Healthy First, Sexy Second: Part 1

You have just bought active wear, downloaded the “Workout Pump Up” Spotify playlist and an Instagram feed filled with #Fitspo- it’s time to get sexy.

This time however, let us help you get the order right from the beginning- get the “getting healthy” part down pat first and the “getting sexy” bit is not only next in line but your three quarters of the way there.

For almost ten years I have been part of the fitness industry- I’ve seen a tonne of things, many cool and a lot of them absolute head scratchers. However there is one thing I have seen time and time again.

Just because someone looks sexy, doesn’t mean they’re healthy - but invariably an incredibly healthy person looks sexy.

The health industry is worth billions and billions….and billions, billions, billions and billions of dollars.

Sadly health is only a consideration when we are sick or not healthy. We obsess over being sexy or attractive and that’s cool, I want to look good naked too - the problem is the “do anything at all costs to get sexy” attitude that seems to be not only accepted but encouraged.

This article series (minimum of three parts depending how carried away I get- it could be more) is geared to the good people who are done debating the chicken or the egg argument. They have solved evolutions many mysteries and are onto the next puzzle- getting healthy first and then letting sexy just, happen.

*Place people pleasing hat on* I understand that sexy doesn’t come in only one form. We aren’t suggesting it does. Maybe this is a matter of personal opinion and a reflection of my warped persona but I am a firm believer that healthy IS sexy and healthy is a much broader parameter. 

So how do you actually define health? The dictionary has a lame definition for health. It states that:

Health (noun): The state of being free from injury or illness

*YAAAAAWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNN*

To suggest that a word as all encompassing as health is limited only to “the absence of illness” is outrageous. If I was given the almighty type writer at the Oxford offices health would be defined much differently.

For me health is not merely about surviving - but thriving. Whether that be as a mum, an athlete, a doctor or farmer. Health can, and rightfully should include the key areas - physical health, mental health, digestive health and emotional health.

Dropping the fancy terms I believe health is achieved (yes, achieved- not given) through a combination of movement, rest, nutrition and looking after your mind.

We are fortunate to be in the position where we literally have more information than we could ever read in our lifetimes. It is limitless- I wanted to find how many pages of data are created per day but instead found this infographic:

Data Never Sleeps 5.0 by Domo

The point that I’m making is this - we are residents of the information age. The sad part is that with this much information there is conflicting data, research and of course opinions. Add to that the majority of information we consume is from social media where opinion often masquerades as fact.

Naturally this makes finding the right information a little tricky and of course every blog is going to suggest they are one of the good guys- but our aim over the next few weeks is to peel back as many layers to the health confusion as possible- even if it means we are contributing to making ourselves somewhat redundant.

Next week we are going to look into the world of movement for health- important to note I have used the term movement- not a specific form. But you will just have to wait and see what  comes next.