Within life, there are things I call the five pillars. These are things the body cannot do without, and when taken away (after some extended time), there will be an adverse effect. There are also prioritization concepts from a health and wellness perspective for longevity and living pain-free when looking at these pillars.

So, I wanted to touch on these pillars for everyone as a reminder and a re-check to see how you all are doing on them for the sake of your health and wellness.

1. The first pillar is breathe. If you take away breathing, you will not be able to sustain on this earth. However, what about breathing properly for health reasons. Have you ever taken the time to truly learn how to breathe and breathe when your body is under stress? This stress can be either physical or emotional. More and more research is coming out, illustrating the importance of deep nasal breathing (breathing light to breathe right) to go along with the abdomen. This research shows a correlation with health benefits, fighting off stress, and prolonging life.

2. The second pillar is food. We all know how important nutrition is. If you take away food, then you will not make it. However, what about from a health perspective. Are you eating right? Are the foods that you are eating well suited for proper gut health? Are you taking in the right amounts of food? These are a few of the concepts you need to consider. A slight change in the right direction can have a night and day effect on your mood and health.

3. The third pillar is sleep. If you do not sleep, then you will lose your mind, literally. So, when is the last time you checked on the quality of your sleep? The time you sleep and wake is just as important as your ability to reach a proper REM cycle (which are both equally important, if not the ability to reach REM outweighing it all). Do you have a good sleep schedule? Think about how important it is to set babies and children up on sleep cycles for their development. That shouldn’t change as you age; it is still just as important.

4. The fourth pillar is movement. The movement I am referring to is joint integrity and your body's ability to move through space in a free form and under load. I see this time and time again, where people put workouts before making sure their body can move properly. If your body doesn't move well, then at some point, you will get injured and won't be able to move at all.

5. The fifth pillar is social needs. With all the hustle and bustle of the world, take the time to really engage in meaningful relationships with those that matter the most to you. This will drive more personal freedom and balance than anything else.

For some people, the fifth pillar is exercise, but I adjusted that due to the nature of people that are reading this and already exercise each day. In that instance, the social interaction allows for a counterbalance of worlds to create more harmony.

These pillars should be prioritized continuously and re-checked to ensure that you are on the right track for health and wellness in the long game.

Onward,

Coach Jay