I hate to break it to you, but it turns out wellness doesn’t start and end at the gym. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the lean-mean-fitness-machines hitting the free weights have super-powers. Perhaps they were just born with a metabolism that lets them spend 10 hours at their high-pressure corporate job, then hit the gym for two hours every evening.
The truth is that these people are doing something very simple. They’ve worked out that they need to pay attention to their wellness 24-hour-a-day. So, what does that mean?
SLEEP is the foundation of wellness. If you’re on the verge of exhaustion you need to get to bed early so that your sleep cycle is long enough. Sleep allows us to repair both our mind and body.
Good HYDRATION means drinking around 11 to 16 cups of water a day. Every day. Water helps us boost our immune system and keep organs functioning properly. It can also improve our mood.
NUTRITION means fuelling your body with the respect it deserves. Plan meals that’ll give you the nutrients and energy needed to get you through the day. That means healthy well-balanced meals with sufficient calories.
RECOVERY is critical to long-term wellness. Without rest, the gym will take its toll on your body. Mobilization and stretching should form a core part of your training regime. It’ll help manage pain, encourage muscle repair and avoid injuries.
MINDSET allows us to find the motivation to achieve our goals. It means looking after our mental health every day. It also means knowing when to give ourselves a break!