Holistic Health

   It's 2021 and a new year, that generally means new goals and resolutions to hit. However this year I noticed something different on the rise as of late, that is Holism. As a Holistic Lifestyle Trainer seeing this "trending" is actually of high concern! Many do not understand what holistic health or holistic lifestyle means. Let's explore! 


   Now there are two definitions for holistic (these are straight from google): 
   1. Philosophy: Characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole. 
   2. Medicine: Characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of the disease. 

  With that being said, how does this relate to working with a holistic trainer? When you work with a holistic trainer such as myself we take into account every aspect of your life. What is stressing you out? How do you cope and de-stress? How is your sleep? How is your mental health? How is your nutrition and eating habits? How are your daily thoughts? Do you meditate? There are SO many more questions that come into play here I won't go over. 

   When we are stressed, sick or lethargic we cannot just blame our job or lack of sleep. Often times the real issue is buried deep inside and has something to do with a subject stuck in the subconscious. This little thought that lingers could be leaving you stressed, sleeping terribly and leaving you unmotivated without even know why. Addressing this could fix your sleep, lower your stress and bring back some of that motivation you had before. 

   Being holistic means that you are also being mindful and taking into account things that surround you as well as those around you. Being mindful allows you to keep yourself less stressed, we become more aware and also use less resources this way. This is part of holism. 

   Holism should also be included in our plans to save the planet. By looking at the bigger picture we can see more of what needs to be done in order to create a positive outcome. If we are only looking at fragments are parts we are missing a lot of useful information. This is the same through your health, wellness and fitness. If you are only focusing on growing the glutes, the rest of your legs and body will suffer. They stay weak and can cause further injury from not being worked in the proper manner. 

   Being holistic in fitness allows me to really hone in on client issues and deviations and to help me understand my client much better. This gives me more of an opportunity to give a routine that is much more personalized to the individual and their goals. Taking into account their home life, work life, hobbies, wants, desires, needs and stresses allows for a better lifestyle plan to be written out. This creates ease for the client. 

   Over my nine years of being a trainer this has been the most effective style of training my clients. They reach goals with ease and feel better about their accomplishments. By focusing on the whole they also create a better chance at a better lifestyle and self-care routine that will last them long beyond the end of training with me. 

   My goal as a trainer was not only to guide my clients to their goals but to also help them create a lifestyle that would have a positive impact on their daily lives and those around them. Positivity is contagious, that is the heart and soul of our business here. We take everything into account when treating a problem to come up with a positive solution that will stick. 

   Here are a few ways you can live more holistically today! 

   1. Meditate. Yes, I said it! Not all meditation is sitting cross-legged and silent. Meditation is about connecting with yourself and working through the issues, problems, and irritations that pop into our lives and stick in our minds. It's about being in the moment and lowering stress. 

   2. Exercise. Yeah, I said that too. Exercise is incredibly important. Any time I had an injury or my low back was aching it was because I did not exercise the area enough or properly. This is highly important to keeping your body going. It carries you day and in and day out and houses muscle. It is meant to be moved, if it wasn't we would all be blobs rolling around all the time. 

   3. Journal. Never underestimate the power of a great journaling session. Now many guys are going to read this and scoff thinking " I don't need that "GIRLY" shit." This is not girly shit just as yoga and dance are not girly shit. Journaling can help you get thoughts out of your mind and onto paper where you can read them. Analyze them. Find solutions easier than keeping them bottled inside. Sometimes we just need to vent and that's what a great Brain Dump journaling session is for! 

   4. Practice more self love. Now this one is very tough as we do not teach it at a young age in this country (I'm not sure about others). Self love and good fitness are highly underrated here. When you love yourself it shows to others. They feel that good energy and they want to feel good too. Loving yourself allows you a more relaxed day. You move about with more confidence which can allow you to achieve more and be more productive throughout your day. We must learn patience with ourselves as well. This is part of self love. 


   Now that you have a better understanding of what Holism is, I hope that you can take a few of these wonderful ways and incorporate them into your life today!