When you are in your forties, achieving health and wellness can feel like an uphill journey - for many, the whirlwind of work, family life, making time for your partner and for friends, leave little room for longevity anticipation. And if you happen to "feel good", it is easy to forget about health and wellness entirely.

And yet, when you think about it, health and wellness is more than just “feeling good” today: it’s about optimizing your intellectual and physical performance, balancing your emotions and your mind, and - long-term - working towards extending your health span.

The health span is a more important metric than the actual life span: it corresponds to the part of your life when you enjoy a healthy condition.

Understanding all the facets of wellness is essential to find suitable ways to integrate the right life-style, habits and routines, despite how busy life may be, and to progress towards long-term health and wellness goals. This post presents my findings about how to thrive today while also preparing for a healthier tomorrow.

Bottom-line: it requires practical lifestyle choices, and to understand the importance of regular 360° check-ups, as well as to integrate at least once a year a true time away from the daily whirlwind, be it at amazing wellness retreats (we curate the best health and wellness clinics, after all), or in other settings where you can let go of the steam and fully reset your body and mind. 

Let's look at the different steps of such a path: to start with, the facets of health and wellness that you may want to integrate in your daily life. In the next post, I'll share my findings on the other facets of health and wellness that should be taken care of in the long term, such as yearly 360° check-ups, detox retreats, and a life-long planning for health and wellness.

Physical health: make small bets, but stay consistent

The health of the body is often the first dimension people consider when they think of wellness, and for good reason: our physical body is the vehicle to navigate so many practical aspects of life. Focusing on physical health means keeping a robust metabolism, cultivating stamina or energy, and continuously developing flexibility and strength to support the earthly constraints of our daily lives, subject to the forces of gravity.

Key aspects:

• Move every day: Move every day. It is as simple as that. If you don't have time for the gym, it's fine! The actual trick is to systematically prioritize physical options (walking, stairs rather than elevators, etc.). And then, use every spare moment for "fitness snacks": very short sessions in-between your regular meetings and activities, that you dedicate to strength training, yoga, movements for flexibility, and even cardio and muscular endurance (Jumping Jacks, etc.). And yes, some people around you may laugh, but trust me, it works!
• Eat well, really well: Remember one thing: your food is your medicine. Garbage in: garbage out. Put the best possible quality of food in your vehicle - the effects are compounding. In practice, opt for local and seasonal food wherever possible, cooked with love. Choose non-inflammatory options to keep your energy levels high and support the natural detox mechanisms of your body, which in turn boosts your immune functions.
• Sleep enough and well: 8 hours is a good practice, and with at least 1 hour free of screens before going to sleep as well as after waking up. The quality of your sleep is essential for everything from your cognitive performance to your emotional balance.

Practical tips and ideas:

• Retreats like Lily of the Valley in France or Lefay Lago di Garda in Italy are amazing to meet coaches who develop or refine a fitness / movement routine tailored to your abilities and needs. In the Americas, you will adore your coaching sessions with Eduardo at ZihFit on the Pacific Coast, and Angel at Palmaïa on the Caribbean Coast will make you integrate animal moves in your daily routine.
• To change how you eat, it is more complicated than memorizing a movement routine. At the very least, you need to spend time with a holistic nutritionist to understand what food works for you, and then with a chef to learn how to cook it at home. Retreats like SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain and in Mexico or Six Senses Vana in India offer that, and much more.
• Restoring sleep often requires a radical break from the day-to-day. Our top pick for this is the Chenot Recover & Energise program with Sleep Cycles, in Switzerland.

Intellectual wellness: train your brain, too

Our cognitive performance affects our productivity, creativity, and the ability to solve problems - needless to say it determines our long-term path. OK, but the brain is not a muscle, so how do you train it? It can be as simple as reading, learning new things every week, and engaging in mentally stimulating activities (such as memory games, chess, etc.). Put it into your weekly routine, for a lifetime of mental agility.

Key aspects:

• Continue learning: whether through formal education or self-guided learning, it keeps the mind sharp, and improves our mood.
• Practice mindfulness: unmanaged stress is such a threat for the metabolism and the brain, it is is really important to channel it. Practices like meditation are easy to embrace and improve focus, creativity, and emotional regulation, directly impacting our cognitive performance.
• Stay away from digital as often as you can: while technology aids productivity, intentional digital detoxes and structured screen time are paramount to prevent burnout and overstimulation, and to preserve creativity and a good mood.

Practical tips and ideas:

• For me, consistently staying away from digital when it is not needed, is one of the hardest facet of the approach towards optimising my health and wellness. But it works so well, so I keep trying. I'll get there eventually!
• Some retreats emphasize the digital detox experience, and it is very helpful indeed. Zulal by Chiva-Som in Qatar is our top pick in this space.
• You can find therapies aimed at optimizing the cognitive performance at several awesome retreats. For example at  SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain and in Mexico. 

Emotional balance: unlock resilience

Emotional wellness is essential to our ability to face life’s ups and downs with resilience. It’s about balancing feelings, managing stress, and maintaining a positive outlook.

Key aspects:

• Creating space for awareness about the emotions: Understanding and acknowledging emotions as they arise feels like being a spectator remembering a movie is just a movie, keeping just the right distance to appreciate the emotions without being drowned by their extremes. Regular self-reflection fosters self-awareness: it can be done through journaling or therapy, or the good old chat with friends, family, or strangers!
• Train for stress: My favourites are deep breathing techniques and apnea, but there are many other powerful tools for managing stress: mindfulness approaches, physical activities, nature immersions, ice baths ...
• Connect, reconnect, disconnect: Build and maintain relationships that offer support and joy (and ideally, unconditional love!), helping to strengthen your social resilience and emotional stability. And also ... cut those who don't!

Practical tips and ideas:

• I (try to) hold the tree standing posture every morning for 15 minutes. It is a famous posture from Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Kung Fu, where your physical body does not move despite a relatively uncomfortable posture, which lets your energy flow concentrate and activate. It's never easy, but it's a time to reconnect with my body, to feel the flow of energy, to breathe consciously and deeply, and to remember moments of my life when I enjoyed deep meditative states (a retreat in India, in particular). When I do this, it feels like a serene cocoon envelops me and allows me to keep a strong sense of self-awareness throughout the day, no matter what happens next.
• An outstanding place to open up to your emotions is The Retreat in Costa Rica.
• If it's more about healing the emotions, one of the best retreats is the Sowa Rigpa program at Six Senses Vana, one of the only places where you can experience Traditional Tibetan Medicine in its entirety.

Health and wellness facets in the daily life

Optimal health and wellness don’t happen by accident; they’re the result of intentional, proactive choices every day, that align with long-term goals. By focusing on these dimensions - physical, intellectual, emotional - you create a strong foundation that supports performance and balance; If you start embracing the right practices early (typically, in your forties), you're also going to be on a good track for longevity: aging can be slowed down, and the results are compounding.

Start building these habits today, invest in yourself, and commit to a healthy lifestyle that you will sustain you through the years to come. Remember, the choices you make now are the building blocks for your vibrant future.