Welcome back to the journey of unlocking your best self! In our last article, we explored the essence of holistic wellness—a life where physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual well-being come together for a balanced, fulfilling existence. But the question remains: How do we know where we currently stand? The answer lies in assessing our health across all dimensions. This article will start with physical wellness, as it forms the foundation of your health and wellness.

So, let’s break down how you can measure your wellness today and set yourself on a path to lifelong health. This guide will keep things simple, actionable, and, most importantly, attainable—no fancy equipment or understanding of medical jargon is needed.

Start with Your Foundation: Physical Wellness

Physical wellness is the backbone of your journey. It’s where you start seeing measurable results that motivate you to keep going. Let’s take a few straightforward steps to get a snapshot of your physical health.

1. Essential Blood Work: A Quick Health Check-in

• Hemoglobin A1C: This test provides an average of blood glucose levels over the past two to three months, making it a valuable indicator of long-term blood sugar control. Higher A1C levels can indicate prediabetes or diabetes.
• Lipid Panel: This test measures various types of lipids in the blood, including LDL (low-density lipoprotein), often called “bad cholesterol,” HDL (high-density lipoprotein), known as “good cholesterol,” and triglycerides. Elevated LDL and triglyceride levels can increase the risk of heart disease, while high HDL levels are generally protective.
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D plays a key role in maintaining strong bones by helping the body absorb calcium. It’s also important for immune function and may impact mood regulation.

Tip: I highly recommend a comprehensive list of tests in addition to the ones mentioned above. You can ask your doctor for a bloodwork requisition for these tests: (https://store.insidetracker.com/products/insidetracker-membership). They cover various aspects of your health, including Heart Health, Hormone Balance, Inflammation, Metabolism, Endurance, and Fitness.

You don’t need to use InsideTracker; I have shared their link as a reference for their list of the various tests. In Canada, DynaCare or Lifelabs can perform these tests. Most of these tests are often covered by insurance or available through routine screenings.

Tracking your wellness is great, but remember—this data and trends aren’t just a quirky personality trait! If a test result looks off, it’s time to chat with your doctor (and maybe reconsider those late-night snack habits).

2. Beyond Blood Tests: Metabolic Health

Metabolism is the engine driving your body. When it’s running smoothly, so are you. In his book Outlive, Peter Attia emphasizes that metabolic health is vital to preventing chronic disease. He’s identified five criteria that indicate metabolic syndrome, which is on an early continuum for significant diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Metabolic syndrome is defined in terms of the following five criteria:

• High Blood Pressure: (>130/85)
• Waist Circumference: (>40 in men or >35 in women)
• High triglycerides: (>150 mg/dL)
• Low HDL cholesterol (<40 mg/dL in men or <50 mg/dL in women)
• Elevated fasting glucose (>110mg/dL)

You have metabolic syndrome if you meet three or more of these criteria. And if that’s the case, it’s time to up your wellness game and reverse your condition as soon as possible.

Tip: Your doctor can easily perform these tests. Tracking and tackling metabolic health is a powerful way to support long-term wellness proactively!

3. Everyday Metrics You Can Track Right Now

Some metrics don’t require a trip to the doctor. Wearable devices, from Fitbits to Apple Watches, can provide invaluable insights into your daily wellness.

• Resting Heart Rate (RHR): A lower RHR indicates better heart health. Aim for a range of 60-100 beats per minute. Studies have found that individuals with an RHR between 81 and 90 doubled the chance of death, while an RHR higher than 90 tripled it.
• Heart Rate Variability (HRV) shows how well your body handles stress. Higher HRV = more resilience. This metric should be monitored weekly or monthly; tracking it daily doesn’t make sense.
• Sleep Quality and Activity Levels: Track your sleep, steps, and movement patterns to understand your energy levels and identify areas for improvement. General guidelines are to get 8 hours of sleep, 25% of which should be deep sleep. 

Tip: Regularly checking these simple metrics is an easy way to stay in tune with your body. Over time, patterns will emerge, letting you adjust your habits for optimal health.

4. Basic Fitness Tests: Quick and Insightful

While blood tests and scans are helpful, don’t overlook the value of basic fitness tests to gauge your overall health. Two simple ones you can try are:

• Grip Strength: This is an easy way to measure overall muscle function and health. Stronger grip strength has been linked to a longer, healthier life. A study¹ of nearly half a million patients in the UK found that patients with the weakest grip strength had a 72% higher incidence of dementia than those with the strongest grip strength.
• VO2 Max (Cardiorespiratory Fitness): This measures how well your body uses oxygen during exercise and is a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness. Many fitness trackers can now estimate your VO2 max, making monitoring it easy. Studies² have found that poor cardiovascular fitness carries a greater relative risk of dying than smoking.
• Standing on One Leg: An article in the National Post³ about a study by Mayo clinic showed that one-legged standing time declined by 2.2 seconds per decade in the non-dominant side. Balance is vital as we age. According to Canada’s National Initiative for Care of the Elderly, falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations and injury deaths among Canadians aged 65 and older.

Tip: Introducing simple practices like 1-2 weight workouts and walking a few times a week can improve overall muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. For the balancing test, you are doing well if you can stand on one leg for 30 seconds.

5. Get Comprehensive with a Dexa Scan

If you’re curious about your body composition (and not just the number on the scale), consider a Dexa scan. This test provides insights into your bone density, muscle mass, and body fat percentage—metrics that are key to physical strength and longevity.

Tip: Measuring visceral fat percentage is much more critical than determining your body's overall fat composition, as higher-than-average levels significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

6. Quantified Self: Your Personal Wellness Dashboard

Finally, the Quantified Self is about turning the mirror inward, using data to understand the intricate details of your daily life and how they impact your health. This movement focuses on leveraging data from wearable devices, health apps, and wellness tools to measure key health and habits, bringing you closer to a more self-aware and proactive approach to wellness. Studies⁴ have shown that the quantified self is an essential tool for achieving proactive wellness and the concepts of Medicine 3.0, which we discussed in the previous article.

What Is the Quantified Self?

The Quantified Self involves collecting data on various aspects of your life, such as physical activity, heart rate, sleep, and even mood. By turning real-life actions into data points, the Quantified Self-movement empowers individuals to gain insights that would otherwise remain hidden. These data points become metrics you can track over time, helping you connect actions to outcomes and make informed decisions for better health.

Why Is It Important?

With data, we move beyond guesswork. Imagine being able to clearly see how consistent sleep patterns improve your daily energy levels or how regular physical activity lowers your resting heart rate. The Quantified Self approach highlights patterns and trends that often escape notice, making it easier to pinpoint lifestyle changes that yield the most significant benefits. This practice can be transformative for seniors and those focused on wellness by providing personalized insights into what works best for their bodies and lifestyles.

How It Can Motivate You to Stay on Top of Wellness

Quantifying yourself gives you real-time feedback on your journey. Seeing improvements in metrics like sleep quality, heart rate variability (HRV), or activity levels can be incredibly motivating. You’re not just guessing that you feel better—you have tangible proof! 

Example of Motivation in Action: Imagine you’ve been tracking your steps daily, aiming to increase your physical activity. Over a few weeks, you notice your average resting heart rate has dropped—a clear sign of improved cardiovascular health. This small but visible change can motivate you to keep going, reinforcing that every step counts towards long-term wellness.

Putting It All Together

Measuring your wellness doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. Start with these simple tests to create a baseline, using whatever tools and resources feel most comfortable for you. Over time, these wellness checks and trends will help you see where you’re thriving and where you could make small adjustments.

Remember, wellness is a journey, not a destination. If you’re feeling inspired, stay tuned for my next article, where we’ll explore building routines around these dimensions and making wellness a habit for life.

Let’s take this journey one step at a time—together. If you missed the first article on the foundations of holistic wellness, check it out here to start from the beginning!