It’s often assumed that one needs to workout A LOT to see weight loss results or other health results like balance blood sugar, blood pressure and keep cholesterol at a healthy level, HOWEVER, that is not actually the case. In fact, there are many times when the opposite may even be true and working IN, is what is needed.
Most of us have heard the expression “Everything in Moderation” or said another way is “Everything in Balance.” Too much or too little of anything usually has consequences. It’s not that it is necessarily BAD or GOOD, there are just consequences. In addition, each human being has different levels of ‘too much’ or ‘too little.’ What has negative consequences for one might have positive rewards for another. When it comes to your Health, this ‘balancing act’ is often quite difficult for a lot of humans to navigate on their own because our ego and our inner children can often create self-sabotaging and unconscious behaviors that disallow us from seeing or experiencing the truth. (Whoah Coach, THIS IS DEEP, so let’s save that for another article) 😉
Let’s take a quick look at some examples of things in life that are “good” for you but can also have ramifications if you do it too much or too little. I’ll let you come up with YOUR OWN consequences for what happens to you with each comparison….
Too much Food VS. Too little Food
Too much Water VS. Too little Water
Too much Sleep VS. Too little Sleep
Too much Socializing VS. Too little Socializing
Too much Down Time VS. Too little Down Time
There is also another word that I like to use as well as BALANCE, and that word is Homeostasis! You don’t really realize it or notice it, but your body is hard at work all day, everyday to maintain homeostasis also known as Balance and HEALTH in the body! Any variation of too much or too little of various things can throw your body out of homeostasis which can lead your body to disease, illness and injury. LITERALLY, sickness, disease and injury is a MESSAGE to your body. “Dis-Ease” = the body NOT at ease (or not in Homeostasis).
Another expression that pertains to the Balance of life is YIN vs Yang and I’ll be using terms to discuss some important Foundations for maintaining your Health.
The SIX Foundational Principles identified by my Coach and teacher, Paul Chek ARE:
Sleeping
Nutrition
Hydration
Thinking
Breathing
Movement
As we mentioned, everything in life, especially the Body needs the BALANCE of Yin & Yang and these 6 foundational principles can be broken down into yin (feminine) and yang (masculine).
The 3 Yin Principles (or ENERGY IN) are
Nutrition, Hydration, Sleep
And
The 3 Yang Principles (or ENERGY OUT) are
Breathing, Thinking & Movement
Let’s break all of these down and we’ll start with the Yin Principles.
Nutrition
Nutrition is a yin principle which means we need it to take energy in. Look at Nutrition as the literal foundation or building blocks for your cells. Most people start their dis-ease with improper nutrition. YOU truly are what you EAT, digest and absorb (mentally & physically). If you’re eating JUNK, your body will be JUNK. Think of your muscles, cartilage, tendons, organs, skin, etc suffering every time you eat out of alignment with the how you were designed to eat. This means processed food in a box or plastic bag will have consequences. Ideally to maintain your best health and weight, eating protein, veggies, fruit, good fat and nuts is your best option for optimal health.
Water and Hydration
Hydration is also a YIN principle! And it is SOOO overlooked in our Society! Chronic dehydration by many Holistic Doctors is looked at as the #1 reason for disease in the body AND the #1 easiest tool for healing a diseased body. Good water into your body brings life into your body. The general rule of thumb is to take your weight, divide that by two, and drink that many ounces of good quality water daily.
Rest or Sleep
Rest is a yin principle (Energy in). Consider this… you recharge your phone and computer at night otherwise it breaks down and stops working. Humans need that Recharge & REBOOT as well. It’s when psychological and physical repair happens. There are many factors that can affect your sleep patterns, otherwise known as your circadian rhythm. (A topic for yet another article)
Let’s move on to the Yang Principles…
Thinking
Some might consider this the most important health principle of them all. It is a YANG principle as it takes energy away. One might say that If you get your mind right everything else will become a little easier and balanced. Thinking for some becomes debilitating and depleting (that aligns with a little of what I said above about the ego and inner children.)
Breathing
Breathing might be considered by some to be both a yin and yang principle, however ,It is indeed a yang principle. We breathe about 22-25,000 times a day!! We need to, AND of course without it, we die! So, let’s imagine if our technique OR our air supply isn’t optimal. If our mouth and nose (our oxygen receiving mechanism) is covered or blocked, by let’s say a cloth or mask, you cannot possibly receive adequate oxygen uptake. The body literally reads this as a threat and creates a whole lot of micro-trauma to the body! This could produce issues in your digestion, visceral health, detoxification systems, posture sleep and so much more. Or if you are not belly breathing due to stress, this too could lead to an increased stress response in the body and STRESS we know is stress is the silent killer!
Fitness and Movement
Now to fitness or movement. Most people thinking “Kicking their @$$” all the time is necessary for Health, but movement being a YANG principle is a stressor…and it takes energy to do it. Like investing, however, it does take some energy to build energy. Our muscles and bones all become stronger with the RIGHT amount of STRESS (or load or weight). However, because most humans these days are “stressed” from disproportioned elements of the above foundational principles, working out HARD and HEAVY should only take place if all of the other mentioned principles are completely balanced AND one is near 100% in the other areas. When done properly, less is more. There is a perfect place and balance between working OUT and WORKING in so that your body can stay in Homeostasis and illness, disease and Injury FREE. Remember, injuries are a message that you’re doing TOO much of something or NOT getting enough of something. 😉 There’s a lot more factors involved in finding the right balance for your Fitness & Movement. Consider hiring a Coach or having a friend who help you create a Balanced and Healthy plan.
