Physical Health

Moving the body is one of the most important "self-care" things you can do. Besides the obvious benefit (a lean and chiseled physique), there are many more benefits to physical exercise than meets the eye. It greatly contributes to mental, physiological, and emotional health. It stimulates the productions of endorphins, which induce relaxation of the mind and contributes to effectively managing stress and depression. It promotes better sleep, cognitive function, enhances memory, and improves concentration, just to name a few. It is a mood booster, creating confidence and improves self image. It also releases toxic stress from the body and helps with hormonal balance. It does all this and so much more. Most people fall into two categories when it comes to working out. Either they are creatures of habit who have a routine and love to do the same classes repeatedly, or they like the fitness buffet that offers a variety of classes and they mix it up with HIIT, barre, indoor cycling, weight lifting, pilates, etc. There can be perks to both, but workouts that are balanced with variety as well as with proper recovery, such as myofascial release and proper stretching, will reap the most benefits. Challenging the body in new ways can also improve confidence and keep the body from adapting. Obviously if you are training for a marathon or race of some sort, repetition is necessary, but for overall longevity and sustainability of joints, a balanced workout will benefit the person in the long run.  Staying with one genre because you have mastered it, you love it, or it's convenient with your schedule results in imbalance and can even yield to injuries. Cardio, strength training, flexibility, core development, and meditation are all important modalities and should be incorporated in a balanced fitness regimen! This will lead to long term success.