LET’S GET PHYSICAL (WELLNESS)
At Proximal50 Bismarck, it’s no surprise that as a gym we’re going to talk about physical wellness. However, we’re going to challenge you to dig a little deeper than just moving your body.
Physical wellness is taking care of your body — the physical you — now, and with consideration to how that impacts the future you. The goal is life-long wellness. So think of it like this: is what you are doing now going to positively impact your physical health in the future?
When you’re thinking about your physical well-being, chances are you’re thinking about one (or more) of these common areas. It can be overwhelming to deep dive into all of these at once, so let’s touch base on some simple steps you can take towards better physical well-being.
Adequate sleep (7+ hours)
Don’t expect to get seven hours right away! This is with every new habit, you want to start slow with obtainable goals. We know your end-of-day Tiktok time is important but let’s just try to shut it down 10 minutes earlier for now.
Avoid/use in moderation tobacco, alcohol, or other substances
Substances like tobacco and alcohol are pretty obvious ways that affect your physical health. Take a second to evaluate how you’re using these substances and if these are your go-to ways to cope with what’s happening in your life or the rest of the world. If so, consider starting here. Get the help you need and don’t worry about sleep, exercise, or diet just yet.
If you’re looking for help, please reach out to our licensed counselor.
Regular, consistent physical activity and exercise
You can! Just like with getting your ass to bed, look at adding in just a little activity to your day. We’re not talking about you hitting the gym at 6am two days a week. Instead, you just start to take a walk every day or every other day. Then overtime you can begin to increase that goal. It’s so easy to get fixated on the amount when thinking about physical well-being but we just want you to show up.
The National Institutes of Health has a great toolkit for how to move more.
Balanced eating — including carbs!
Carbs will always go in and out of style but learn to appreciate them and how they give you energy. We’re going to challenge you to have the same mindset with being consistent with your eating. Keep it simple. There’s no need to follow a complex meal plan or diet. Eat a little more vegetables. Eat a little more lean protein. Drink a little more water.
If you’re looking for some easy meals, we have some great crockpot recipes.
What’s next for longterm physical wellness?
Now that you have some simple steps to take towards better physical wellness in these areas, we want you to dig a little deeper. Ask yourself these questions when thinking about your overall plan towards achieving physical well-being.
Is what you are doing now sustainable?
Are the habits I’m building right now around exercise and eating sustainable — like can I really do this for the rest of my life? If you lose weight on a carb restricted diet, are you going to be able to do that forever? We don’t know about you, but we’d surely miss potatoes and cake.
Will what you are doing now, leave you with a healthy body in 10, 15, 20 years?
Is my current workout program (or lack of) going to leave me with physical issues in the future? Let’s say you love running, are you training in a way right now and addressing pain or injuries so that you can still be running in 20 years? Or, if you don’t get moving now, is that extra weight going to cause joint pain later in life. Getting started or making sustainable changes will never be easy – and it’s never too late – but what you do now will matter.
Does what you do for physical wellness positively impact your emotional or social well-being?
Ok, this can be a little tough to face, but a really important question to ask yourself is: do my exercise and eating habits cause me extra stress or to miss out on events? If missing a workout or eating a certain food causes anxiety, anger, or fear that is a red flag. Or if you turn down an invite for dinner or out with friends (or even a holiday with family) because you won’t be able to stick to your diet — that’s impacting your social well-being.
Haven’t heard of social wellness? Let’s get into it.
Hopefully we helped you Identify where you need to start an idea of some small goals that can motivate a change in your physical well-being. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start, our wellness coordinator can help. And remember it’s always okay to ask for help!
