Our world does not promote being in tune with nature but years ago (and still in some places) you had to be in tune with nature to survive.
I’m all about physical health in my coaching and life. My exercise routine may seem radical to some but I hope it carries me well into old age (1 hour of rowing + 20-30 minutes of weights + sit-ups, etc. + 20-60 minutes on our Sole elliptical while I practice Swedish; walks with the dogs and clients who prefer to walk vs sit. I do all I can to be alive, living, and thriving!
WHolistic health…
Our health includes our bodies, our relationships (with self/others/nature), and perhaps all we cannot see as well as what we can see, touch, hold — I’ll use the word ‘spirit’ though I hold the term loosely if that offends you. Let me start with our bodies and exercise science. The idea that it’s all downhill after our 20s is just flat out wrong! It’s true that our cells are always either in growth or decay mode, what’s not true is that we have to let our cells settle into decay mode. Exercise science has shown that if you do 1 hour of cardio (simply hard enough to sweat) EVERY CELL in your body goes into growth instead of decay mode for the next 8-12 hours!! If there is a fountain of youth we know about in science it rises out of cardio. The sweet spot for cardio is an hour. So when I heard this research in my 40s I set about doing cardio for at least an hour a day. I had always done cardio, e.g. I would do 30-50 mile rides from Boulder to Estes Park or Ward when I was at CU, but I generally did this 3-5 days a week. However, during a stressful time in my 40s, I started doing cardio every day. I had no idea how it would boost my immune system. I had canker sores ever since I was a little kid. They would come in with a vengeance and could last for weeks, the pain often left me unable to enjoy eating, but after I started doing cardio every day they went away. Now if I don’t get enough sleep or I’m really stressed, they disappear within 24 hours. EXERCISE HELPS YOUR BODY HEAL ITSELF! I work with people all the time who struggle to build a consistent exercise routine into their lives.
The food we eat matters. If you have bloating, gas, etc. try an elimination diet and see what you discover for your own health (I did and it changed my life), or talk to doctors who have a broader frame than just traditional western medicine if you haven’t found any answers for what’s plaguing you. There’s a broad world of knowledge out there.
Another category in life that matters is ‘spirituality.’ I love my part-time work as a hospice Chaplain because I get to work with people who have all kinds of different spiritual frameworks. Some don’t consider themselves spiritual, but I think if you believe in promoting love and connection you are spiritual. Some of the most spiritual people I know want nothing to do with any type of religion.
Focusing on the mind/body connection…
Thinking about our health at every level is a big deal. Our brain is part of our body and we need to take care of our entire self. Dr Dan Siegel has a wonderful teaching concept he uses called the Mind Platter, where he describes how to ‘optimize (our) brain matter and create well-being.’ He summarizes health in 7 subcategories: Focus time (goal oriented brain usage strengthening and building connections in our brain — think learning); Play time (the joy of new experiences — think travel, adventures, new activities, etc); Connecting time (relational time; Siegel emphasizes people but I personally love the more Native American framework that speaks of both 2 and 4 legged people, i.e. animals are just as important as is all of nature); I would also make sure to add touch time into this, there’s so much research around the power of touch; Physical time (moving our bodies and kicking in our cellular growth mode!); Time In (focusing on what’s happening in our brains, i.e. mindfulness of our internal world, physical sensations, etc.); Down time (non-focused, relaxation that allows us to recover); Sleep time (rests our brains/bodies, consolidates our learning, aids recovery, etc).
It all matters… we can’t neglect aspects of our humanity if we want to live and age well. So learn to love yourself in a wholistic manner!