Seasons of life
Life will inevitably bring different seasons, each with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Your approach to health and fitness will naturally shift depending on whether you're in a season of thriving or one of merely surviving.
Thriving Season: This is a time when you’re feeling energized, motivated, and ready to take on new challenges. You have the capacity to aim for higher fitness goals, such as improving your performance, achieving optimal wellness, and pushing your limits.
Surviving Season: During tougher times, your main focus might be on maintaining your well-being amidst challenges. Your energy may be lower, and your goals might be more about self-care and preservation than breaking personal records.
Standards for Optimal Health
In an ideal scenario, when you’re in a thriving season, here are some standards to aim for to achieve optimal health and fitness:
Regular Exercise: Aim for a balanced mix of strength, cardiovascular, and mobility training. For most people, this means 2-4x strength training sessions per week, and 90+ minutes of cardiovascular movement.
Balanced Nutrition: Focus on a diet rich in whole foods, including lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. Pay attention to portion sizes and try to eat a variety of colors and types of foods.
Adequate Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. A good benchmark is to aim for about half your body weight in ounces of water daily, but individual needs can vary based on activity level and climate.
Quality Sleep: Strive for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Quality sleep is critical for recovery, mental clarity, and overall well-being. Develop a routine that promotes good sleep hygiene.
Stress Management: Incorporate activities that reduce stress, such as mindfulness, meditation, play, or spending time outside. Remember, there is no physical health without mental health.
Regular Health Check-ups: Staying on top of regular medical check-ups and screenings is essential for longevity and a robust healthspan. Preventive care can catch potential issues early, allowing you to enjoy a longer, healthier life. We can’t stress this enough.
Standards for Surviving
When life throws you challenges (like a ruptured achilles, a baby who decided not to sleep for a few months or stress being super high around a death in the family), here are hot takes for still moving forward despite the current going against you.
Move When You Can: Even if you can’t stick to a rigorous exercise routine, find ways to incorporate movement into your day. Simple activities like walking on work calls, air squats and push ups, or even 5-10 minute movement sessions can really add up over the span of a few weeks/months.
Prioritize Simple, Nutritious Meals: Focus on easy-to-prepare, nutritious meals. Quick protein sources paired with fruits and veggies. Bulk prepare/cook extra at dinner to last you a few days.
Stay Hydrated: Keep a water bottle with you and take small sips throughout the day. Staying hydrated is a simple yet effective way to support your body during tough times.
Aim for Rest: While getting a full night’s sleep might be challenging, try to create a restful environment and establish a wind-down routine that signals to your body it’s time to rest.
Practice Mindful Moments: Focus on down regulating breathing (aim for 4 seconds inhale, 8 seconds exhale) at intervals throughout the day. Every red light, three rounds of breathing. Every phone call you hang up from, three rounds of breathing, etc. Associate this routine with common activities and you can’t miss.
Focus on Small Wins: Set small, achievable goals that give you a sense of accomplishment and forward momentum, even if they are minor compared to your usual aspirations.
Moving Forward
Remember, health, wellness and fitness are not about perfection but progress. Here is a great way to look at it: If you have a pile of dirt to move, some days you may have a bulldozer. Others, you may have a spoon. As long as you keep moving dirt, you can’t lose.
Keep showing up.