Sustainable fitness, the future of wellness
Sustainable fitness goes beyond the promises of eight- to 12-week training programs and extreme regimens that often lead to burnout or injury. Instead, the focus is on creating a balanced routine that can be maintained over a lifetime. It also encourages listening to one’s body, prioritising recovery and adjusting to avoid overtraining. By promoting gradual progress and realistic goals, sustainable fitness helps prevent the physical and mental strains that can come from unsustainable fitness trends.
The defining factors of sustainable fitness centre around maintenance of the whole body. It focuses on healthy aspects of detoxification, mobility, posture, strength and balance. These are the key elements of body sustainability.
Detoxification is essential for removing toxins accumulated through environmental exposure, processed foods and sedentary lifestyles. A sustainable fitness program promotes routines that facilitate detoxification, such as cardio sessions, massage, sweat-inducing activities such as a sauna, magnesium pools and steam, while practising mindful breathing.
Mobility and flexibility are crucial for maintaining a full range of motion and preventing injuries to remain sustainable. Incorporating dynamic stretching, yoga and functional movements ensures the body remains adaptable and resilient. These practices help sustain daily activities with ease, reducing strain and promoting longevity. Not only do these work the body but they also improve neurological patterning, enhancing your brain health.
Posture correction is vital for preventing musculoskeletal issues caused by prolonged sitting or improper alignment. Completing a sustainable fitness program emphasising core strength and ergonomic awareness can help maintain proper posture, alleviating discomfort and reducing long-term damage. It is the everyday functional movement of the spine that keeps us highly energised, happier and confident.
Strength training is essential for preserving muscle mass, supporting joints and boosting metabolic health. Balanced, functional strength exercises tailored to individual needs facilitate everyday movements and enhance overall resilience. Using weights or resistance bands are the most well-known keys to lifelong sustainability.
Balance training enhances coordination and stability, reducing fall risk and improving athletic performance. The fundamentals of sustainable fitness all promote balance. Activities such as rebounding or rolling like a ball are both stability exercises and proprioception drills, which will ensure the body remains agile and safe.
A sustainable fitness program ensures all aspects of detoxification, mobility, posture, strength and balance are covered. Add this quick workout to your weekly rotation — it is specifically designed to maintain sustainable fitness in only 10 exercises.
For the first part, no equipment is required as you tune into your body. For the second part, grab some light (2–7kg) dumbbells or a medicine ball. No equipment handy? That’s okay — you can use your body weight.
Complete 12–15 repetitions or hold for 12 seconds. Complete four sets of the 10 exercises.
Part 1
Begin on your back to open the body.
The hundred draw: Draw both legs into chest, hold on to legs, curl your head and chest up to a tight ball. Send legs out to a tabletop position with your knees directly above your hips and shins parallel to floor. Hold on behind thighs and actively curl up, deepening and hollowing out the abs. Hover arms right above abdominal wall and start to pump your arms up and down, taking deep breaths.
Rolling like a ball: Begin in a seated position, knees bent, feet pointed, with just toes touching the floor. Grasp the back of each thigh with each hand and lift legs up. Keep knees shoulder-distance apart and lower the head between the knees. Inhale, exhale, deepening your abdominals, practising your balance. Rock back to shoulder tips (never onto your head or neck), then back up, fi nding your balance for a moment. Repeat.
High plank: The high plank pose helps to relieve pain and stiff ness throughout your body while strengthening your shoulders, glutes and hamstrings. It also helps you develop balance and strength in your core and back, both important for good posture. Come onto all fours and straighten your legs, lift your heels and raise your hips. Straighten your back and engage your abdominal, arm and leg muscles. Lengthen the back of your neck, soften your throat and look down at the fl oor. Make sure to keep your chest open and your shoulders back. Hold this position for up to one minute at a time.
Cobra with hip rotation: Cobra will help you strengthen your back and improve your posture. Lying on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders, press down into the earth and lift your upper body, drawing your shoulders toward the back of the room. Hold this pose for fi ve breaths. Relax and repeat. Tip: The more you can take the weight off your hands, the more your back will benefit.
Single-leg raises with crunch toe taps: Lie on the mat or weight bench longways keeping your body straight. Keeping your legs straight, lift one up until it is at a right angle with your upper body. Then with a weight held in hand, tap the lifted leg. Lower it back down again in a controlled manner and return the body and weight to fl at position. Repeat on the other side.
Part 2
Walking lunge with twist, using weights: Stand up tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Using a medicine ball or dumbbell, hold it directly in front of you with both hands, your elbows bent about 90 degrees. Step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a basic lunge position. Twist your upper body to the right from your midsection. Keep your core engaged. Squeeze your glutes and be careful to not rotate your knee.
Bicep curl with squat press combination: When the hips are below the knees in the squat, push both legs into the ground to stand up and at the same time press the dumbbells overhead by straightening the arms. Slowly return the weights to the shoulders. Standing single-leg deadlift: Start with the kettlebell on the floor, hinge at your hips and lower your torso while extending one leg straight behind you. Pick up the bell and return to the top position. Then hinge back and return the bell to the floor. Let go and repeat.
Bent-over row: Place a dumbbell on each side of a mat or flat bench. Place your right knee down. Bend your torso from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, while placing your right hand in front of you for support. With your left hand, pick up the dumbbell with an overhand grip. The palm of your hand should be facing into you. Keep your lower back straight. This is the start position. Using your back muscles, pull the dumbbell straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side. Exhale as you do so. At the top of the movement, hold for a count of one and squeeze your back muscles. Lower your arm and repeat.
Rebounding (jumping on the spot or imaginary skipping): Jump on the spot using your whole foot, alternate between your toes. Focus on your calves. At first, you may feel a bit funny but continuous movement is key. Put music on and jump to the beat. You need to continue bouncing, rebounding and jumping for two minutes solid. Repeat three to four times.
