Let's start with the basics: What is a health stack?
Your health stack is what you consider your go-to mixture of health and wellness techniques, tactics and technologies. It is everything included in your daily, weekly, monthly or general life routine to live a stronger, healthier lifestyle. Think wearable fitness trackers, eating habits, morning routines and more! Have you taken a look at your health stack lately?
Our health stacks
To get an idea of how you may visualize a health stack, here are a few of ours:
Stack Content:
M:
- Activities: Pilates, Hot Yoga, Long distance running, Hiking, Physiotherapy and massage therapy
- Tech: Meditation app, Music/Audiobook/Podcast apps, Smartwatch activity tracking, Nutrition app, Water reminder and tracking app
- Equipment: Wireless earbuds, Yoga mat, Resistance bands, Runners, imaware Immune Defense test
- Nutrition: Vitamin D supplements, Omega-3 supplements, Daily breakfast of oatmeal, Pea protein powder
E:
- Activities: Gym and workout classes, Chiropractor and physical therapy, Hikes
- Tech: Smart scale, Monthly body scan, Nutrition app, Smartwatch activity tracking, Music/Audiobook apps
- Equipment: Wireless headphones, Yoga mat, Drink tumbler, Foam roller, Hiking/running/training shoes, imaware Thyroid Screening test
- Nutrition: Vitamins, Healthy meal kit delivery, Nutritionist sessions
A:
- Activities: Cross training, Weekly therapy sessions
- Tech: Run tracker app, Smartwatch activity tracking, Meditation app, Daily journaling app, Sleep tracker, Personalized mobility app, Smart body weight scale
- Equipment: Wireless earbuds, Massage gun, Foam roller, Training shoes, imaware Vitamin D Monitoring
- Nutrition: Vitamin D supplements, Pre-workout, Protein powder, Creatine, Magnesium synergy powder
Benefits
Taking the time to analyze your health stack is a worthwhile practice — not so that you stay up to date on the latest gadgets or wellness trends, but so you remain on track to meet your goals. It is helpful to understand how your health stack elements work together, not just the value you gain from them individually.
Tim Ferriss' book, Tools of Titans, contains excellent examples of things people consider essential to their routines. From scientists and athletes to celebrities and billionaires, the individuals in his book have personal recommendations for how to live and operate better.1
“Humans are imperfect creatures. You don’t “succeed” because you have no weaknesses; you succeed because you find your unique strengths and focus on developing habits around them.” - Tim Ferriss, Tools of Titans
Being conscious of your health stack — what it contains and what it is missing — can help you establish your necessary habits and routines. The significant impact of adding small but meaningful practices into your daily routine is why books like Atomic Habits by James Clear have become so popular.2
“Achieving the extraordinary is not a linear process.” - Tim Ferriss, Tools of Titans
Start by identifying what you need, then adapt your health stack to meet those needs. It can be a long process with ever-changing endpoints but sticking with it over time is what makes a difference.
“Dealing with the temporary frustration of not making progress is an integral part of the path towards excellence.” - Tim Ferriss, Tools of Titans
Tips for your health stack
It takes an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.3
Meditation and mindfulness practices can help relieve stress.4
Try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.5
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night.6
Get at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every day.7
Poor quality or skipped meals reduce energy and negatively affect your long-term health.8
Learn how to read a nutrition label.9
Fitness trackers have been found to increase physical activity.10
Don’t forget the importance of fiber and omega-3s!1112
Supplement your stack with imaware
Looking for new ways to improve your health stack? Add an imaware blood test to the mix. With our easy, at-home test kits, you'll understand what’s happening inside your body and the specific areas in need of improvement.
Men’s and Women’s Health & Wellness tests provide a thorough check-up by screening essential health aspects like cholesterol, ferritin, vitamin D, blood sugar, testosterone and thyroid function.
imaware also offers more specific tests if you’re specifically curious about your heart health, immune system strength, testosterone level, diabetes risk and more.
References
- Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- The American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. The Importance of Creating Habits and Routine. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- European Journal of Social Psychology. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- American Psychological Association. Mindfulness meditation: A research-proven way to reduce stress. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- Mayo Clinic. Nutrition and healthy eating. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion - My Healthfinder. Get Enough Sleep. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- World Health Organization. Physical Activity. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- Public Health Nutrition. The effects of skipping a meal on daily energy intake and diet quality. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration. How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- JMIR mHealth and uHealth. Effectiveness of Wearable Trackers on Physical Activity in Healthy Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- Nutrients. The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre. Accessed September 6, 2022.
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Health Professionals. Accessed September 6, 2022.
