Outside of your exercise routine, what do you do to make sure you are your healthiest and happiest? Do you make time for other areas that contribute to your overall wellness? We recently wrote an article on the topic of what it means to be resilient and what you do outside of the gym may be just as important to being your most resilient self.

When we think about getting healthier and happier, our minds often jump to the usual suspects: hitting the gym, pounding the pavement, or perhaps twisting into a yoga pose. While exercise is undeniably crucial for health, there’s a whole world of wellness that unfolds outside the confines of your workout routine. What if I told you that what you do outside of your exercise regimen could be just as, if not more, impactful on your journey to health and happiness? I spent many years charging hard in the gym while neglecting other areas of the deep health matrix. It wasn’t until I beat myself (and my ego) up quite a bit that I learned just how integral and interconnected so much of what i did outside of my training time was. I’d like to help you refocus your own bigger picture for gains that can continue to last a lifetime and go beyond the gym.

The Power of the Unseen Routine

You can imagine your daily routine as an iceberg of sorts. The exercise part? That’s the tip peeking out above the water. It’s visible, it’s critical, and integral to the rest. What lies beneath and is connected to it—the vast, unseen bulk—is everything else you do: your eating habits, your sleep quality, your stress levels, and even your social interactions. These elements are the unsung heroes of a healthy lifestyle, often thought of secondarily but immensely powerful.

Yes- your social interactions and relationships along with the rest may have a just as integral a role to your overall wellness as the rest. We will explain why. When we affect one area of our health we tend to affect another area as well. Notice that the deep health image connects all areas that influence health not only to what depper health would be when in balance, but each element also influences and is connected to every other area. For instance, maybe you or someone you know has been drinking on the weekends or going to town on the ice cream at night. It’s likely that these behaviors are not something related to the exercise, or perhaps even nutrition for that matter. Maybe these are behaviors to deal with a high stress job (environment, emotion, or existential), a recent blow out with a family member (relational), or maybe general anxiety. By addressing the issue with the family member, that may be the thing that yields relief and better adherence to diet (physical) and the rest of the connected parts. In other words, we can try as much as we want to not overeat the ice cream every night, but until we relieve some pressure from another area just as important as nutrition (like interpersonal relationships or job stress), we may not be able to affect change with our diet and overall health and well-being as a whole. The gym itself can be similar in that we can hammer away each day with solid workouts, but without good sleep and restoration within that same category of physical - along with the rest - we may not be as impactful.

However, this very thought of the tip of an iceberg or the interconnected parts of wellness may seem a bit daunting at first.

Reframing the Daunting into the Doable

The thought of overhauling your lifestyle might seem quite scary and unmanageable, but let’s reframe it: it’s not about a complete overhaul but about simple, impactful changes. Here’s how to view these changes not as chores but as steps to a more vibrant life.

Key Levers for a more Deeply Healthier, Happier You

1. Nourishment Over Numbers: Instead of counting calories, focus on colors, fiber, and protein. Perhaps it’s easier to just focus on minimally processed foods 80% of the time. Fill your plate with a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. This simple shift can help with providing essential nutrients and energy.

2. Quality Zzz’s: Sleep is your body’s time to repair and rejuvenate. If you can’t get 7-9 hours, try to create more downtime to have better quality sleep or spend more time in bed. Try reading or meditating instead of screen time for bit before bed, and keep your bedroom cool and dark for optimal sleep conditions.

3. Stress Less + Find Restorative Environment: Find your stress-release valve. It might be journaling, meditating, or taking a leisurely walk outside away from the office. Remember, managing stress isn’t about eliminating it completely but learning how to respond to it more healthily.

4. Connect More + Nurture Relationships: Social interactions can boost your mood and immune system and make life more meaningful. Make time for friends and family, or join a club or group that shares your interests. These connections offer support and joy, vital components of a happy life.

Nuanced Tips for Amplifying Impact

• Nutrition: Spice things up! Literally. Adding herbs and spices not only packs flavor but can also offer health benefits, from anti-inflammatory properties to better absorption of nutrients.

• Sleep: Consider a sleep routine that you can keep nightly. This can help immensely with better daily rhythm and better sleep as well as mental and emotional health.

• Stress Management: While not all environments can support less stress, try to find times and places that can. Take a 10-20min walk outside and away from stress each day. This practice can shift your focus from stress to positivity, improving mental health.

• Social Well-being: Volunteer your time or engage in a new recreational activity with others. Giving back and having an activity to progress is a powerful way to connect with others and enhance your sense of purpose and happiness.

Right now, if you are consistently plugging away at the gym with a solid routine and fulfillment in other areas, good on you! You are taking care of yourself with a vital aspect of overall wellness. You may be able to also examine some other areas of health for even bigger returns. On the other hand, if you are having difficulty with a particular part of your overall wellness- whether nutrition or otherwise- you may want to consider how all are related. Freeing up energy by dealing with another may be just what you needed to move forward with one that has been difficult in the past.

It’s about nurturing your body and mind with good nutrition, quality sleep, stress management, and meaningful connections. Maybe it’s just about changing scenery sometimes. These aspects of your routine might not always be visible, but their impact on your well-being is profound. Start with one small change, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly the rest follows. Remember, every step counts, and I’m here to cheer you on every step of the way. Let’s embrace the simplicity in the complex and make wellness a part of who we are, not just something we do.

Some February Announcements:

• We love helping people connect more and enjoy their training what works best for their wellness. This is why we also have opened a group full body training class option on Mondays and will soon expand that to other days. We are taking votes in class, but if we haven’t seen you yet, let us know if there is a day and time that you would like to see this offered so you can join us. If you have limited time and ability to work with us 1:1 but still want some great coaching in a small class environment, this may be a great option for you.

• Our last health coaching spots have closed for the time being, but we will open this back up again in the Spring. If you’re interested, please book a free consult with us to get a jump start.