Optimizing Your Health Might Be a Waste of Time (and Money!)

We live in an age where health optimization has become a booming billion-dollar industry. Supplements, gadgets, biohacking tools, and lifestyle trends promise to take our wellness to the next level. While the desire to improve health is certainly important, the truth is that most of the time, the health “optimization” many are chasing is a waste of time and money because your foundational components of health are not in place, first. The harsh reality is that no matter how many capsules or shakes you add to your daily regimen, they likely won’t yield noticeable results if the bedrock of your health is weak.

The Supplement Industry: A Billion-Dollar Distraction

In 2023, the global supplement market was valued at over $200 billion, and it's only expected to grow. It’s easy to see why: supplements are marketed as shortcuts to improved health, longevity, energy, mental clarity, and performance. Who wouldn’t want to take a pill or powder that promises to give them the energy boost they’re looking for or help them recover faster from their workouts?

First, realize the science behind most supplements is murky at best. Many are not nearly as effective as their manufacturers claim, and only few have been proven to provide the results they promise. In fact, many supplements are simply a cash grab, capitalizing on the fear of missing out on the latest wellness trend or the promise of a healthier life. So, do your research.

Don’t misunderstand me. There is a place for well studied supplements for optimizing health. For example, vitamin D for people who don’t get enough sun, or magnesium for muscle relaxation and creatine for brain and muscle health. But when we rely solely on (even good, well-researched) supplements to fix poor lifestyle habits, it’s like trying to build a house on sand. It won’t stand. 

Before you even need to think about trying a supplement or adding an expensive gadget to your routine, ask yourself: Do I do the basics well and consistently? These “basics” are the non-negotiable pillars of health that should be the cornerstone of any fitness or wellness plan. The basics include exercise, balanced nutrition and getting quality sleep.

The True Foundation of Health

1. Exercise

Building and maintaining muscle mass is crucial for long-term health. Not only does strength training improve body composition, but it also boosts metabolism, strengthens bones, and improves mental health. For the average person, strength training three to four times per week is the baseline.

Cardiovascular exercise is vital for heart health, lung capacity, and overall endurance. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week to improve heart health. Your overall daily movement should be at least an average of 7-10k steps. Simple activities like walking or gardening can make a world of difference towards better health and longevity. 

2. Balanced Nutrition

No supplement can fix a bad diet. A balanced eating pattern that meets your macronutrient (protein, carbs, fats) and micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) needs is essential. Protein, in particular, is crucial for muscle repair, growth, and immune function, while fiber is key for digestive health. It’s important you prioritize getting these macro and micro nutrients from a variety of whole foods FIRST and then we can explore what supplements might be right for us to be able to successfully fill in the gaps.

3. Sleep

Recovery modalities like cold plunges, infrared saunas, and cryotherapy are all the rage right now. But no amount of high-tech recovery can meet your recovery demands like adequate sleep. Sleep is arguably the most critical aspect of recovery and health optimization. Chronic lack of sleep—defined as less than 7 hours per night—has been linked to a host of health problems, from obesity and heart disease to decreased cognitive function and mood disorders. While a sauna or a cold plunge can help alleviate soreness, improve circulation, and enhance the recovery process, they are not miracle solutions and cannot compensate for poor sleep habits. Sleep is when your body repairs itself, consolidates memories, and regulates hormones.

Start with the Basics, Then Optimize

Health optimization begins by focusing on the fundamentals that pack the biggest punch towards your best health. Exercise, balanced nutrition and adequate sleep is that foundation. Before you chase the next big thing in the wellness industry, take a step back. Ask yourself if you’re covering the essentials. If not, start there. It’s the only way to truly optimize your health in a sustainable and meaningful way. Once you know you have a solid foundation, you can truly take inventory of what health optimization strategies might be a best fit for you.

When Are You Too Sore to Workout?

Finding the Balance Between Recovery and Progress

We’ve all been there—those post-workout aches and pains that make you question if you can even walk, let alone hit the gym again. But how do you know when you’re really too sore to exercise? And more importantly, when can you push through without risking injury or overtraining?

The Importance of Recovery

Soreness is a normal part of the fitness journey. Known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), this feeling typically kicks in 12-48 hours after intense exercise. It’s a sign that your muscles are recovering from the strain and rebuilding stronger. That said, recovery is just as important as the workout itself. Without proper recovery, you decrease your bodies ability to build muscle and increase the risk of overuse injuries, fatigue, and burnout, which can slow down your long-term progress.

When to Rest, When to Move

While rest is crucial for recovery, being sore doesn't always mean you need to skip your workout entirely. In fact, doing some low-intensity exercises can actually help reduce stiffness and increase blood flow to the muscles, speeding up the recovery process.

Signs You Might Be Too Sore to Push Hard:

• Sharp or intense pain in specific muscles or joints (this could signal an injury).

• Pain that persists or worsens with movement.

• Fatigue or weakness beyond just muscle soreness.

If you're feeling any of these signs, it’s best to give yourself a full rest day or engage in active recovery like light stretching, yoga, or walking. This Basic Vinyasa Yoga Practice with Hannah completely fits the bill and your body will thank you.

Signs You Can Still Exercise:

• General muscle soreness without pain or discomfort in joints.

• Mild tightness that doesn’t impede movement.

• You feel energized and able to perform low-impact exercises.

In these cases, you can still stay active, but consider lowering the intensity. Try doing some light strength training with reduced weights or activities like cycling, swimming, walking. These exercises will keep your body moving without overloading sore muscles. We love this Active Recovery Workout with Liz!

Soreness doesn’t necessarily mean you need to completely halt your workout routine. Listen to your body and find the balance between pushing yourself and allowing time for proper recovery. On those days when you’re sore, aim for lower-intensity exercises that promote blood flow and mobility—this will help you recover faster, reduce stiffness, and still stay on track toward your fitness goals.

Remember, progress is made over time, not just in one intense workout session.

Elevate Your Fitness Routine with Balance Training

Are you incorporating balance training into your workout routine? If not, now's the time to start! Balance training isn't just for athletes or yogis—it's essential for everyone, regardless of your fitness level. By focusing on stability, you enhance your body's ability to perform daily activities, reduce the risk of injury, and boost overall functional strength.

Why is Balance Training Important?

Balance training strengthens your core and stabilizing muscles, improving posture, coordination, and movement efficiency. It helps prevent falls and injuries, making it particularly beneficial for aging adults and those recovering from injury. Incorporating balance exercises into your fitness routine can also sharpen your mind-body connection, helping you stay focused and in tune with your movements.

Where Should You Include Balance Training in Your Workout?

Balance exercises can be done during the warm-up, mixed into your strength routine, or as a finisher. Adding it to your warm-up activates your stabilizing muscles and prepares your body for more dynamic movements. You can also use balance-focused movements like single-leg exercises during strength training to maximize core engagement.

Ready to take your stability to the next level?

Check out our top three balance-focused workouts on the BBH Fitness App:

1. Balance & Flexibility Yoga with Callie

2. Strong & Balanced

3. Bodyweight Balance

Incorporate these into your routine and feel the difference!

Stay strong, stay balanced,

How To Quit Dieting

Why Can't We Quit Yo-Yo Dieting?

In a world obsessed with quick fixes, the cycle of yo-yo dieting has become a familiar pattern for many of us. The promise of rapid weight loss, the allure of shedding pounds in weeks, and the belief that the next diet will finally be *the one* are hard to resist. But as we repeatedly dive into these diets, lose weight, gain it back, and start again, we might wonder: why can't we just quit yo-yo dieting?

The Allure of Instant Results

One of the reasons yo-yo dieting culture has prevailed is because it offers immediate gratification. In a society where we expect instant results, the idea of losing weight quickly is appealing. Fad diets promise transformations in short time frames, playing on our desire for a "quick fix" rather than long-term, sustainable health.

Yo-yo dieting is also wrapped up in emotional rewards. The initial success of losing weight can give us a sense of accomplishment, validation, and control. When we see the scale drop, it’s an immediate signal that our efforts are “working,” reinforcing the behavior. However, this high is often short-lived.

The Biological Battle

What makes quitting yo-yo dieting even harder is that our bodies are wired to resist these dramatic weight changes. When we restrict our calorie intake or deprive ourselves of certain foods, our metabolism can slow down, and hunger hormones can spike. This biological response is the body’s way of protecting itself against starvation, but for us, it often leads to frustration and, ultimately, giving up on the diet.

Once we start eating normally again, the weight returns (and often with extra pounds). This weight gain often feels like failure, which pushes us to start another restrictive diet. And the cycle continues.

Psychological Traps of Diet Culture

The cultural obsession with thinness also plays a significant role in perpetuating yo-yo dieting. Media and societal standards have ingrained the idea that thin equals healthy and beautiful. This constant pressure to meet unrealistic body ideals can drive us to diet again and again, even when we know it's not sustainable.

On top of that, diet culture often frames food as “good” or “bad,” creating a guilt-driven relationship with eating. We feel proud when we eat “clean” and guilty when we indulge. This black-and-white thinking about food can lead to binge-eating or overeating once we “fall off” a strict diet, reinforcing the cycle.

Breaking Free from the Cycle

Escaping the clutches of yo-yo dieting requires a shift in mindset and habits. Here are some strategies to break the cycle and find freedom with food:

1. Focus on Sustainable Changes

Instead of chasing fad diets, prioritize long-term, sustainable habits. Embrace gradual changes that you can stick with for the rest of your life, such as eating more whole foods, cooking more meals at home, or incorporating more physical activity. When your focus shifts from a quick fix to lifelong health, the pressure of constant dieting starts to lift.

2. Embrace Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating is about listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues and building a positive, guilt-free relationship with food. Instead of labeling food as “good” or “bad,” allow yourself to enjoy all foods in moderation. Trust that your body knows what it needs and when it’s had enough. This approach reduces the need for restrictive diets and helps prevent the binge-restrict cycle. Try this Intuitive Eating Worksheet.

3. Set Non-Weight Goals

One of the most freeing things you can do is set goals that aren’t tied to the number on the scale. Focus on things like increasing your energy levels, improving your strength, or enhancing your overall well-being. When you set performance-based or wellness-focused goals, the pressure to lose weight quickly fades, and you’re more likely to stick with your healthy habits. When you realize that food HELPS you reach performance goals, it can be very freeing.

4. Practice Self-Compassion

Finally, give yourself grace. Breaking free from yo-yo dieting is a process, and it takes time to rewire your habits and mindset. Celebrate the small victories and be kind to yourself when you slip up. Self-compassion helps you build a healthier, more sustainable relationship with food and your body.

Finding Freedom and Fun in Your Health Journey

The key to breaking the yo-yo dieting cycle is to find joy and balance in your health journey. Instead of seeing health as a rigid set of rules, view it as an evolving process that includes both nutritious foods and treats, both movement and rest. Finding freedom in food means rejecting the extremes of dieting and embracing the beauty of flexibility.

You don't have to be on a diet to be healthy. By focusing on long-term wellness, listening to your body, and rejecting diet culture, you can break free from the endless cycle and rediscover the fun in taking care of yourself. After all, health is about feeling good, inside and out.

Yo-yo dieting thrives because of quick-fix promises, societal pressures, and deep-seated emotional patterns. But by embracing a more intuitive and compassionate approach, you can break free from the cycle. Sustainable health is about finding balance, enjoying food, and making gradual changes that enhance your well-being for life. The next step in your health journey doesn't require a diet — it requires a mindset shift.