Prioritizing Four Pillars of Health

In my 22+ years of experience as a fitness and nutrition professional, I have seen many clients struggle with priorities. This week, during a Zoom meeting with a virtual nutrition client, we discussed the four pillars of health and how important the order of priority is. Are you wondering how to prioritize your health each day?

1. Sleep. As a personal trainer, you may have expected that I would recommend fitness as your number one priority. However, I feel that this is the last item on the priority list. That doesn’t make it unimportant, but if you have to choose one area of your life to focus on first, I recommend sleep. The CDC recommends that adults get 7 or more hours of sleep each night.
   
   PRO TIPS: I have seen improvement in the quality of my sleep by eliminating caffeine after 1:00 p.m. daily. I am a very light sleeper, so I purchased this sound machine and I use earplugs every single night. I get the best results when I have a consistent bedtime and I eliminate all sources of light in my bedroom.

2. Hydration. Water helps your body with its natural detoxification process, improves digestion, skin, and energy. Have a headache? Drink a glass of water. Feeling sluggish? Drink a glass of water. Feeling constipated? Drink a glass of water. If you are consistently focused on hydrating throughout your day, you will experience a number of positive benefits.
   
   PRO TIPS: I keep a large glass of water on my nightstand. I’m typically up around 3:00 a.m. to go to the bathroom, so I drink half of my glass water when I return to bed and the other half when I wake up. I bring a full cup of water with me when I leave the house, even if I’m only driving 10 minutes away. I also keep an insulated bottle of water in my car for easy refills. I have a variety of water bottles and insulated cups that I enjoy drinking from. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to a reusable water bottle. I’ve included links to some of my favorite bottles and cups below.

   • Running, walking, or hiking - 22 ounce easy-to-hold water bottle with hand grip.

   • Biking (indoors or out) - 24 ounce insulated water bottle fits in water bottle holder without leaking.

   • Home or Car - 24 ounce insulated stainless steel tumbler with lid fits in most car cup holders.

3. Nutrition. Most people eat three meals and enjoy a snack or two each day. When you look at overall health & wellness and reducing our exposure to toxins, consider what we are exposed to each day; our home and work environment, the quality of the air we are breathing, what products we are putting on our skin, the cleaning products we use, and much more. The single greatest category that we have control over is the foods that we consume.

   PRO TIPS: I recommend choosing organic produce when possible. There are a few conventional foods that I choose to purchase including bananas, avocados, and pineapple. You can learn more about the dirty dozen and clean fifteen on the Environmental Working Groups website.

4. Fitness. It may surprise you to see that I have put fitness as the last priority on this list. That doesn’t mean that it should not be a daily priority. If you’re not training for any type of race or event, work to move your body daily with a 10K step goal, incorporate 20 minutes of interval training and 20 minutes or more of strength training two to three times a week, plus daily stretches to optimal health.

   PRO TIPS: Don’t dwell on where you used to be. Focus instead on where you’re at now and how you can fit movement into your life. Put a plan down in writing and review it daily. And most importantly, get an accountability partner. So much of your success is about who you surround yourself with.

I hope these tips help you with your priorities. If you’d like support with your health & wellness goals, click here to schedule a complimentary consultation.