📬 Vital Wellness Weekly

Let’s keep it going with another week of momentum. This week's issue will give you 3 easy wins — one for your body, one for your plate, and one for your mind. Plus, a quick peek into what I've been reading, a motivational dose, and ways to stay connected.

🧭 Powered by Dr. Wesley | Brought to you by Vital Adjustment

Table of Contents

• 📬 Vital Wellness Weekly

  • 👋 Welcome / Personal Note

  • 🏋️ Pillar 1: Move Better

  • 🥗 Pillar 2: Fuel Smarter

  • 🧠 Pillar 3: Think Clearer

  • 🔥 Weekly Feature: What I'm Reading

  • 📣 Motivation / Quote of the Week

  • 🤝 Let’s Connect

  • 📤 Share the Vitality

👋 Welcome / Personal Note

With everything going on lately, I’ll be honest — my workouts have taken a back seat. Between work, family, and life in general, I’ve fallen into a “rest” routine that’s turned more into “stiff and sore.”

My shoulders have been tight, my neck’s been achy, and I’ve felt the difference not just physically, but mentally too. The irony? I was telling myself that skipping movement would help me feel better — but I’ve been paying the price for it. A little extra rest turned into more tension.

So this week, I’ve set a simple goal: 3 weight training sessions and 2 stretching/mobility sessions. Nothing crazy — just showing up for myself again.

If you’ve fallen off lately too, I get it. Life happens. But I’ll challenge you the same way I’m challenging myself: give yourself grace, then get back up and move. There’s too much at stake — your energy, your clarity, your ability to show up — to stay stuck.

Let’s start again. Together.

🏋️ Pillar 1: Move Better

Unlock Your Ankles, Improve Everything

Your ankles are the base of your movement pyramid. When they’re stiff, everything above them compensates — leading to knee, hip, foot and even low back issues.

Try this daily ankle mobility circuit (3 minutes):

Calf stretch (hold for 30 seconds per leg)

Toe raises and calf raises on a step (20 reps)

Deep squat hold with heels on the floor (hold for 30 seconds)

🥗 Pillar 2: Fuel Smarter

Are You Eating Enough Protein in the Morning?

Most people under-eat protein at breakfast and then wonder why they crash by 11am. You should aim to get 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 150lbs you should get 105 grams of protein per day. Protein keeps you fuller longer, supports muscle, and stabilizes your blood sugar.

Try this easy high-protein swap:

❌ Cereal + milk

✅ Greek yogurt + berries + chia seeds

Or

✅ 2 eggs + avocado + sprouted grain toast

🧠 Pillar 3: Think Clearer

Tension Doesn’t Just “Go Away” — You Have to Help It Out

Stress accumulates in your body. And if you’re like me, it tends to settle in your neck, shoulders, and low back. When you’re stuck in a cycle of chronic tension, your body keeps pouring cortisol into your system, which in turn:

• Wrecks your sleep

• Raises blood sugar

• Adds belly fat

• Breaks down muscle

• Kills focus

• Worsens anxiety

Try this 10-minute reset:

🎧 Put on calming music or nature sounds

💨 Do 2 minutes of deep breathing (4-4-6-2 count)

💆‍♂️ Spend 5 minutes with a massage ball or roller on tight areas

🛋 Finish with 3 minutes of stillness lying down, no phone. (I recommend a hard floor or carpet for lower back support)

This practice helps your nervous system shift out of survival mode and into recovery — even on your busiest days

🔥 Weekly Feature: What I'm Reading

I’ve been reading Spark by Dr. John Ratey — and it’s honestly changing how I think about exercise.

The main idea? Exercise isn’t just good for your body — it’s one of the most powerful tools you have for mental health, focus, learning, and stress reduction.

Here are a few gems from the first few chapters:

✅ Exercise changes your brain chemistry instantly.

Just one bout of physical activity floods your brain with neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine — the same chemicals many antidepressants aim to boost.

✅ Movement builds brain cells.

Cardio triggers neurogenesis — the creation of new brain cells — particularly in the hippocampus, which plays a key role in memory and emotional regulation.

✅ The best time to learn or focus?

Right after you move. In the book, Ratey shows how schools that start the day with physical activity have significantly better academic and behavioral outcomes.

✅ Stress regulation starts in your sneakers.

Regular movement helps regulate cortisol and rebalances your nervous system. It acts as a buffer — helping you respond, not react, to stress.

I’ve only just started the book, but I’m already seeing it reinforce everything we believe at Vital Adjustment: Movement is medicine — for the body and the mind.

💭 Have you read Spark or another book that shifted how you think about health? I’d love to hear about it — just hit reply.

If you'd like to read the book yourself you can pick it up here on amazon 👉

📣 Motivation / Quote of the Week

🤝 Let’s Connect

What was your favorite tip this week? Hit reply—I read every response.

📤 Share the Vitality

Know someone who’s trying to feel better this year? Forward this to them or share your favorite section on social!

💬 *Thanks for reading—see you next Monday for another Vital Wellness Weekly!

– Dr. Wesley