In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining good physical health and fitness has become a top priority of many people. What comes to mind when you hear healthy or fit? Most of the time it is the image of an actor or model on giant billboards or advertisements. We say this because they have the stereotyped ideal body image.  But this may not be healthy or effective for everyone. It may even be detrimental to others. It is, therefore, necessary to reimagine and relearn what a healthy person looks like.

More and more people are enrolling in their nearest gyms, yoga classes, pilates, etc with the hopes of improving their physical fitness. It’s also a way for many to relieve the stresses of their offices and personal lives. For this very reason, working people are moving to the gym. Often most of their work is not suitable for them. Because of this their fitness routine can feel mundane after some time. And it is common for many people to drop out after a couple of months. Because they no longer find it satisfactory.

What is holistic fitness?

Traditional exercises and fitness routines are losing popularity. Because they are not tailor-made for any person. It is the same for all. There might be small differences, but by and large, weight training, bodyweight training, cardio exercises, etc. are common for all. 

Holistic fitness is a way to change that. And it is gaining popularity fast. Its focus is not any specific area like muscle mass building or meditation. But rather focuses on improving every aspect of a person’s health. In holistic fitness, mental and physical aspects have equal importance. It aims to create a synergy between the physical body and the mind. Holistic fitness methods look to create a more comprehensive way to relieve stress, maintain physical health and have a balanced diet. 

A gym is not an integral factor of holistic fitness. Any person which radiates calmness and brings peace to the individual can be used. Its focus is not on high-intensity workouts or testing the endurance of a person. Neither is it for getting chiseled abs or a slimmer waist. Its aim is to create a balance between mind and body.  Music therapy, meditation, going for a walk, sauna therapy can be for this purpose. This approach gives emphasis on a person’s needs and requirements. It aims to repair your body and re-energize it, both mentally and physically. The conscious integration of a healthy body, mind, and soul is proper fitness.

Essential components of holistic fitness

A holistic fitness plan must include the following features. It is to ensure the proper health of all aspects of our body like physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual:

• A workout plan should contain enough time for the body to rest and re-energize. Otherwise, the tasks will become tiring and a burden for the individual.

• It  includes all aspects of mental, physical, and emotional health. This gives equal importance  to all .
• Every individual should have their own personalized workout routine which best suits the needs of that person.
• Reading, meditation and communication should be encouraged
• It encourages a healthy diet. Also, precedence is for organic food instead of processed ones.
• The exterior appearance of the body, as well as a healthy interior should be given proper importance. 

All these are essential components of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, a holistic fitness plan should make sure that all these are included in it. Unlike traditional exercises, where more focus is given on physical and outer aspects of the human body, holistic fitness aims to incorporate all aspects of human health. 

Goal of holistic fitness

With umpteen workout and nutrition plans available, what makes it stand apart from the rest? Simple, it is its connection to our everyday life. The goal of holistic fitness is to encompass all aspects of our lifestyle and improve it. It encourages us to remove unhealthy habits from our lifestyle and replace them with things that raise our morale. 

After a few months, a traditional workout plan becomes something that “we must do” instead of something that “we want to do”. Holistic fitness aims to fix this problem. Its goal is to raise the overall health of the individual by affecting every aspect of their lifestyle. working the treadmill or lifting weights every day won’t help to achieve this. Although it may work for some people, it may not be enough for many. It takes something more than traditional exercises to find a solution to this problem. Holistic fitness does just that.

By making use of peaceful environments, a healthy diet, and subtle changes in lifestyle and interesting activities which a person loves, improves the overall well-being of the person. The repetitive nature of traditional exercises is avoided in holistic fitness methods. Equal focus is given to training the body and giving it the rest it deserves. Instead, its focus is to create a vibrant, colorful, and positive way to achieve a healthy mind and body. This is the goal of holistic fitness.

Future of healthy living

We are currently living in a world with the best healthcare facilities in history. Yet, the people today are by no means the healthiest. Overconsumption, alcoholism, drug abuse, bad diet, indolence, and many other evils have greatly damaged the health of this generation. Obesity and mental health problems are at an all-time high. There have been many attempts to curb this bad lifestyle. But most were in vain. Many exercises and diet plans seem forced and it’s hard for a person to maintain it as a habit. So far, holistic fitness methods have proven to be really successful in this regard.

By paying attention to every human need, it creates a better balance in a person’s lifestyle. It does not have a strict regimen or a particular place to be. It is rather a way of life. A way to improve one’s health is by ensuring a balanced diet, maintaining emotional satisfaction, and promoting spiritual harmony. In this day and age, it is necessary to have good physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Holistic fitness is the way forward. For more information consider consulting a dietician or join fitness programs such as FFounders.

-Amjad Ali E