Welcome, you’ve made it to the Fully Forward Holistic blog. I’m excited to welcome you to the family. The goal is to pursue total progress through a holistic approach with these 4 pillars as the foundation.
1. Strength.
I am currently a one-on-one personal trainer and, trust me, I am all about hitting the gym to get stronger! However, when I say ‘strength’ I don’t only mean physical strength. Let’s be holistic here. Strength can (and should!) be pursued in more areas than one. Let me explain.
We’ll start with physical strength. If you want to be physically stronger, you must work towards a goal. This could be a performance goal, such as a pull up. It could be an aesthetic goal, such as growing a certain muscle. Regardless, you reach a physical strength goal in one way: progressive overload. It’s the perfect overarching theme for the topic of strength.
The idea of progressive overload is that over time, you must progress a little bit. Whether it is more reps, a higher weight, or just getting better at a movement… you try to make progress each time you practice. Your exercise to not look exactly the same as the last time. It will look very similar, but just a little bit better. Keep this in mind. Getting a little bit better, making a little bit of progress every step of the way…
Now let’s apply it to the other factors of holistic wellness: mind & spirit. To approach strength in holistically would be to not only consider growing stronger physically, but mentally and spiritually, too. That every day, even if it’s in just a small area of your life, you try to get better. It could be reading, your prayer time, your workouts, or your time spent with loved ones. Pursuing a strong *insert family, body, mental health, etc* is a part of life that you should always be after.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean that every single day will be increasingly better. We’ve both heard the expression ‘progress is not linear’ so let’s not forget about that. Understand that even the downs, when you don’t feel very strong, is a part of your progress in getting stronger. Many times in hindsight, you realize that a difficult situation made you stronger. Strength is to embrace your situation and take care of yourself wholly to just be even a little bit better tomorrow.
2. Nourishment.
Nourishment is one of my favorite words. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I’m sure you’ve noticed that the first section has a gym-like connotation, and you’re probably connecting this one with food. While this is true, let’s also approach it in a holistic fashion like we did strength.
To be nourished is to be full, satisfied, and not lacking. According to Google, things such as plants, need nourishment for ‘health, growth, and good condition.’ That’s true for us, too! The food you consume is a huge part of this, as well as the posts, shows, books, music and so on.
Nourishing the body in a holistic way is to look at every single thing that’s coming in. Make sure you analyze whether or not it is good for your growth, no matter the category. Consuming what is good for your body is just as important as consuming what is good for your mind & spirit, and vice versa.
3. Psychology.
As I mentioned earlier, I have a career as a personal trainer. After working with many different types of people, I’ve noticed one thing: the way you think determines the way you act.
Many people want to approach health & wellness in a cutthroat fashion, assuming you just have to suck it up. Just go to the gym and eat healthy, duh. Sure, this is true sometimes, but not all the time! Often times, it’s important to approach your thought patterns and the behaviors connected to them to have sustainable and successful lifestyle change.
It’s not simple to eat healthy if you feel limited in your kitchen, don’t have much experience with cooking, or have lots of questions about what really is healthy. It’s not simple to just go to the gym, and maybe sometimes you struggle with comparison and self-hate, or just don’t know the right road to fitness.
This is why I include psychology in my 4 pillars, it simply cannot be ignored. Many people aren’t answering the why’s and how’s of a healthy lifestyle. They’re just giving a plan to follow and stick to. There is a lot of myth-busting that needs to be done in the fitness industry. I want to talk about the feelings, misunderstandings, and behaviors behind a healthy and holistic lifestyle.
4. Nature.
Ahhh, fresh air and sunshine. Right? Kinda. Nature is the last pillar not only because it’s good to be around, but it’s good to use as well.
Here’s what I mean. Vitamin D supplements are taken everyday when the sun is right outside. Many have endless Vitamin C tablets when you can get fruit and veggies full of it. There are toxins in cleaning products when nature provides several options. These are just a few examples.
While I believe there’s a place for modern medicine (and supplements!), I also believe we as a culture have been neglecting natural remedies for too long. There are so many holistic practices available to help treat sickness.
Now the toxins. Ridding your body and environment of toxins is underrated, and can change your health tremendously. You don’t only find them in processed foods, but in cleaning supplies, cosmetics, and many other things you have laying around your house.
I want to use Fully Forward as a resource to help you use less toxins and more nature. Essential oils, baking soda, vinegar, and Castile soap are just a few things that have no toxins and can still make your home smell amazing. There are also many oils, natural butters & powders you can create cosmetic and hygiene products out of, such as a buttery lotion or a simple bronzer.
As you can see, the 4 pillars of Fully Forward are all a little different, but all lend each other a helping hand. A strong and nourished body, mind, and soul with a healthy environment is the perfect foundation of a holistic lifestyle, and I’ll be here to help you to move forward with it! Much love, and see ya next blog.