In life, we’re often faced with obstacles along the way in our health and wellness journeys. Whether it’s a nagging health issue, excess weight that won’t seem to budge, or even a bad habit that’s proving difficult to kick, it’s easy to want to fall back on the blame game with our past and upbringing.

Perhaps you don’t come from a sporty or athletic family and were never taught the importance of daily exercise. Maybe you grew up solely eating highly processed foods (or on the other hand, grew up with an “almond mom” who ridiculed your body and shamed your food choices).  Some grew up with families for whom smoking and drinking in excess were just a part of regular daily life. And for many of us who experienced one or more of these characteristics in our upbringings, it’s possible that we’re now dealing with aging parents and relatives who are struggling with obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, mobility issues, and other challenges.

It can feel pretty dire. Like the writing’s on the wall. We all become our parents eventually, no?

This mindset can wreak havoc with our daily choices and long term goals. As in, if we’re a product of our upbringing, then nothing we do can change the inevitable.

Well, not only is that a depressing mindset, but it also doesn’t have to be true.  Yes, of course some health issues are hereditary, and some may be exacerbated by poor health choices made for us in our childhoods. But that doesn’t mean that we can simply stop putting in the effort to change course.

Studies show that it IS possible to reverse years of an unhealthy lifestyle and more or less “hit the reset button” with our habits and in our health. We don’t have to be slaves to poor generational health habits that continue to affect the daily decisions we make today. Many complications and health risks experienced from poor food choices, physical inactivity and too much stress can be quickly and effectively improved by changes in lifestyle habits.

Among other things, positive thinking, relaxation, a healthy diet, regular exercise, good sleep and social support can all promote health and wellbeing when combined in a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, and can even help reverse a history of less than ideal health habits.

• Positive thinking: If we simply buy into the notion that our past defines us, and we have no control over the inevitability of health issues as a result of our past, then we have truly washed our hands of it. Changing our mindset to the notion of, “OK. That is how I was brought up, but I have the ability to change directions now and break the cycle of bad choices for the future,” gives us some ownership and responsibility moving forward and can remind us that the choices we make today are important and do matter.
• Relaxation: maybe you’re seeing it now with ailing elderly relatives. They worked and stressed so hard for decades, only to finally retire into poor health as a result. This life is our one life to live, and it’s not meant to be lived in a constant state of stress. If that’s your reality, it’s important to seek balance through methods like talk therapy, meditation or yoga, or speak with your doctor about other methods to decrease stress.
• A healthy diet filled with lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of hydration, and all the nutrients and minerals that come from whole food sources can truly be healing. If you don’t know where to begin, reach out to a Tradewinds coach to learn more about nutrition coaching opportunities!
• Regular Exercise.  Tradewinds recommends an average of 4 classes a week (if you’re not getting in regular movement outside of the gym) to maintain that holistic approach to health and wellness. If you can’t get in that frequently, it’s a great idea to include walks or strength training from home on your off days, to truly approach movement as a daily activity.
• Good sleep.  Let’s face it, not a lot of us are truly getting a quality 7+ hours a night. And sleep deprivation can lead to stress, lack of exercise, poor dietary choices, etc. Essentially, the lack of sleep can cause a snowball effect that reaches into other areas of our lives and daily lifestyle choices. What can you realistically do in your life to increase those hours of sleep?
• Social support.  This journey of health and wellness can feel like an uphill battle. Especially if we weren’t given a strong foundation in our upbringing. It can feel like we’re starting 20, 30, 40+ years too late. But you’re not alone. Reach out to any of Tradewinds’ coaches, who will be more than happy to help you troubleshoot some of your stickier habits (or lack of healthy ones). Community inside and out of the gym is an important tool to help you stick to your healthy habits. Who will lift you up when you fall?

When it comes to our health, we have to stop making excuses based on how we were or weren’t brought up. It’s never too late to begin implementing new habits and cutting out the old in the name of turning our health around. It’s our responsibility to break poor generational health habits and create a new culture of health within our own lives and for the future of our families.

In life, we’re often faced with obstacles along the way in our health and wellness journeys. Whether it’s a nagging health issue, excess weight that won’t seem to budge, or even a bad habit that’s proving difficult to kick, it’s easy to want to fall back on the blame game with our past and upbringing.

Perhaps you don’t come from a sporty or athletic family and were never taught the importance of daily exercise. Maybe you grew up solely eating highly processed foods (or on the other hand, grew up with an “almond mom” who ridiculed your body and shamed your food choices).  Some grew up with families for whom smoking and drinking in excess were just a part of regular daily life. And for many of us who experienced one or more of these characteristics in our upbringings, it’s possible that we’re now dealing with aging parents and relatives who are struggling with obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, mobility issues, and other challenges.

It can feel pretty dire. Like the writing’s on the wall. We all become our parents eventually, no?

This mindset can wreak havoc with our daily choices and long term goals. As in, if we’re a product of our upbringing, then nothing we do can change the inevitable.

Well, not only is that a depressing mindset, but it also doesn’t have to be true.  Yes, of course some health issues are hereditary, and some may be exacerbated by poor health choices made for us in our childhoods. But that doesn’t mean that we can simply stop putting in the effort to change course.

Studies show that it IS possible to reverse years of an unhealthy lifestyle and more or less “hit the reset button” with our habits and in our health. We don’t have to be slaves to poor generational health habits that continue to affect the daily decisions we make today. Many complications and health risks experienced from poor food choices, physical inactivity and too much stress can be quickly and effectively improved by changes in lifestyle habits.

Among other things, positive thinking, relaxation, a healthy diet, regular exercise, good sleep and social support can all promote health and wellbeing when combined in a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, and can even help reverse a history of less than ideal health habits.

• Positive thinking: If we simply buy into the notion that our past defines us, and we have no control over the inevitability of health issues as a result of our past, then we have truly washed our hands of it. Changing our mindset to the notion of, “OK. That is how I was brought up, but I have the ability to change directions now and break the cycle of bad choices for the future,” gives us some ownership and responsibility moving forward and can remind us that the choices we make today are important and do matter.
• Relaxation: maybe you’re seeing it now with ailing elderly relatives. They worked and stressed so hard for decades, only to finally retire into poor health as a result. This life is our one life to live, and it’s not meant to be lived in a constant state of stress. If that’s your reality, it’s important to seek balance through methods like talk therapy, meditation or yoga, or speak with your doctor about other methods to decrease stress.
• A healthy diet filled with lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of hydration, and all the nutrients and minerals that come from whole food sources can truly be healing. If you don’t know where to begin, reach out to a Tradewinds coach to learn more about nutrition coaching opportunities!
• Regular Exercise.  Tradewinds recommends an average of 4 classes a week (if you’re not getting in regular movement outside of the gym) to maintain that holistic approach to health and wellness. If you can’t get in that frequently, it’s a great idea to include walks or strength training from home on your off days, to truly approach movement as a daily activity.
• Good sleep.  Let’s face it, not a lot of us are truly getting a quality 7+ hours a night. And sleep deprivation can lead to stress, lack of exercise, poor dietary choices, etc. Essentially, the lack of sleep can cause a snowball effect that reaches into other areas of our lives and daily lifestyle choices. What can you realistically do in your life to increase those hours of sleep?
• Social support.  This journey of health and wellness can feel like an uphill battle. Especially if we weren’t given a strong foundation in our upbringing. It can feel like we’re starting 20, 30, 40+ years too late. But you’re not alone. Reach out to any of Tradewinds’ coaches, who will be more than happy to help you troubleshoot some of your stickier habits (or lack of healthy ones). Community inside and out of the gym is an important tool to help you stick to your healthy habits. Who will lift you up when you fall?

When it comes to our health, we have to stop making excuses based on how we were or weren’t brought up. It’s never too late to begin implementing new habits and cutting out the old in the name of turning our health around. It’s our responsibility to break poor generational health habits and create a new culture of health within our own lives and for the future of our families.