Let's walk you through the 7 pillars of wellness so you can better understand the mindset of the VFit Squad Wellness Mastermind Group.  Each one of these pillars is just as important as the other one.  If you are skimping out on any of the below, your health and wellness will take a hit.  The goal is to find balance and ensure that you are truly taking a well rounded approach to your health.  Read on to learn more about each pillar of wellness and why we feel it is important to make it a priority.

EXERCISE

Your muscles need fuel by way of fresh oxygen and movement.  Work hard on those muscles, boost up your heart rate, and you’ll deliver this much needed nutrient called energy, blood flow, and life all throughout your body!

Not only that, they say that exercise gives you your daily DOSE.  Dose of what?

Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.  These feel good brain chemicals are all released when you get your workouts in and prioritize self care into your routine.  Here's a super quick run down of what each of these chemicals are best known for:

Dopamine - helps you feel pleasure and think more clearly
Oxytocin - the 'cuddle' or 'love hormone' that's released when you snuggle or bond socially
Serotonin - aka 'the happy chemical' is responsible for feelings of well-being and joy
Endorphins - hormones that relieve pain and stress

Reading that list above, aren't you feeling like yes!  I want all of that?!!!!

If you can move, you should be exercising your body most days of the week. Exercise comes in every shape and form and we believe in a well rounded routine of cardio, strength, balance/mobility and restorative movement.

Our team has created a special FUNctional Fitness Plan that breaks down the ratio of what a truly well balanced exercise program should look like.  You can download your copy here. 

We use this as the basis for creating our online live class schedule as well.  So whether you've used the plan before or not, if you take our classes the same day every day, you are likely already following this plan!

Exercise is where you can get the most bang for your buck, in the least amount of time, so fuel yourself up with 15-30 minutes a day and watch amazing things start to happen in your mind and body.

 

OUTDOORS

 

We have outdoor time as part of our 7 pillars of wellness because getting outside is very important to your mental and physical well being.

Your body and mind need fuel from fresh air and vitamin D by means of spending time outdoors.  Vitamin D is crucial in cell repair, stamina, boosts to your mood, and your immunity. Many illnesses are linked to vitamin D deficiencies.

And even in those harsh winter months when you might not actually be getting direct Vitamin D, you are still reaping many rewards by fueling up from fresh air and stepping away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind.

In today’s tech driven world, you can easily go days on end without spending a solid chunk of time outside.  We are willing to bet it is affecting your health.  You are more stressed, on edge, and more reactive in your life if you don’t take time to get in some fresh air.

Instead, take 15-30 minutes a day to set your phone down, to unplug, and go outside.

There is no bad weather, there is only bad clothing.

This pillar alone can easily change your life if you are lacking in it.

 

WATER

Out of all of the pillars of wellness, this one right here is often the biggest eye opener.

On average, MOST of us run our bodies at dehydrated levels.  We are not properly hydrated, and it is causing negative effects on our skin, stamina, sleep, recovery time, and more.

Your body needs fuel by being properly hydrated with water daily.  Nearly every biological function of your body is dependent upon having those hydrogen and oxygen molecules at the ready!

8 cups a day is the minimum place to start. We have a great formula of just how much water you need, that we love sharing with our team:

1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.

ADD at least 8 ounces for every half hour of exercise you do.

This formula varies also depending on temps and humidity.  But do the quick math right now and see where you fall on the hydration spectrum.  If you are falling short, work to gradually add in more water to get yourself to the low range on this formula.  Then, try adding a bit more and see what level works best for you.

 

GRATITUDE

Ding ding! Another key pillar of health we see nearly every other wellness program leave out. How can you truly be healthy if you aren’t living a life full of gratitude and celebrations?

Your heart, the very muscle that keeps you alive, gets its fuel by living a life full of gratitude and by celebrating even the smallest of victories. 

Being thankful for what you have, especially those around you, will continue to help you view your life in a more positive light and send ripple effects throughout your day. Your stress hormones will lower, your blood pressure is positively affected. Gratitude is some powerful stuff, trust us!

There are many ways you can work to incorporate this wellness pillar into your daily routine.  Here's a few ways to build in this daily habit:

// Wake up each day and share a gratitude in a gratitude journal, or share it aloud with those that you live with and love

// Create a gratitude jar and each morning write something you thankful for, if you are feeling lost, being thankful for 'breath' which is LIFE, is always an option!

// Before each meal, share a little gratitude with those that you are with, or alone to yourself.  Giving thanks for what's in front of you and having the means to have a meal is something important and worth taking a moment of gratitude.  Studies show that when we do this, our bodies even do a better job digesting the meal we are about to eat!

To build gratitude into a daily habit, one you don't even have to think about, set it as part of your day that you do each day!  The more you can incorporate it at a regular time in your day, the more of a habit it will become.  Just like brushing your teeth, you'll have this built in practice of gratitude that will shine more light on all that is good in your life.  And once you start this process, you'll start seeing each day in a more positive light!

Is gratitude something you practice on a daily basis already?  If not, start today with one thing you are thankful for.

 

SLEEP

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is just about the worst quote out there. You’ll live a lot longer and at a higher quality of life, if you get your proper zzz’s in!

Your body, mind, and spirit refuel when you sleep.  The process of restoring and building happens overnight while you get in those blocks of rest each night.

Sleep is a basic human need.

Let's repeat after me...

Sleep is a basic human need.

It's right there at the base of Maslow's hierarchy of needs for a reason!  Food, water, and rest (spoiler alert, food is one of our final two pillars!)  serve as the base of this pyramid.  Without the base, there's no pyramid!  These three are the absolute basic essentials for life.  Without these, nothing else matters.

We live in a 24/7 society where the internet never sleeps and you can get whatever you want, nearly whenever you want.  Expectations and demands on our time are higher than ever.  BUT, we are still human and need to ensure we continue to prioritize and get our sleep in.

Getting a full night’s rest is important for your brain health, your mood, energy, and stress level as well. 7+ hours is the minimum that most need and while we know that during some stages of life, this Pillar may be out of your control, we still encourage you to prioritize sleep as a very important part of your life.

 

ME TIME

The importance of taking time to fill your own cup cannot be overstated.

When you own cup is depleted, you have nothing left to give and simply are not filling your own needs and passions for what truly brings you joy.

When you focus on self care, your mind becomes fueled.  When you stop, slow down, and tune into your own needs there is a great deal of satisfaction.

Having a moment of calm in your day can be delivered by taking time for some quiet reflection and self care. For some, this may be reading a book, meditating, working out, gardening, sewing, you get the jist. There is no one size fits all “self-care” activity.  Finding a small pocket of time in your day to take care of you isn’t selfish, it’s critical.

You can spend the whole day alone, but that does not translate to me time or self care!  You have to actively seek out doing things and spending time on things you truly enjoy just for you.

Take a moment and think about what kinds of activities get you excited and that would put a big ol’ smile on your face if you spent 15 minutes doing it.  Make a list, and then make it a priority to get it in.  Every day!  It is possible.  And it’ll feel oh so good to GET to do the things that bring you so much joy.

Here's a few ideas to get you going:

// if you love to travel, take a few minutes each day to read travel blogs and plan that next trip
// sign up for your favorite exercise class and take that time to focus on just YOU
// give yourself a pedicure, or an extra long shower or bubble bath
// listen to your favorite pod cast or read a chapter in your favorite book
// if you like crafting, craft!  If you like baking, bake!  You get the idea!  And if you can't DO what you love, read about and learn more about how to do it, then get yourself into doing it more!  The more you do what you love, the happier you will be.

The importance of self care cannot be overestimated.  Each pillar is a part of our wellness wheel for a reason, and you’ll only get so far if you neglect taking time out of each day just for you.  It may even get you setting your alarm a little earlier each day so you can do a bit more of what you love and what fills your own cup!!

 

FOOD

Your body needs fuel to live.  On a primal level, you can’t function very long without eating.

The better you eat, the better you feel, everyone knows this.

Usually we look to and relate to fuel as just food and water.  In fact, 90% of the health/wellness industry is centered around telling you what to eat and what not to eat, and that you can take a pill/shake and it will make you healthy. End of story.

BUT there are so many other parts of your life you must FUEL as well, and each “pillar” is an area that we believe deeply in.  This is why we made the order we presented these pillars in in such a way where we saved FOOD for the final pillar, so that you could take this journey through the wellness pillars and understand how all the other pillars also serve as fuel for your mind, body, and spirit.

So to focus on food, here are some key takeaways we'd like to share:

Food is fuel for your body.

It's how you take in the nutrients your body needs to properly function. You cannot out exercise a bad diet! Workout and hit all the pillars like a total champ, but skimp in this department and you'll never quite feel as good as you possibly could.

Fuel your body and you'll have more energy, sleep better, become stronger, have better digestion, boost your immunity, and go throughout your day with what your body needs keep you moving and feeling good.

Taking care of your body by eating mostly whole foods, lean protein, and plenty of vegetables is where it's at.

While we do not advocate for any diet in particular, what we do suggest is eat clean. Read those labels, and if you don't know what the ingredients are that's in it, skip it.

With a few small tweaks, you can shift your diet and start feeling the benefits right away. Our bodies are resilient, and respond to changes straight away. And if you do falter, never give up the ship! Take the next meal as an opportunity to get back to basics and keep it real - with real food. Your body will thank you.

The best tip out there and one we follow each week is to MEAL PLAN.  Taking a few minutes each week and devising a meal plan, organizing, and prepping yourself for the week ahead is the #1 way to ensure you are eating real, whole, food all week long and not going for 'convenience' items, skipping meals, or diving into the chip bag starving because your fridge is empty.