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THE WELL FORMATION by The Well, Co-Founder Keiran Barry

I recently went to a Lifestyle Medicine Conference and it was brilliant in so many ways.  For a long time, western medicine looked at parts of the human body and the bodies systems in isolation.  This is clearly a poor practice as we don’t work in isolation. For example, gut health plays an incredibly important role in mental state, skin condition etc.   Lifestyle medicine, as the name suggests, focusses on the link between the bodies systems and the practical changes a person can make to their lifestyle to improve health.

The conference was for health professionals, so the audience was made up of GPs, specialists, physio’s, chiros, dietitians/nutritionists, psychologists, exercise physiologists, masseurs etc. It was encouraging because there were so many different professionals with common ideas and ways of working together for the best possible client outcomes.  For example, I heard a GP say that when a patient comes to see her with stress/anxiety issues, their first step is to refer the patient to a nutritionist. It was great to hear.

Lifestyle medicine is not aimed at replacing western medicine or medications. It is aimed at using research-proven practices to improve health. These practices included traditional treatments such as doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists and the like. However, it also recognises exercise, diet, social connection, and mental training, for example, mindfulness, meditation as treatment. It recognises that when used correctly, these practices greatly improve patient outcomes and naturally reduce the need for pharmaceuticals.

 

Simply focussing on one aspect of health or fitness is not enough and it’s great to see that becoming more widely accepted by the medical community and general public.

My personal client experience has driven my desire to be part of making The Well a reality. The co-founder on this journey is Robby and as friends with shared belief in the critical importance of holistic health, together we wanted to make this an accessible reality. It may cost a little more than a 24-hour gym but that is because it is so much more than one. We've dug in and created a community and a wellness space that in parts looks like a gym but in fact all aspects have been carefully planned to help you get balance in your life. It is not easy. It takes a commitment from you, commitment from us and, as I have experienced since opening my first gym in Bondi nearly 25 years ago, a village of support. Our incredible therapists, trainers, chefs, all our staff and members are that village. We'd love you to enrich and contribute to that.

Creating a feel-good mindset incrementally will silently evolve your physical appearance effortlessly. As a result, you will no longer be trying to look good for others but feel good for yourself. Looking good will be the bonus!

I felt reassured because the conference presented a lot of evidence that supported my experience over more than 25 years in health and training. I've worked with world champion athletes, famous celebrities, business leaders and thousands of people of all ages and fitness levels and without exception, the best results come when that person approaches their health holistically and has the support of a team of people.

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