Wellness before Fitness? Yes.
It’s interesting, isn’t it? What we learn as we move through life and all of the related experiences that come along with our various roles. This week I have been reflecting on the terms “fitness” and “wellness”, as these are often interchanged, implying that they mean the same thing. They don’t. This can happen in the same way that “fitness professional” and “wellness coach” are often interchanged. These are also not the same thing. In my role as a fitness pro, I teach classes and provide personal training and fitness based education. My role as a wellness coach, is much broader, AND more specific.
Let’s look deeper at the first terms mentioned. Fitness, often covers components such as cardio vascular fitness, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, body composition etc. While wellness is, very broad, spanning many areas from physical, emotional and financial just to name a few. And, without wellness, the achievement of fitness goals can be slowed.
I invite you to consider this: many people wish to improve their fitness level, without first addressing their overall wellness. Meaning that they are implementing a fitness workout program, but haven’t considered that where they sit with their emotional wellness sees them doubting their ability to be successful in a new task. The result? A limiting belief around their ability can sabotage their workout attempts. If someone has a belief that they can’t do it, they will find confirmation of their belief when, let’s say, they have a work emergency and happen to miss their workout. This limiting belief will often rear it’s ugly head here and self-talk appears that sounds like: “See, I knew I would fail. Why bother?” That apparent confirmation reinforces their doubt. And the cycle continues. This is often why people try new workout programs and aren’t successful. They haven’t looked beyond the physical to uncover what other things might be holding them back.
In the coaching framework I use, obtained in my training through the Certified Coaches Federation, I often begin coaching relationships with a client by using a tool called the Wellness Wheel. Now in all of my years as a fitness professional, I employed many different wellness wheel type tools, but the difference now as a Wellness Coach, is that we assess overall wellness in the areas of financial, emotional, physical, professional, spiritual and in relationships. Clients are invited to reflect on and assess all of these areas, and then decide where they wish to go. And, it is often the case that at the beginning of our conversation, they are focused on the physical, but upon reflection it is realized that other areas need attending to as well for optimum success.
So, I encourage you to have a look at these areas in your life: financial, emotional, physical, professional, spiritual and in relationships, and rate them on a scale of 1-10 (1 being lowest and 10 most successful). What did you find? What area(s) are the lowest and perhaps need support and change? In what areas are you feeling most successful?
Set some goals in the areas that you rated the lowest. And as you move forward successfully accomplishing your wellness goals, you’ll be amazed how that spills over to other areas as well.
If you’re feeling stuck or unsure, please do reach out. I would love that chat about strategies to unleash all the awesome that is already inside of you!
Have a healthy, movement filled day!
Deanna