If you’ve spent any time on social media, you may be aware that there is somewhat of a national obsession with fitness. If the posts are anything to go by, fitness in this landscape means looking lean and shredded, preferably in some cute workout clothes with just enough skin showing. (Bonus points if you are holding a green juice.)
The stories shout, “You can look better as soon as you: drink these shakes, go vegan, become a carnivore, intermittent fast, follow a keto diet, do cardio training, squat heavy weights, exercise with body weight only. The list of health hacks goes on and on, and often in direct contradiction to the last story you saw.
This path to fitness usually involves buying some new gear (or at least some new vitamins) and cutting out major food groups on the increasingly narrow path to your goal.
Might you get leaner? Yes. For a time.
Will you feel better in a sustainable and meaningful way? No.
After twenty years as a health and nutritional coach, I would like to propose a radical idea. The best indicator of your health and true fitness is how well you feel and how thoroughly you enjoy your life.
Rather than focusing on how defined your abdominal muscles are, bringing your body into balance will bring you health, as well as the fitness that so many of us chase.
What do I mean by health? I define health as:
· A lack of injuries and sickness
· Great sleep
· Good digestion
· Healthy skin
· A sharp mind
· Strong bones
· Lean muscles
· Overall happiness and sense of purpose
I know firsthand that being fit by societal standards can have very little to do with true health. When I was younger, I chased fitness with over-exercising, under-nourishing and with harmful ways of getting lean, from over-caffeinating to eating nothing but protein. I was exhausted and moody, with gut issues that were legendary in my circle of friends. I may have been lean and was actually paid to train other people pursuing their fitness goals…but my body and mind were suffering.
Meeting key mentors in my life allowed me to turn away from unhealthy exercise routines and restrictive eating patterns to find balance and joy in my life. To my surprise, the fitness I had chased came naturally from that balance and I have seen the same transformation happen over and over again among my clients. One of the great joys of my life is to help other people achieve the same balance so that they can heal and engage with their lives and loved ones with renewed vigor and enjoyment.
So welcome to Heal Strong! I’m excited to be on this journey with you and will send you a series of five additional emails. In each email, I will share an overview of one of the five foundations of health and how I have seen my clients transform through taking a holistic approach to each. You will be given a health assessment and then a small challenge to start you on your path to health and fulfillment.
“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” – Albert Einstein
Let’s get started!
- Jared
