Ways To Stay Healthy And Fit

The cost of wellness clicks up the moment you outsource responsibility for your own health. But if you’re prepared to be proactive, wellness is still well within reach.

- Catharine Nicol

Meditation and yoga, organic veggies, superfoods and supplements, skincare, facials and massages, gym memberships, energy healing, retreats overseas…Every day more health trends, trips, accessories, podcasts and related media within the US$4.2 trillion global wellness industry put pressure on us to invest in new ways to stay healthy, young and happy.

But what is the alternative? In 2017 America’s medical costs reached US$3.5 trillion, that’s US$10,224 per capita, while the average among comparable nations is US$5,280. Suddenly a bit of preventative spending doesn’t look so bad. “Nurturing yourself is not selfish – it’s essential to your survival and your well-being,” says life coach Renée Peterson Trudeau.

MORNING MINDFULNESS

First thing in the morning, do you automatically reach for your phone? Ignore Facebook, instead open MindBliss, Headspace or Calm. “Meditation is a vital way to purify and quiet the mind, thus rejuvenating the body,” says Deepak Chopra. Gently morph from sleep to awake via 10 to 15 minutes of free guided meditation and mindfulness.

Hankering for a yoga class but no studio membership? Try online yoga class Fiji McAlpine’s Rise & Shine on free website www.doyogawithme.com for 35 minutes of stretching, and a bit of sweating to start your day.

Bring in breathing exercises via Iceman Wim Hoff’s free app The Wim Hoff Method, Breathe+ or Breathe Deep, and if you need a prompt to remind yourself to practise gratitude there’s Gratitude! and Live Happy. Apps, websites, YouTube and podcasts – a world of free wellness just a Wi-Fi connection and click away.

FITNESS