Every summer I come home to BC and feel my body and mind gently aligning.
I remember that health isn't something we need to overthink and stress about, but rather something we reconnect with. As a former personal trainer of more than ten years, I now know that our bodies are seasonal, and each season has its purpose.
Ten years ago, my blogs and articles would offer up body weight exercises to do in the park. While I still highly encourage outdoor workouts for extra vitamin D, fresh air, and different exercises, I now know that health isn’t just workouts, steps, calories, and macros. Those things certainly have their place, but optimal health is a holistic endeavor. The practices that seem almost too simple or insignificant are often the very things that create a lasting foundation.
In my earlier personal training days, I believed the answer to better health was in doing more. Another workout, another nutrition strategy, another routine. Experience has taught me something different. True health isn’t built through constant pushing; it’s built by creating the right conditions for the body to function, and trusting our internal rhythm. The human body has the ability to heal, adapt, and restore itself when we consistently provide it with the basics it has always needed.
Being in my forties, I now approach health from a more cellular point of view. Modern life has quietly moved us indoors. Fluorescent lighting, screens, air-conditioned environments, endless notifications, and headphones all have a stimulating effect on our brain.
Perhaps this is why so many people are searching for ways to improve their sleep, reduce anxiety, increase energy, or simply feel like themselves again. Rather than viewing these experiences as personal shortcomings, I believe they are common signs to create more internal harmony than we think is necessary.
Fortunately, summer naturally provides many of those opportunities.
Something as simple as 10 minutes of morning sunlight has a handful of benefits for everything from our Pineal gland to mitochondrial health. These both influence energy, focus, sleep, and hormones.
My group coaching clients often ask me for supplements, vitamin recommendations, etc. The foundations of my health coaching methodology are centered around creating supportive structure. Starting with the most impactful first. For one of my recent clients, something as simple as going to bed 1 hour earlier has made the most profound impact on her health and fitness.
I don't believe health has to involve a perfect workout routine, perfect supplement stack, or even hitting 10K steps. It begins with deciding. Deciding on the change, then coupling it with lifestyle shifts, makes optimal health more accessible and progressive. One of the most effective behavioral change strategies is known as habit stacking, attaching one small habit to something you already do consistently. Rather than trying to transform your entire lifestyle overnight, you simply build momentum one habit at a time.
For example:
Habit #1: Wake up 30 minutes earlier.
Habit #2: Do a 15-minute loop around the neighborhood.
Habit stacking creates new brain circuits and expands the body’s capacity for growth. These methods are no longer just for high performers; they're becoming essential for anyone wanting to protect their physical and mental health in an increasingly demanding world. If we don't intentionally shape our daily environment, something else inevitably will.
Maximizing time outside also naturally leads to more movement, often without us even realizing it. Parking a little farther away, taking the SkyTrain instead of driving every now and then, walking to meet a friend, swimming at the lake, or exploring a new trail all become opportunities for the body to heal itself. Health doesn't always require adding more to our calendars; sometimes it simply comes from living our everyday lives a little differently.
Building a healthier body is a lifelong journey, and in my experience, caring for our mental health is one of the most important investments we can make. Prioritizing even 10 minutes of Vitamin D and morning light exposure nourishes eye health, cellular health, bone health, brain health, and circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycles).
The healthiest people aren’t just chasing workouts; rather, they’ve built a life that keeps them stimulated in multiple ways.
Lastly, one of the richest offerings the summers bring that is highly relevant to our mental and physical health is social connection. Whether it is a much-needed, well-balanced patio session or going to community events, social interaction stimulates the release of oxytocin and endorphins. It may even provide a remembrance or sense of belonging that can feel so nourishing these days.
So, while summer naturally invites us to be more active, my recommendation is to keep it simple and create more space for the season to unfold. Allow your sleep and wake cycles to adjust with the light, spend more time outside than you think you need to, and let nature do some of the work.
