Welcome to back FOURWORDS by TORIAL Media. Each issue, expect to see our take on fitness, wellness, and cultural topics. Next up: the connection between finance and fitness, how to build a strong gym brand, and more.
A word on…wellness shots
Wellness shots come up constantly on my social media feeds, and I’ll admit that I’ve been tempted to try them out — there’s something about the bright colors (and the promised benefits) that draw me in every time. So, I turned to Marissa Meshulam, RD, owner of mpm nutrition, to find out if they’re worth it or too good to be true.
The bottom line: Wellness shots are “nutrition 2.0,” Meshulam says. In other words, they’re probably not the first step you want to take toward a healthy lifestyle. “If a client isn’t eating balanced meals throughout the day, moving their body, [and] drinking water, I am not suggesting a wellness shot,” she explains. With that said, if you’re already focused on maintaining a healthy diet, wellness shots can be a nice way to boost your consumption of ingredients you might not otherwise use, according to the RD. (For instance, if you’re not about including apple cider vinegar in a meal because you don’t love the taste, you might be able to tolerate it as part of a wellness shot recipe.)
Now, on social media, you’ll see plenty of posts about “immune-boosting” shots. But there are other varieties, too. For example, Pressed makes a post-workout recovery shot (including tart cherry, turmeric, lemon, black pepper, and beet powder) that’s meant to calm inflammation after a tough session. They also offer a few types of hydration shots, like one with water, lemon juice, and aloe vera.
-Erin Warwood, TORIAL editor
A word on…the fitness-finance connection
You prioritize your physical health, but how much do you work on your financial health? Paceline is unifying the two through their free (!) app that gives you rewards (think: discounts on your favorite health and fitness brands) when you hit your weekly 150-minute movement goal, tracked on your wearable of choice.
And the new Paceline Card gives you up to 5% cash back on Health & Wellness purchases (including groceries and your gym membership). BTW: You can earn back the cost of Apple Watch over the course of a year if you put it on your Paceline Card. You have to download the app, then apply for the Card.
I've been loving covering the fitness-finance connection for Paceline, through pieces like this one on how much your sleep is worth.
-Caitlin Carlson, TORIAL co-founder
A word on…compromised running
In its simplest form, compromised running is breaking up your runs with bouts of other exercise. For example, I’ve been doing six milers and breaking them up with things like bar muscle ups, toes to bar, and the monkey bars. Since CrossFit, the term “hybrid athlete” has been really catching on. It’s not a new concept, but hybrid athlete events like DEKA and HYROX are very popular, and they’re a lot of fun.
I’ve always integrated this kind of workout in my training, but I didn’t really have a name for it until I got more involved with hybrid athletes and Spartan racers. For hybrids or OCR athletes, compromised running is a great way to prep your body for challenges or obstacles that require strength in the midst of an endurance race. And if you aren’t training for a hybrid or OCR event, it can still help you keep your running regimen fresh and conditioning up.
-Mike Simone, TORIAL co-founder and creator of humanfitproject
A word from…Wyatt Krueger, owner of One/Gym
Build the culture of your gym, and everything else will follow.
That’s my number one tip for forming a strong gym brand: Focus on establishing a culture that fits your mission and values, not just on creating community. That culture will serve as the foundation from which a community can grow.
Your culture is the vibe, direction, and structure you want your brand to represent and market. It ultimately attracts your business avatar (that ideal client or member that will help you and your brand grow in the direction you want).
At One/Gym, our culture is built around the individual that craves a unique hybrid style training program, and thrives off structure, accountability, consistency, and inclusivity. Our offerings are also a big part of our culture. We see value in cross-functional style workouts as well as traditional resistance training and isolated lifts. So, we created our unique and progressive program that pairs the two, and we emphasize strength-building as well as aerobic/anaerobic conditioning.
Bottom line: One/Gym welcomes the everyday gym goer that wants to get stronger, improve the health of their mind and body, challenge themselves, and step outside their comfort zone in order to grow.
DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It’s not intended as medical advice. Consult your doctor before making any lifestyle changes.