Are Wellness Routines Becoming Too Complicated?
I heard something recently that I just can’t stop thinking about.
I was listening to a podcast where a wellness influencer was doing a Q&A with her audience.
Someone asked her: “What’s your routine before going out to dinner with friends?”
I leaned in, genuinely curious.
And what followed was a 19-step, all-day protocol that included weightlifting, a sauna session, celery juice, pre-meal walks, activated charcoal, probiotics, castor oil on the belly button, digestive enzymes, an epsom salt bath, and a long list of additional supplements.
Nineteen steps.
Just to go out to dinner.
The very next day, I saw an Instagram reel where a woman shared her 13-step morning routine: cold plunging, supplements, meditation, face yoga, dry brushing, a PEMF mat, and more.
Now, I’m all for routines that help you feel your best. I have wellness routines that I love and love to share.
But moments like this make me pause.
Because wellness has become such a massive industry that it’s getting harder and harder to know what’s actually helpful…and what’s just noise.
One scroll through social media and it’s easy to start wondering:
Should I be doing all of that too?
And what I see happening over and over again is this:
We’re trying to optimize our health before we’ve even solidified the basics.
And that’s what I want to talk about today.
Why Do Wellness Trends Focus on Optimization Instead of the Basics?
I love finding new ways to support my own health and my family’s. And many of these trending tools do have merit.
Certain supplements, used intentionally, can support specific goals.
Practices like sauna or nutrient tracking can be valuable for the right person at the right time.
But there’s a meaningful difference between making intentional choices to support your health and getting swept into an optimization culture that always has something new to sell you.
One moves you forward and meets you where you’re at.
The other keeps you in a cycle of focusing on the next flashy thing – but not necessarily the thing that moves the needle most.
What concerns me most isn’t the tools themselves. It’s the order of operations.
Most of these strategies are designed to enhance a foundation that’s already solid.
But what most people miss is that they’re the 5%, not the 95%.
When we skip straight to the 5%, it’s a bit like adding a high-performance fuel to a car that hasn’t had an oil change in years.
The foundation has to come first. And most of us (even the most wellness-savvy among us) have far more room to grow in the basics than we do in the advanced strategies.
Why the Most Effective Health Habits Are the Simple Ones
The Basics Are Not Boring. They’re Just Not Profitable.
As a founder, Pilates instructor, and Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, I understand something about this industry that I think is worth saying out loud: at its core, wellness has become a business industry. And like any industry, it grows by creating demand.
Social media has only intensified this. Influencers build entire platforms around their morning routines, supplement stacks, cold plunges, and continuous glucose monitors – leading you to believe that the NEW thing might be the thing that finally moves the needle for you.
Or even leading you to believe the more you do, the better you’ll feel.
Let me share something I’ve observed working with women for over a decade: the ones who feel the best in their bodies are almost never the ones doing the most.
They’re the ones who consistently prioritize the fundamentals.
What Are the Most Important Health Basics for Long-Term Wellness?
- Daily movement
- Adequate hydration
- Nourishing meals built around whole foods
- Quality sleep
- Stress regulation
These are the things that science has proven, again and again, to have the biggest impact on our health and how we feel.
Consider walking alone. Data from nearly 227,000 people across multiple countries found that every 1,000 steps added to your daily total was associated with a 15% reduction in all-cause mortality.Not a supplement. Not a 10-step protocol. Just a simple walk!
Or take hydration. A NIH study that followed more than 11,000 adults for 25 years found that people who were chronically under-hydrated had a significantly higher risk of developing chronic disease and were more likely to experience accelerated aging.
As a Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, I know that the sequence in which we support the body matters enormously.
We don’t add targeted supplements and adaptogens before we’ve addressed whether someone is digesting their food well, sleeping enough, eating enough, or drinking enough water.
Starting with the “extras” before building the foundation is like decorating a house before the walls are even up.
The foundations move the needle because before the body is reading for optimization, it needs a solid foundation.
When you improve the foundation, your body responds and has the best possible chance to function optimally on its own.
These basics don’t get much attention because, frankly, they don’t get clicks and they don’t sell.
It’s hard to build a product line around “drink more water and go to bed earlier” and there’s no influencer commission on a 20-minute evening walk.
But I’m here to tell you that there is a profound transformation available to you on the other side of those simple, unsexy habits.
And it’s a big part of what we focus on here at Lindywell.
What Should You Focus on First When Improving Your Health?
If you’re feeling exhausted, inflamed, out of sync with your body, or like nothing you try is working, before you add anything new, I want you to honestly ask yourself how you’re doing with the basics:
- Are you moving your body consistently most days of the week?
- Are you drinking enough water throughout the day?
- Are you eating regular, nourishing meals with enough protein?
- Are you getting 7-8 hours of sleep most nights?
- Are you doing anything to actively regulate your nervous system – even five minutes of deep breathing or a slow walk outside?
If the honest answer to any of those is not really – that’s your work right now.
Why Consistent Health Habits Matter More Than the Latest Wellness Trend
The honest truth:
If you’re not walking daily, hold off on buying the expensive gadget and get outside.
If you’re skipping meals or eating convenience foods, don’t add an expensive supplement until you focus on the food you’re eating first.
I’ve seen so many women spin their wheels chasing optimization or the “next thing” while their foundation is where the real opportunity exists.
Build the foundation first. Then explore what else might support you further.
A Simple Question to Help You Build a Stronger Health Foundation
Here’s what I want you to take away from all of this…
You don’t need a 19-step routine to enjoy dinner with your friends, you don’t need a cabinet full of supplements and you don’t need the latest piece of equipment in order to improve your health.
What most of us need is to focus on the basics with consistency.
The wellness industry will always be selling you the next thing. That’s not going to change. But I encourage you to continue being a thoughtful consumer so you can decide what you actually need.
More often than not, the answer is simpler than you think.
This is exactly why Lindywell exists. To be the voice that tells you the truth, even when the truth is less exciting than a new protocol.
We’re here to help you build the kind of health that actually lasts: through consistent movement, real nourishment, and a kinder relationship with your body.
So this week, I invite you to reflect on one question:
What’s one foundational habit you could focus on right now?
Start there. I promise it will be far more effective than chasing the latest trend.
Note: I genuinely enjoy trying new things when it comes to health and fitness. I focus on my foundations 95% of the time and fun, new things 5% of the time. Partly because I enjoy it and partly because it’s my job to continue learning and testing so I can help you cut through the noise.
Do you have confusion on whether something is an unnecessary trend or want more guidance on how to focus on a specific foundational habit? Comment on this post so I can address it in an upcoming Wellness Wednesday email/blog post. 💛
