Part 4 of the 6 Dimensions of Wellness: Physical

Well this one’s pretty much my bread and butter, right?!

As a coach - this is the dimension I’m familiar with the MOST. You could say we’re good pals. And physical wellness is what most people think of when we even use the term “wellness”. But physical wellness is NOT just “being fit” or “working out”. There’s a lot of other aspects to it that we can walk through. So put on your walkin’ shoes, and join me on this journey, won’t you?

Physical wellness really encapsulates (BIG WORD ALERT) almost everything I try to do as a coach. I want my athletes to be well balanced. And like I said - there’s more than one aspect to work on when it comes to “physical wellness”. Yes, I’m a performance and fitness coach, but I ALSO coach on nutritional habits, sports psychology, creating habit-forming skills, and any other aspects of your life that may need some direction. Each part of your physical wellness bleeds over to the other - it’s all connected.

So here’s what physical wellness includes (or “encapsulates” - I really like that word):

Eating well
Exercising regularly
Sleeping
Avoiding harmful habits
Making responsible decisions (and developing GOOD habits)

Making sure you’re doing all of the above will increase your energy, endurance and even your self-esteem. And who doesn’t want to feel a little better about themselves?

Here’s just a few of the ways you can start your journey to physical wellness**

**While I do a short breakdown of each aspect below - expect to see most of my blogs be a deep dive into each one of these categories at one point or another. So STAY TUNED.

Exercise
- MOVE YOUR BODY - and try to move it every day.
- As a rider? Probably not that hard to do. In quarantine? Perhaps slightly harder.
- There are so many ways to fit this in - even aside from a structured training regime, weight training program or even going to the gym (which are all good too)
- You can walk, jog, dance, skip, jump rope, play with your kids/nieces/nephews/friend’s kids, deep clean your house, ride bikes, play a sport - ANY sport, take a fitness class, do yard work…you get the idea.
- Exercise can take MANY different forms, it just needs to get you moving, increase your heart rate a bit and maybe even work up a sweat!
- If you ride professionally and compete regularly - I highly recommend structure and making sure you have goals in mind when you exercise. Don’t know where to start? Check out my 5 Do’s and Don’ts for Selecting Programs.
Nutrition
- This is just as important as exercising - “you are what you eat” is true!
- I’ve covered a lot about this in other blogs (What Riders should Know about Nutrition, What to Eat at a Horse Show and How to Meal Prep) and I will continue to blog about it because it’s so important. Next on the list - “What should I eat?!” (Coming soon to a blog near you)
Sleep
- Another one that’s not to be taken lightly - it’s crucial to your recovery as an athlete and, well, just as a human.
- Recommendations vary from person to person, but most adults need between 7 and 9 hours per night. Teens need even more than that.
- Sound impossible and you’re not even close? Take baby steps - start with going to bed 15 minutes earlier than you do today. Every little bit counts!
- I haven’t blogged on this topic yet, but keep an eye out.
Regular check-ups at the doctor, dentist, ect.
- Every specialty has their recommended amount of visits a year (once a year for your primary care doctor, twice a year for cleanings at the dentist, ect.)
- You can even use apps to help you remember where and when to go! There’s one called “Doctors Appointment Reminder” for iPhones and one called “Your Health Record” for Android devices.
Things to avoid: More than a couple drinks a day, excessive stress (easier said than done) and smoking because….we’re not living in an episode of Mad Men.