Good physical health is a key to happiness. It allows us to engage in the hobbies and activities that bring us joy. It allows us to chase after our dreams and goals (and our kids and grandkids!). It is the cornerstone of a life that is fulfilling, enduring, and satisfying.  

Good health is multi-faceted! It includes things like being physically fit, having healthy and satisfying relationships, practicing self-care and loving oneself, and living with a sense of purpose (just to name a few).

While none of these facets is more valuable than another, I believe that physical health (along with self-love) is one of the most important, contributing to as well as helping ensure many other aspects of well-being. Can we not agree that a good sweat session, a nice long stretch or a handful of deep breaths aren’t AMAZING forms of self-care? And can we not agree that feeling strong and capable doesn’t do WONDERS for our self-esteem? Of course they do!

I truly believe that making the world a better place starts with being compassionate with ourselves and showing love and care toward our bodies, no matter what form they take: small or large, tall or short, young, middle-aged or old. To that end, I advocate practicing positive self-talk, moving every day, training the body in ways that prevent injury and improve functional capacity (our ability to do the everyday things that we enjoy), and getting out of our comfort zones (at least a little bit!) to create positive change and growth.