HOLISTIC FITNESS

RALEIGH RESIDENT VAN FLETCHER, AN AGENT WITH ALLEN TATE REALTORS AND A COMPETITVE TRIATHLETE, TAKES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO FITNESS DURING A FAMILY WORKOUT WITH HIS DAUGHTER SARAH.

As the new year begins, many look for a fresh start and new vision of what health and wellness means. Instead of making mere resolutions that may fade by February, consider your health from a holistic point of view. Why not take an approach that will engage your mind and body at the same time?

“I think what’s maybe missing from when you do think about health and wellness is that we think about them separately,” says Brit Guerin, licensed mental health counselor, fitness professional and owner of Current Wellness, which hosts weekly group fitness classes and office space for wellness professionals in downtown Raleigh. “We can’t have physical health without our mental health, and we can’t have mental health without our physical health. You can’t separate the two.”

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to mind-body fitness. “It’s going to be different for everybody, but the main thing I tell my folks is to start where you are,” says Hailee Rich, who is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as an exercise physiologist and works as supervisor of fitness and wellness for WakeMed Healthworks in Raleigh and Cary. “You should exercise because it feels good, and [because] it’s a stress reliever and it connects you with your body.”

Rich recommends making “SMART” goals, which she says stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Instead of saying generically, “I want to exercise more,” set a SMART goal such as going on a 30-minute walk three times a week at a moderate intensity level. These goals can be short- or long-term, and you can adjust them as you go.

Rich—who works with clients of all ages and ability levels, including post-rehab, post-stroke and post-traumatic brain injury patients—also advises staying present and focused on what you are doing to get the most out of it. “It’s so easy to become distracted by your phone when you’re exercising. I always like to tell people to put their phones down and ignore it,” she says. “If you’re listening to music, silence notifications. Everything else can wait. That’s your time—making it a priority is essential. If you don’t make it a priority, you’re not going to get the full benefit of it.”

FITNESS GOALS CAN BE SHORT- OR LONG-TERM. ADJUST THEM AS YOU GO.

FOCUS ON CROSS-CRAWL MOVEMENT—SUCH AS WALKING, JOGGING OR RUNNING—TO ENGAGE YOUR BRAIN WHILE MOVING YOUR BODY.

“Movement is the biggest stimulator of the brain,” says Darcy D. Dane, D.C., a chiropractic neurologist who owns Carolina Brain Center in North

Raleigh and has been credentialed as a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board. “In order to keep your brain healthy, we need to have movement.”

She suggests focusing on crosscrawl movement to engage your brain while moving your body. Common examples are walking, jogging, running and using an elliptical trainer—these activities all require moving your left arm with your right leg and vice versa. But it doesn’t have to stop there. Rock climbing, taekwondo, jumping on a trampoline or even doing a ninja warrior course are other fun ways to stay active.

When intentionally trying to exercise your brain, you may wonder about cognitive tasks such as crossword puzzles or apps that get you thinking. While these are definitely worthwhile, Dane says the physical component of exercise is still necessary. For example, learning a new language or musical instrument exercises your mind and body since it involves motor components by moving your mouth and hands in a

new way.

WORKING OUT WITH BATTLE ROPES ENGAGES YOUR BRAIN WHILE BUILDING MUSCLE.

TAKE A MINDFUL STRETCH BREAK BY DOING LUNGES WHILE INCORPORATING INTENTIONAL BREATHING.

When deciding on what type of physical exercise works best for you, start by considering your needs and values. What you need one day may not always be what you need the next day, so variety is key. For some, yoga offers a nice range of styles and poses to keep things interesting.

“There are so many varieties of yoga that there’s literally a type for everybody,” Rich says. In addition to yoga, she says tai chi and Pilates emphasize breathing and being connected between your mind and your body. Dane agrees that yoga is good for promoting balance, but also advocates for weightlifting as a good way to build strength in your bones and muscles.

If your goal is to reduce anxiety, Guerin suggests restorative yoga, which involves slower, more supportive movement and gives your mind permission to relax. You can also fight feelings of depression, she says, by moving your body to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which activates your fight-or-flight response and gives you more energy and motivation.

When you only have five minutes, take a mindful stretch break while incorporating intentional breathing. Guerin says you can accomplish this by moving your head from side to side, twisting your arms, stretching your hamstrings or doing lunges, all while noticing how the movement affects your body. “Moving your body in a gentle way can really help relieve stress and help regulate your nervous system,” she says, adding that it will help you concentrate better, focus better and feel more present.

THE KEY IS TO FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY DOING THAT ENCOURAGES YOUR BODY TO MOVE MINDFULLY, AND WITH INTENTION.

Target graphic by Exdez/Getty Images. Brain graphic by Studiostockart/Getty Images. Body graphic by Bubaone/Getty Images. Heart by Fairywong/Getty Images. EXERCISE FROM A PLACE OF JOY.

While there are many physical and mental activities you can engage in to improve your health, the key is to find something you enjoy doing in order to move your body mindfully, and with intention. Regardless of what exercise you choose, be sure to do it with the right mindset. “I think it’s less about what activity you can do, but how you are approaching it,” Guerin says. “Any movement is good movement if you’re doing it from a place of joy and wanting to move your body because it feels good.”

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to mind-body fitness. “It’s going to be different for everybody, but the main thing I tell my folks is to start where you are,” says Hailee Rich, who is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as an exercise physiologist and works as supervisor of fitness and wellness for WakeMed Healthworks in Raleigh and Cary. “You should exercise because it feels good, and [because] it’s a stress reliever and it connects you with your body.” Rich recommends making “SMART” goals, which she says stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Instead of saying generically, “I want to exercise more,” set a SMART goal such as going on a 30-minute walk three times a week at a moderate intensity level. These goals can be short- or long-term, and you can adjust them as you go. Rich—who works with clients of all ages and ability levels, including post-rehab, post-stroke and post-traumatic brain injury patients—also advises staying present and focused on what you are doing to get the most out of it. “It’s so easy to become distracted by your phone when you’re exercising. I always like to tell people to put their phones down and ignore it,” she says. “If you’re listening to music, silence notifications. Everything else can wait. That’s your time—making it a priority is essential. If you don’t make it a priority, you’re not going to get the full benefit of it.”