Most wellness spaces are built around a single philosophy.
A yoga teacher may tell you yoga is the answer.
A runner may tell you to run.
A strength coach may tell you to lift weights.
But the human body is more intelligent than any single method.
Our needs change. Sometimes we need strength; other times stillness; sometimes we need movement, other times deep rest.
But what if the question is not which activity is best?
What if the better question is:
is this activity aligned with my goal?
It is not that you won’t benefit from practicing just one activity. You certainly will.
A person who only practices yoga, only swims, only runs, or only strength trains can still experience tremendous growth and improvement.
However, incorporating two or three complementary activities into your routine can often help you develop more holistically.
Research suggests that variety in physical activity can improve motivation, enjoyment, participation, and long-term adherence to exercise programs. In simple words, people are more likely to remain active when movement stays engaging and meaningful rather than repetitive. But the benefits go beyond avoiding boredom. (1)
Another research shows shocking results. A recent long-term study involving more than 100,000 people found that individuals who participated in a wider variety of physical activities had a lower risk of premature death and chronic disease compared to those who relied on a single type of exercise. (2)
Different activities challenge different systems of the body and brain. Like Strength training develops force production, muscular strength, bone density, and resilience. It teaches us how to generate power and adapt to physical stress.
Yoga can improve flexibility, mobility, balance, body awareness, breath regulation, and concentration. It encourages us to pay attention to sensations that often go unnoticed in daily life.
Dance combines movement with rhythm, memory, creativity, expression, and coordination. Dancers are constantly learning patterns, responding to music, and integrating mind and body in real time.
Sports often develop reaction time, decision-making, teamwork, communication skills, strategic thinking, and emotional regulation under pressure.
Swimming challenges cardiovascular endurance while demanding coordination between breath and movement. And the list goes on.
When we repeatedly engage in different activities, we are not only training muscles. We are training the brain.
Modern neuroscience shows that the brain remains adaptable throughout life. Learning new skills, coordinating complex movements, solving problems, and exposing ourselves to varied experiences all contribute to the brain’s ability to form new neural connections. But wait a minute, by saying this do I mean engaging in 10 different activities at the same time? No. I mean to train yourself in two dimensions “depth & breadth”. Depth describes staying with one practice long enough to develop mastery, discipline and identity. On the other hand, breadth means exploring different practices so you develop as a more complete human being. For example, someone training for marathon might combine running, strength training and yoga, another person may choose swimming, meditation and hiking. The combination depends upon your goals, lifestyle, supportive environment and what body needs at that point in life. A sustainable approach is to choose two or three activities that complement one another and commit to them for a period of time before reassessing your goals and interests.
Perhaps this is one reason why people who continue learning and exploring throughout life often remain mentally engaged and adaptable well into older age.
This concept is well established across different fields:
In learning science, psychologist K. Anders demonstrated that deliberate practice (repetition) leads to expertise.
In exercise science, cross-training and varied movement improve overall fitness and reduce overuse.
In neuroscience, novelty and learning new skills support neuroplasticity, while repetition strengthens neural pathways.
In psychology, there’s a balance between exploration and exploitation—exploring new possibilities while exploiting (deepening) what you already know. (3)
As the philosopher Plato observed:
“The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated.”
Maybe the same is true for wellness.
The body cannot be separated from the mind.
The mind cannot be separated from our emotions.
And our emotions cannot be separated from the purpose we find in our lives.
Before I leave you with that thought, I invite you to reflect on a few questions:
What form of exercise and activities bring me energy, joy, and meaning?
Is my routine helping me grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?
Have I become attached to one form of exercise while neglecting other aspects of health?
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” — Aristotle
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References and Further reading :
1 a) Kekäläinen et al. (2023). The impact of physical activity variety on physical activity participation: A systematic review.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37169353/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
b)The Impact of Physical Activity Variety on Physical Activity Participation
2) Research Suggests Variety Matters. Prevention (summarising findings from a large cohort study).
https://www.prevention.com/health/a70287688/best-exercise-longer-life-study/
3 a) Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406. DOI: 10.1037/0033-295X.100.3.363. https://openurl.ebsco.com/contentitem/doi:10.1037%2F0033-295X.100.3.363?sid=ebsco:plink:crawler&id=ebsco:doi:10.1037%2F0033-295X.100.3.363
b) Bahr, R., & Krosshaug, T. (2005). Understanding injury mechanisms: A key component of preventing injuries in sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 39(6), 324–329. DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2005.018341.
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/39/6/324
c) Draganski, B., Gaser, C., Busch, V., Schuierer, G., Bogdahn, U., & May, A. (2004). Neuroplasticity: Changes in grey matter induced by training. Nature, 427(6972), 311–312. DOI: 10.1038/427311a.
https://www.nature.com/articles/427311a
d) Cohen, J. D., McClure, S. M., & Yu, A. J. (2007). Should I stay or should I go? How the human brain manages the trade-off between exploitation and exploration. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 362(1481), 933–942. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2007.2098.
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