Today at a Glance
Having a functional fit body is not about looking good, it’s about feeling good. It’s about having the energy, strength, and stamina to live life to the fullest.
We all know that exercise is good for us, but did you know that it also boosts your mood, reduces stress, and improves your mental clarity?
Today, we dive into how to incorporate physical fitness into your daily routine and achieve holistic fitness.
Let’s get started!
Weekly Wisdom on building a functional fit body
“Mens sana in corpore sano” – A Sound Mind in a Sound Body —Juvenal
Optimal cognitive function and emotional soundness are only possible if we have a functional fit body. The connection between mental and physical health is profound.
We don’t train for a beach body or six-pack abs but to support mental clarity, emotional balance, and overall well-being.
The Paradox of Effort and Ease
You don’t get a functional fit body from sitting at a desk for hours on end.
We need to put in the effort to get there. We can’t fake it. It must be earned.
And we want to combine it with the ease and relaxation needed for mental and emotional well-being.
Sometimes, pushing too hard can lead to burnout and stress, while too much ease can result in complacency. Find equilibrium.
"A healthy body is not the destination; it's the foundation to realizing your dreams.”
Monthly Mastery—Holistic Fitness
Holistic Fitness is not a fad or a new trend. It’s been around for millennia. Yoga for instance is one of the most well-documented holistic fitness systems in history. The Chinese, the old Greeks, and the Romans had theirs too. And so had the Native Americans.
They all knew for optimal performance & well-being we need physical fitness, mental clarity, emotional balance, and spiritual connection to achieve sustainable success.
You don’t need to look like a Greek god to have a functional fit body
A fit body is strong, and can endure, but is also flexible, agile, and balanced.
Functionally fit so to speak.
Nothing you gain by doing what 99% of regular gym rats do.
They build their body.
But they don’t build functionality.
A functional fit body is the prerequisite for a sharp and creative mind.
Here’s how to build yours:
Determine your functional fitness vision
Consider what activities or tasks you want to improve in your daily life, such as lifting heavy objects, climbing stairs, or carrying groceries. Or more adventurous: climbing mountains, surfing, or hiking in the wilderness.
Train strength for a functional fit body
Resistance training exercises that target major muscle groups are the best way to start. Functional exercises mimic everyday movements. So, focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and rows.
Pro Tip: Overhead press is one of the most neglected exercises for better posture and a functional fit body.
Use bodyweight exercises or resistance bands.
Build core strength for a functional fit body
A strong core is essential for stability and balance.
Include exercises like planks, bridges, and stability ball exercises in your routine.
The core begins at the knees and extends up to the rib cage.
Stability, balance, and coordination are key
Unilateral (one-sided) exercises such as single-leg stands, stability ball exercises or yoga poses are great for challenging yourself and improving balance.
No challenge, no growth.
Flexibility and mobility are true functionality
Stretch regularly to increase your range of motion. Active stretches are best.
Mobility increases by increasing strength at your current end range.
Building strength @ length so to speak.
The secret of sustainable functional fitness: progressive overload
From nothing, nothing can come.
Gradually increase the intensity of your workouts by adding more resistance, reps, or sets as your fitness improves. This principle ensures continuous progress.
Always give your best effort. Anything less is a waste of time.
Work hard, recover harder
Allow your body time to rest & recover between workouts to prevent overuse injuries.
Adequate sleep, nutrition, and active recovery techniques (e.g. yin yoga, foam rolling) are crucial.
Key Takeaway:
Mindless exercise has ruined bodies for years. Build that body awareness over time to sense what’s going on inside. That way you can explore your weak links safely and progress without plateaus.
Resource Discovery on a Functional Fit Body
We’ve been watching Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones on Netflix this week.
Those centenarians in various parts of the world basically live a Holistic Fitness approach.
Lessons learned:
They make movement a habit. They don’t necessarily have subscriptions to fancy gyms. It’s part of their daily life.
They use their bodies in a functional way. They keep their muscles and brains active by working with their hands. Instead of defaulting to cars, they walk everywhere. This way, they combine regular exercise with spending time in the great outdoors.
In Sardinia, for instance, towns with steep roads were found to have longer life and health spans compared to neighboring towns with flatter roads.
We need friction to thrive.
That’s it for today.
Hope you enjoyed it (and learned something new).
What’s going on in our world
It has been another wonderful week in our Mexican adventure.
This week we’ve been working on our second Ultimate Guide for our website. It’s called “Holistic Fitness — The Ultimate Bedrock Of Sustainable Success”. You can read it here.
We continued working on our book, which we plan to release in a few weeks.
We have been in Mexico City for a month, and a few days ago we moved to a new location.
Our 7th location in almost 6 months.
We’re grateful for every single experience and all the wonderful people we met on the way.
And we want to thank you for being part of our journey.
As always, stay fit, stay active, and enjoy your life.
Ketty & Markus
