Foundational Health...a definition
- Coach Nick
- Mar 13, 2013
- 2 min read
Uh oh. I think I did it again...
In looking around the fitness industry as I know it and trying to come up with comparisons/definitions what I offer....I've come up lacking.
As a result I've been forced to create another new term; FOUNDATIONAL HEALTH.
What is Foundational Health you ask?
To put it simply, it's the best way to describe my philosophy of fitness and the value that I best deliver to my clients.
Let me offer a definition;
"Foundational Health - is an approach to fitness training that builds stronger bodies by focusing on re-building a stronger nutritional, hormonal, postural, and neuromuscular foundation."
At the core of the concept is the shift of emphasis from the external image or aesthetics to developing a quality foundation.
With Foundational Health, we look at your food habits, your posture, your sleep patterns, your stress levels, and most importantly your mental state BEFORE we even begin to talk about what exercises to do!
FOOD HABITS: What are you eating? Is it appropriate? Is there enough variety? What about your nutrient timing? Nutrient Density? Coenzyme absorption?
POSTURE HABITS: What does your daily movement look like? Are there muscular imbalances that make you prone to injury? Are there previous injuries? Orthopedic abnormalities? Scar-tissue?
SLEEP PATTERNS: How much sleep do you average? Is it quality sleep? What is your sleep environment? Waking energy levels? First/Last meals?
STRESS HABITS: How stressed are you? How do you handle stress? Caffeine consumption? Coping Mechanisms? Relaxation Techniques?
MENTAL STATE: Are you ready to commit to a lifestyle change? How deep is the desire? Is there a support system?
ALL before we even discuss exercising!!
In school, at the University of Florida's renowned College of Health & Human Performance, I learned that there is an important, often misunderstood, definition of what it means to be "healthy". HEALTH is often seen/defined as the "absence of disease, illness, or injury". In fact, being truly healthy is more about optimizing your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual states than it is just about NOT being sick.
When priorities are realigned to focus on the entire picture, not only does the client feel better about the process, absolutely astounding changes are achievable!
What do I mean by astounding? A few of the changes noticed by clients in the past include;
- Brighter Eyes
- Smoother Skin
- Pain-free Movement
- Thicker Hair
- More Energy
- Decrease Body Fat
- Increased Muscle Tone
- Faster Reflexes
- Sharper mental Acuity
- Better Balance
- Better quality sleep
- Elimination of Prescription Medications
Overall, a drastically improved quality of life!
There is no doubt in my mind that a fitness program, like mine, that focuses on rebuilding health in ALL areas is far superior to one that just focuses on the # on the scale. Foundational Health is the key to longevity & vitality!
Commenti