things I had to learn the hard way about health and wellness

Hi friends! How’s the week going? I hope that you’re having an amazing week. It’s been wild around here as usual, working during the day and chasing the kids around in the afternoons and evenings. I feel like summer was so peaceful and that the school year is pure chaos. I’m still trying to figure out how to balance everything, especially since the kids are busy with their own activities + boatloads of homework.

For today’s post, I wanted to chat a little bit about my personal wellness and health journey and some of the things I had to learn the hard way. If you’re an OG blog reader (Hiiiii! Thank you for being here for so long!) you’ve had a front-row seat to how things have changed around time. You’ve seen the cardio queen days, the raw food days, the pregnancies, the good, the bad, the weird, and everything in between. 🙂

It’s funny because as a health and wellness professional, it’s easy to assume that we have it together most of the time and that we follow our own advice. The reality is that many of us are trying out different things, failing, and learning along the way. Even the things you *know* (like the value of sleep, stress management, and eating a dang vegetable) can still be challenging for those of us who work in this industry.

Here are some of the things that I had to learn the hard way.

Things I learned the hard way about health and wellness:

– Everything isn’t for everyone. As someone who has tried pretty much all the things (besides swim-related activities because I’m a float on a raft and doggy paddle kinda girl), I’ve learned that my body doesn’t like every type of exercise class or format. Since I’m still on my healing journey and trying to keep inflammation down, I know I still can’t do a ton of sprinting or HIIT right now, and that’s ok. Barre and yoga feel a million times better to me than box jumps and burpees, and I don’t feel like I have to nap afterwards.

The same goes for nutrition and supplements. Some people do really well on a high fat diet, while others don’t. Some people need more B vitamins and protein, and less carbs, while others need higher carbs and don’t digest protein as well.

Probiotics can be amazing tools, but if you have gut bacterial overgrowth, it can actually make it worse.

Cold therapy can tip over an already-full stress bucket.

It goes on and on.. It’s really about figuring out what works well for YOU 🙂

– Good shoes make such a huge difference! I think back to my first long distance runs wearing kids’ sized Nikes lol. I’m glad I’ve stepped up my shoe game!

I’ve tried out so many shoes and my #1 fave right now are Vivobarefoots. (<— that link gets you 20% off) I have a whole post coming about barefoot sneakers, but I love that they enable you to use more muscles in your feet, grip the floor, enable your toes to spread fully, and they’re super lightweight for travel.

– Workout attire doesn’t matter so much, but it can be fun for motivation. I used to spend SO much on workout clothes, but now, I only get dressed when I take a studio class. If I’m at home, I’m usually barefoot and in my pajamas. Sculpt Society is my favorite pajama workout.

– Lots of raw foods can be hard to digest. When you don’t eat a ton of fiber, it can be tricky on the digestive system to add in a lot of salads and raw veggies. Steaming, baking, sauteeing, and roasting the veggies makes them easier to digest.

– It’s worth skipping the evening scroll and down time to sleep. After a long day, I used to feel like I *earned it* to stay up late, sipping wine, watching TV, or scrolling on my phone. I had major fatigue for years. Now that I’ve become super protective about my sleep, I’m a happier and more energized person.

– Just pick up the weights. I used to be passionate about strength training, but now it’s something I force myself to do at least 2-3 times a week. I think I just got so burned out by constantly programming for others, and the last thing I wanted to do was program for myself. When I lift heavy weights, it’s usually at an F45 strength day.

As a woman, strength training is so important. When I neglected strength training and overdid it on the cardio, I was unhappy with my body composition. From a vanity standpoint, it makes a huge difference, and from a longevity perspective, it’s invaluable.

– Alcohol doesn’t like me. I love some wine or a margarita, and will still enjoy one here and there, but for the most part, it makes me look puffy, I sleep horrible, and it affects my blood sugar levels for the entire next day. It has to be worth it to me. Here’s more about how I reduced my wine intake over time.

– Consistency beats intensity, any day. When I was a young spring chicken, I was all about quantity and intensity. More hours, more sweat, more classes. It’s no wonder I was hangry and moody a lot of the time. I also used to get injured quite a bit from overtraining. Now, exercise is a box that I check each day. It’s not as intense as it used to be, but I’m super consistent with moving my body in a way that feels good. Exercise used to feel like punishment; it now feels like joy.

What would you add to the list, friends? Anything you had to learn the hard way in your health and wellness journey?

I’m looking forward to reading your experiences in the comments section!

Have a wonderufl day and I’ll see ya soon.

xoxo

Gina