The Hamster Wheel of Fitness, Dangerous Trends and Discovering the 5 Pillars of Wellness

I’ve been in the fitness industry for over ten years now. I’ve coached thousands of people, I’ve written for significant publications like the HuffPost and Prevention Magazine and been so blessed to be featured in Shape and Fitness. With all that experience, I’m here to tell you; I’m so tired of all the fitness fads that make up 28 billion (and growing) fitness industry.

I’ve seen so many trends come and go over the past ten years. We’ve been hyperfocused on clean eating, cutting out carbs, workout out till we puke, running extreme races, and so much more. It seems like the fitness industry is always pushing extremes in one direction rather than settling in the middle and understanding that HEALTH is the ultimate gift and wealth in this life. 

When I became a widow at 36, with two young kids to take care of, fitness became my LIFE. I was that girl who trained HARD, I ran races, competed in body-building competitions, and ate the extreme ends of the fitness spectrum. Fast forward about six years, and I was BURNED out on fitness. Yes, I still believed in it with all my heart and soul, but I learned what so many people learn the hard way, that extreme anything isn’t sustainable, and truthfully, it isn’t all that healthy. I learned a lot about my body in those early years. I learned that being extra lean is hard not only on the body but also the mind and soul. I also learned that while movement is such an essential tool for everyone, especially those who are struggling, it’s only a small part of the critical component of health.

What so many trends, fads, and extreme fitness programs are missing is the critical connection to health that goes far beyond an hour at the gym or eating a salad. There are no one-size-fits-all, and if you genuinely want to be WELL, you need to address more than your workouts and your food, you need to look at your mindset, how much time you spend outside in nature, and of course the people you surround yourself with on a daily basis.  

So when I set out to redesign my Quest Wellness program earlier in 2019, I decided once and for all that my fitness program was going to address ALL the aspects of wellness rather than focusing on extreme’s in any one direction. My goal was to fulfill the dream of our brands’ name – My1FitLife.

So what are the 5 Pillars of Wellness?

Movement

How many times have you heard that if you don’t LOVE your fitness, you won’t do it? Yep, this is 100% truth. You need to think of MOVEMENT as the key to living a WELL life, not just fitness. Maybe for you, it’s a walk, a swim, a Zumba class, yoga, or just cleaning about the house. You want to know the truth, your body does not care how you move, just that you DO MOVE. We overthink movement, and that is often the demise of our motivation to keep going. We are told we have to move a certain way, and we burn out and stop growing. 

Nutrition

It’s time you learn to eat in a way that NOURISHES your body, your cells, and your best health. Don’t focus on scale numbers but rather look at your food as a chance to improve your health with every single bite you take. 

Nature

Often a missing component with most health programs, how much time you spend in nature is critical to your mood, your energy, even your sleep cycles. Sunshine increases melatonin production and results in better sleep and even recovery from things like jet-lag. Grounding allows you to negatively charge from the earth, which will positively affect your life! Even just breathing fresh air can help restore you to the parasympathetic nervous system (the oppositive of fight or flight). 

Mindfulness

“Rule your mind or it will rule you” ~Buddha

Probably the most critical part of living a healthy life is addressing your mind in a myriad of ways. Looking into your self-sabotaging habits, asking why you do the things you do, and learning new habits is critical to LONG-TERM success that sticks, not just quick fixes that don’t. We also want you to meditate, sleep better, and talk to yourself with more grace as part of our mindfulness pillar in our Quest Wellness Program. 

Community

You are the sum of the people you spend the most time around, so make sure you pick wisely. Your community does matter for your goals, your happiness, and even your mental well-being. You need to surround yourself with people who inspire you, who lift you and help you become a better, stronger, more complete version of yourself. Upgrade your company often to live your best life today and in the future. 

My goal for you all in 2020 is that you don’t jump on some New Years Resolution – quick fix or diet. I hope you look at your entire life and how you can implement the 5 Pillars for your ultimate health. 

As I always say, let’s not make fitness about making your body smaller, but your LIFE bigger.

Michelle 

Join our Quest Wellness Program before January 20th and get our 6-week, Transformation Challenge included FREE. Find out more. Quest Wellness