What is Wellness?

Fitness is a term most people are familiar with, and it’s most often associated with certain physical or aesthetic benefits of diet and exercise. Washboard abs, beach bodies and the like …

It seems to me that the past two-plus years of experiencing a global pandemic have taught us that health is about so much more than physical appearance.

A concept that is going to become much more prevalent in the fitness industry is wellness.

So what’s wellness? To me, it’s the idea of being healthy inside and out, and taking a 360-degree view of your body and what it needs.

Some exercise is better than none. But for your body to really thrive, it needs a specific combination of exercise … with strength training as the foundation.

The bootcamps and large-group fitness studios that advertise their workouts as “beatdowns” and “sweat fests” will soon be a thing of the past. How much you sweat and how debilitated you feel are actually the two worst indicators of the quality of your workout. 

And as far as the studios that mic up their “trainers,” blare the club music, and spin the disco balls … I don’t know what to say except, if you want entertainment, go to the circus.

Most people just focus on the workout, and don’t really understand the difference between a well-designed workout that was purposefully planned to enhance your body vs. a bunch of random stuff thrown together so it looks cool on Instagram. Quality matters. Purpose matters. Planning matters. 

The concept of wellness also includes recovery and body maintenance. This is the step that most people skip, and it’s actually one of the most important. An injury is almost never caused by the exercise you just did. It’s your body finally breaking down after a period of not enough sleep, poor nutrition, and imbalances and inflexibilities that could have been resolved by scheduling a little time each month to see a chiropractor, massage therapist, or a trainer who’s qualified to show you how and where to stretch and mobilize properly.

These are just a few examples of Wellness vs. Fitness, which is the trend I believe we’re going to be seeing more and more … and one that I couldn’t be more excited about.

So after reading this newsletter, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word Wellness? Reply back and let me know … I love having conversations like this.