Holistic Health

Look after both your body and your mind with a holistic health approach. As a complement to your regular fitness training, a holistic health regime can bring a whole host of additional benefits. Holistic health means not only physical but also mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. We are becoming increasingly aware of the need to care for our mental and emotional selves alongside our physical bodies in the face of the many stresses and strains of the modern world.

If you have ever practised yoga or tai chi, you will already be familiar with the principles of attending to your body, mind and spirit as one. These forms of exercise not only develop your cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility, they also focus on countering stress and encouraging relaxation as a core aim. Don’t be put off by any hippie associations you may have with these schools of exercise; they’re well worth a try, not least because they will offer you variety in your fitness programme, and challenge your strength and stamina in different ways to your regular weight training or cardiovascular workout.

Here are some of the areas you can find out more about here:

• Balance training
• Meditation
• Neuro-Linguistic Programming and its benefits
• Preventing stress
• Sleep and fitness
• The principles of Yin and Yang
• Understanding your Chi

Consider developing an understanding of these schools of thought about integrating physical and mental fitness. The benefits to your fitness programme could be considerable, as you learn to avoid overtraining, and also develop a resistance to stress related illness. They could help you achieve balance in your life, not only in terms of managing your commitment to exercise alongside the demands of your daily routine, but also in a much deeper sense.