Guest Blog: Kelsey Hoople
The dictionary describes Wellness as the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort. I include the soul because I feel it’s an often-overlooked aspect of wholeness. We must feel fulfilled in all areas to remain balanced.
These are my top 3 recommendations for whole-body wellness: mind, body, soul.
1. Fitness (3 Main Categories):
• Cardio – Recommendation is to get at least 150 minutes per week of Cardiovascular Training. This can be anything from going for a walk, dancing around, using equipment, to some form of Circuit Type Training. There are many forms… for all abilities. It is meant to strengthen the heart/lungs and can help reduce high blood pressure (among other benefits). Sometimes it takes trying a few different activities to see what works for you. The key is, to find something you enjoy.
• Strength – Recommendation is all muscle groups at least two times per week. This helps to build muscle so we can perform our everyday tasks with more ease. If you have limitations, there are many different modifications, types of equipment, and personalized exercises too.
• Flexibility – Recommendation is 2-3 times per week. There are many different types, from chair yoga, Pilates, to specified stretch routines. We ask our body to perform for us daily, taking time to release tension in our muscles helps to keep us at our best and prevent injuries.
Fitness doesn’t have to be intensive. It’s about movement, listening to our body, and taking time to put our best self forward with intention. Benefits include: balance (body/emotions), improved health, more energy, self-confidence, and much more.
2. Nutrition: Food is fuel, it keeps us going or hinders our performance. A good place to start is a food journal. Write down what you eat and how you feel afterwards; sluggish, energetic, bloated, upset stomach, etc. – every BODY is different. We are what we digest.
3. Spiritual Practice: Some form of stillness and peace. I have found a home with Yoga Nidra – a body-sensing, self-discovery meditation. There are many other forms of self-reflection or inner cleansing from religious practices to creative expression. ~ Breathe.
Wellness is meant to bring a sense of calm, evening out the ups and downs into more manageable daily routines. Effort in any form is good and sometimes it can take a while to figure out what works best for you (and that’s okay). Remember life is a process, the time will pass anyway… why not spend it well?
For more healthy lifestyle tips and my Top 10 Wellness Recommendations visit www.todayisdayonealways.ca/post/top-ten-recommendations-for-overall-wellness . These suggestions are outside of healthcare priorities: get your annual check-ups with your doctor, smile at your dentist, keep an eye on your optometrist, and ask for help when Mental Health needs arise. ~ Take care all and be well.
Kelsey (Personal Training Specialist – Women Specialized, Lean Body Coach, and Meditation Instructor) Bio: A little about me: I went from 340 lbs to under 200 lbs in the span of 5 years. There was some fluctuation in progress between multiple family losses, Mental Health struggles, alcohol addiction, and everyday life stressors. Wellness became a necessity to keep the ups and downs of my world sustainable. I had to focus on the areas I knew provided access to be my best self, more often. This has all been a learning curve. Coming from a background of being a bigger child and getting beaten up almost everyday until grade 11, then fighting to find a place to fit through drunk foggy eyes. Wellness isn’t just a catchphrase or word I throw around. It’s a way of life which transformed me, from living to alive, and continues to do so.