Winning Wellness With Live Laman
Fitness
Today, we’re highlighting wellness coach Laman Ben-Trahoret (@LamanLift). He founded his company, Live Laman, to empower clients to live healthier lives. Laman’s mission is to uplift his entire community through food and fitness.
A complex range of factors impact mental health. Ultimately, our personal experiences will always dictate the level of care and support we need. Something we all have in common is the close link between our mental wellness and physical wellbeing.
What are two affordable and accessible ways to stay physically well? Start off by embracing a healthy diet and building fitness into your daily life.
Body & Mind: A Holistic Approach to Wellness
Laman takes three dimensions of health into account when working with clients. He maps out a strategic and achievable path to guide people along their wellness journey:
- Physically, through exercise and nutrition.
- Intellectually, by teaching proper form and fitness methodology.
- Emotionally, by helping them build the self-confidence and motivation to be fit.
"Life is a journey for all of us. The things that make you happy are the actions you should continue to do. The things that don’t aren’t for you, and that’s fine. Live your own truth, no one else’s. Be uplifted."
A combination of diet and exercise isn’t a perfect solution for treating mental health. It’s certainly a great first step in caring for ourselves, though!
Certain conditions like depression and anxiety require professional treatment. Examples include seeing a psychiatrist or online therapy. If that’s the case, we highly encourage everyone to seek out medical support if they need to.
Interestingly, research consistently indicates the ancillary benefits of physical activity.
Consider the findings of this study conducted by the NIH:
“As a “polypill,” physical activity has concrete benefits for mental health:
- Preventing and treating several diseases
- Not generating adverse responses
- Being a low-cost alternative compared to drugs, surgeries, and hospitalizations
- Prevention of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases
- Increased neurogenesis,
- Enhanced cognitive and behavioral functions”
What can we take away from this research? Well, the better we take care of our bodies, the easier self-care becomes. When we feel physically better, we can focus on emotional and mental wellness, too. Tapping into your sources of strength and resilience is a great way to start.
How to Overcome the Obstacles to Wellness COVID-19 Creates
During the pandemic, it’s harder than ever to stay active. Being stuck in isolation while working from home and social distancing can cause loneliness and boredom. Negative feelings like these make it tempting to put healthy eating on the back burner.
Eating a healthy diet and staying active are two essential ways to stay physically healthy. Both of these goals can help our minds feel better, too. Cognitive functionality and emotional regulation are just two of the positive outcomes we can achieve.
Right now, there are so many new risk factors COVID-19 poses to our mental and physical health. So, it’s more critical than ever to take preventive measures. Self-care means caring for ourselves both inside and out. Check out our COVID-19 Resource Hub for expert resources and information!
Nourish Your Body, Feed Your Mind
Laman both cooks delicious and nutritious meals for his clients and teaches them recipes to make. Based on individualized macronutrient requirements, he shows people how to recalibrate their whole diet Laman empowers people to develop better daily habits so they can live a more sustainable lifestyle overall.
On his website and Instagram accounts, Laman features tips for healthy eating.
Below, we’re sharing 3 of his nutrition tips:
Nutrition Tip 1:
“They say good things come in 3’s. If you eat three meals a day, make the first one is healthy and nutritious. Then, you have 2 more opportunities to keep the trend going.
Make that saying a reality. Starting off the day with a balanced breakfast will keep you powered through the day. As a bonus, you’ll also feel less groggy during the morning.”
Nutrition Tip 2:
“Consider these 6 foods for your next bedtime snack! Ending the day with foods that stimulate better sleep is another good way to live a fit lifestyle. Complex carbs, warm drinks like almond milk and tea, and some fruits all have melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep. Eating foods rich in melatonin can increase your blood levels of the hormone, helping you sleep more soundly.” ⠀
6 Bedtime Foods for Better Sleep:
1 Oatmeal
2 Tea
3 Walnuts
4 Tuna
5 Fruits
6 Almond Milk
Nutrition Tip 3:
Many of Laman’s posts feature delicious and nutritious recipes you can try for yourself:
”Can’t wait till your next beach trip? Same 😎! In the meantime, enjoy the island vibes with this tropical salmon recipe:”
- Bell Peppers
- Ginger Root
- Fresh Cilantro
- Sockeye Salmon
- Pineapple
- Paprika
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Onion Flakes
- Salt & Pepper
How to Stay Active During the COVID-19 Pandemic – From Home!
With most gyms closed, it takes a little innovation and a lot of motivation to maintain an active lifestyle. If you’re drawing a blank on how to maintain your workout routine, you’re not alone!
Right now, Laman is focused on building an online catalog of fitness and nutrition videos on his website. Many of them are working from home or social distancing-friendly and gym-free!
Check out these videos to learn some workouts you can do from home. Below, you’ll find two creative workout ideas. Use these tips to get your heart rate up and boost your mood while stuck at home social due to COVID-19:
At-Home Workout #1
“No gym, no weight, and nothing but free time 🙋🏾♂️. Add these resistance band workouts to your home routine! Bands can be used to train just about any muscle, not just legs.”
6 Resistance Band Exercise Ideas:
1 Bicep Curl
2 Tricep Extension
3 Pull Apart
4 Squats
5 Lying Hamstring Curl
6 Leg Lifts
At-Home Workout #2
“More days in the house = more creative ways to stay fit. No gym, no weights, no problem. This chest workout is a great burn, that’ll keep you toned and cut while you practice social distancing. Try them out 💪🏾!”
Looking for more quarantine-friendly fitness ideas?
-Check out our guide to 50 social distancing ideas for more ways to get active, such as virtual workout classes you can take online!
-Recently, we featured an Abs by A account takeover by Alexandra Tennant. As a Vida Fitness Group Instructor, she showed us some killer ab workouts you can do in 15 minutes or less!
Approach Wellness Based on the Personal Goals That Matter Most to You
Laman takes a holistic approach to personal training that extends far beyond hours in the gym or reps on a bench. Break your objectives down into small steps. Then, set attainable goals for yourself beyond the number on the scale.
Here are 3 examples of what this looks like:
- Learning how to cook a certain number of nutritious meals a month
- Increasing how many reps you can do or miles you can run by a set date
- Meditating or journaling to nourish your emotional self daily or weekly
By tracking metrics, you can measure progress and efficacy. Laman’s data-driven strategy demonstrates the benefits of committing to personal wellness.
Research Reinforces the Role of Physical Activity in Mental Wellness
An NIH funded study from 2019 based on 20 years of research makes an important point. There’s no one right way to exercise. Every little step counts!
- “Physical activity should be viewed as a continuum ranging from:
- Virtually no movement at all, (e.g. sedentary behavior or sitting time)
- …through light physical activity (e.g., light ambulation),
- … to moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity, MVPA (Playing sports, Cycling)
While MVPA and “exercise” are most often associated with better mental health, we shouldn’t rule out the positive changes that occur lower down the continuum. Notably, people have widely varying preferences for the types of activity. Many of the mental health benefits we get from exercise come from doing things we enjoy and want to do.”
"In this lifetime, the real movers and future leaders are those who are able to pivot when they get knocked down.
Advice For Navigating Career Setbacks Due to COVID-19
Laman left the corporate world to become an entrepreneur and pursue his dream. As a wellness coach, he now turns individuals’ physical, intellectual, and emotional wellness goals into reality.
“It was a risky move, and not a seamless transition, but ultimately it was the right thing for me to do.”
Many people are experiencing unexpected career changes, from salary cuts and being furloughed to losing your job entirely. If you’re in a position like this right now, Laman has some words of encouragement for you:
Turn Your Passion into a Profession
“Unexpected career changes such as being laid off can cause feelings of loneliness and inadequacy. It’s so important to understand that the majority of relationships are not meant to be forever. For business relationships, this is especially true.
If a company was not utilizing you, that’s on them, but if they have moved on, you have to move on as well. Trust me, I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s something that will get easier over time.
In this lifetime, the real movers and future leaders are those that are able to pivot when they get knocked down.
If there is anything you’ve thought about doing or have great passion for but never considered doing professionally before, look up some facts and see how you can monetize it.
If the corporate life is what you seek, then apply for positions that are more aligned to your talents than your last job.
Dealing with the loneliness is the hardest part, but understand that we are trained to over analyze our failures. To get above it, you just have to try something new and hope it works. There is no secret formula or silver bullet; it just takes time.
Have a network of people to talk to and share ideas. In the meantime, work on expanding your network so can reach new areas you hadn’t considered before.”
Start Your Fitness Journey with Wellness Coach Live Laman
Are you based in the DMV and ready to get started on your own wellness journey? If you’ve never worked with a coach, you might be surprised to discover how much progress you can make.
Consistent results come from building minimal behavioral changes and simple habits into your daily routine.
Live Laman empowers clients with tools and techniques that dramatically increase the odds of manifesting those coveted aha-moments. Reach out to Laman via Instagram @LamanLift to experience for yourself what it means to be UPLIFTED.
Bio: Wellness Coach Live Laman
Laman has great expectations for himself and his business. A DMV native, he is a first generation American of Ivorian parents, and also speaks French fluently.
Laman credits most of his success to his upbringing in Gaithersburg MD, and worldly experience living in Cote D’Ivoire and France in his youth.
What makes Laman truly exceptional is his ability to connect to people on a deeper level. He motivates, educates, and empowers all around him to do better, be better, and achieve more.
Fitness
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