4 Best Practices To Enhance Your Wellness Lifestyle

Wellness is the new "diet." It’s the new buzzword attracting health gurus and enthusiasts by the masses. However, most of us are still left confused, distracted, and frankly, a little uninspired by what we’ve come to discover. Anyone can claim that they are incorporating wellness. We can all sprinkle the word around like a Houston afternoon rain shower but, it does not mean any of us truly know what wellness is, let alone how to embody it throughout our day-to-day.

As defined by Webster’s dictionary (yes, we are going there), wellness means “the state of being in good physical and mental health.” This definition is solid. It grasps the foundational concept and motive behind wellness. However, it also lacks the holistic perspective wellness intrinsically encourages. Wellness does not stop with physical and mental health. It embodies the emotional and energetic bodies for balanced processing on every level. Wellness promotes reduced anxiety and stress levels as well as sustained energy output – which cannot occur by solely focusing on the physical and mental bodies.
 
Another key characteristic of wellness that is often bypassed is in its approach. Similar to the diet-fad, wellness is purposeful. It is intentional and often requires focus, persistence, and commitment. However, unlike the diet craze, wellness is a way of life. It is not something we can try on and then put back on the rack. When we commit to taking care of our whole being, we cannot reverse the hypothetically-tattooed agreement. Of course, there will be days where embodying well-rounded wellness is more challenging and we make decisions counterintuitive to the definition but, this does not mean we are not engaging in wellness.

Wellness is not just a practice; it is a state of mind.

This concept is imperative to gain clarity around because we can only truly begin to implement wellness best practices if we first understand what wellness means. Although it seems straightforward, it definitely epitomizes one of our favorite clichés: easier said than done.

Now, once this wellness concept is embraced, we, as health advocates, can truly begin to refine our wellness routines. Which guides us straight to this article’s secondary intention: 

​What are some meaningful and practical ways to enhance your wellness lifestyle?

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1- Sleep 
This one is a no brainer. But, often, we fail to remember how crucial a full night’s rest is for optimal functioning. Sleep plays a fundamental and predominant role in the resiliency and recovery of our daily wear and tear. Countless sleep studies have pointed towards massive benefits and extreme consequences for those with optimal and minimal sleep cycles. After months of global, in-depth research, The National Sleep Foundation found that for adults between 18-64 years of age seven to nine hours of sleep is the most effective to maximize health and longevity.

​2- Water
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention alongside the Mayo Clinic have committed a plethora of resources to define the importance of liquid consumption. Liquid consumption varies between men and women however, it is required for your body to maintain its daily processes. Some of which include: maintaining a consistent, average body temperature, lubricating and cushioning your joints, protecting your spine and other various tissues, and helping you eliminate waste through urine, sweat, and excretion. These numbers remain variable but, as a point of reference, men over the age of 19 should consider consuming close to 13 cups of water a day while women over the age of 19 should consider closer to 9 cups. 

​3- Nutrition 
This is one is relentlessly up for debate. What we eat defines what kind of energy we produce. So, from this perspective, “healthier” alternatives are essential for prime wellness. That being said, every body is different. What provides one individual with substantial and sustained energy may be destructive or lethal for another. Our approach to nutrition is to be mindful of your body’s cues and listen to what it is asking for. The human body is designed to signal you when a resource is deficient and when it’s optimal limit has been reached. So, regarding nutrition, optimal wellness is initiated when we begin to build awareness and trust with our bodies. 

4- Mindful Movement
Similar to nutrition, movement and exercise are a rather taboo topic. There are a lot of suggestions and advertisements striving to convince consumers that there’s more work to be done and products to purchase. Also copying nutrition, the quantity and duration of movement required for each individual varies per person so, it’s imperative to develop a mindful relationship to your body. At Urban Fit Yoga, we believe so powerfully in our Houston hot yoga classes and full-body workouts because they integrate this concept of combining awareness and movement. Without it, the results can be severely damaging to our bodies.

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​Wellness is a practice and a process. It takes frequent adjustments and refinement to find what works best for you, your schedule, and your body. This does not mean wellness is unreachable but rather the opposite. Wellness is a lifelong road of discovery and growth.
 
And when you’re ready to embark on this path, Urban Fit Yoga will be waiting to support you every step of the way. Whether it’s through our workshops, massages, or any of our Houston yoga classes, Urban Fit Yoga’s mission is to help you reach your highest potential. You can begin a life of true wellness in any moment. All this journey requires is a “yes” to yourself and taking action!

Click here to begin enhancing your wellness lifestyle and live the life you want.