stock of inventory; to fix and refill what needs restocking etc.
Quality sleep is also a key component towards addressing and managing our stress levels. When mental and emotional stress levels are managed, our body responds positively and feels better emotionally and physically.
We wake feeling sharp, refreshed and ready to tackle the challenges of a new day. This healthy, positive start to our day, helps steer us towards healthy foods, those that are nutrient dense (that contribute to our energetic "good feeling") rather than those filled with dead calories, the ones that steal away our energy. These high-energy reserves naturally motivate us towards increased physical activity.
Our sojourn to health and wellness has taken us through proper exercise (strengthening body and mind), quality sleep (refresh and repair), stress management, feeling better overall, healthier food choices, greater energy, more motivation and a positive outlook. All this leads to increased physical activity where the circle of healthy living begins again.
We each have a destiny to follow that involves taking personal responsibility for our own health with a high price to pay when we do not. Wellness requires self-care, proper strength training exercise, eating the right foods, taking care of life's priorities (avoiding stress) and addressing our health.
When all levels of our existence are sufficiently nurtured and fed, it creates a sort of perpetual motion machine where one action positively feeds the next and so on, completing the circle of life and building a protective shield against disease.
Our reward? We are left with a healthy, happy, slim, toned, feel-good, disease proof body. One with "total physical, mental, and emotional wellness". When treated with the honour, respect and self-love it deserves, our body has the potential to live an exceptionally long, vital, healthy and happy life.
This is the pattern, the blueprint, the sweet road to success, in health, business and in life. If you have not already, isn't it time you started on this journey yourself?
Carolyn Hansen is Co-owner Anytime Fitness
