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