Moving Towards Wellness

A fantastic and accessible place for fitness professionals to start is highlighting the impact that physical activity has on wellness. We can thereby tap into the market by sharing what we do now, but to a greater number of people seeking a wider array of benefits to their overall health.

Managing stress and mood

Our stress hormones including cortisol and norepinephrine decrease during exercise, and our happiness hormones including dopamine and serotonin increase. Creating a routine of consistent physical activity is therefore beneficial to our mental health; focus on frequency here more than duration or intensity.

Put into practice: promote and program some form of physical activity on most days of the week. These can include structured workouts with you as well as active living movement opportunities on other days such as outdoor walks. Help your clients see these as “mental health boosts”.

Mindfulness, sleep, and recovery

Clients of all ages are seeking opportunities to recover not only from traditional workouts but also from the stressors of their daily lives. We’re seeing “mental health gyms” open their doors as well as “mindfulness rooms” pop up in gyms, offices, and hotels.

Exercise improves sleep quality, helps you fall asleep faster, and regulates sleep patterns.

Put into practice: shift your skill set towards stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system to support rest, recovery, and healing. Share your tools for better breathing and learn about sleep hygiene.

Outdoors and travel

Hotels and destinations are growing their resort-style offers and are especially focused on health and wellness. In high-end travel, well-being is the key element in vacation planning for 61% of travelers.

Put into practice: Grow your network and opportunities by reaching out to hotels nearby with offers such as outdoor fitness and nature walks, classes or workshops in their gyms, special activities for wellness retreats, and more.

Family and social health

Wellness studios and social clubs have replaced some traditional gyms and focus on providing classes that build social health.

Being active as a family supports a positive body image as well as reinforces a sense of competence and self-control.

Put into practice: provide multi-generational special activities for your clients where the focus in less on working out, and more on spending quality time together as a family.

Workplace wellness

Organizations have turned many human resources departments into “people and wellness” as they strive to recruit and keep top talent. They allocate time and budget to the physical and mental health of their teams combining wellness and performance.

Put into practice: Create workshops within your current wheelhouse to offer workplaces that support professional and personal goals such as The Best Exercises to Kick Off Your Day or Stretches That Boost Your Energy.

Nourishing performance

Our industry tends to promote radical “all or nothing” nutrition and diets risking confusion and frustration. Clients are looking for ways to nourish the energy needed to perform well in their activities of daily living, as well as promote their healthspan.

Put into practice: Support accessible and reassuring nutrition practices by refraining from “never eat this again” tactics that tend to scare people. Learn about food that will nourish the energy they need based on their goals and coach them towards including more using positive reinforcement.

Gaining a clear understanding of your current assets, as well as the learning and skills needed to tap into the ever-growing wellness market will provide much greater financial sustainability and longevity to your career!