Fitness is at the very center of personal growth: by all accounts, it offers a positive impact on one’s mood, sleep, stress, energy levels, and mental health. In this episode of Self Improvement Atlas: The Personal Science Insights Podcast, host Sabrina Oktavelia interviews fitness instructor Sarah Hentges. Teaching community yoga classes at the UMA Bangor campus and dance and fitness classes at Bangor YMCA, Sarah Hentges is an insightful fitness instructor. That aside, Sarah Hentges serves as professor of transdisciplinary cultural studies at the University of Maine at Augusta. Impressively, she has written four books in different genres: fitness, film critic, and even dystopian. Sarah Hentges is now anticipating an upcoming book, ‘Demystifying American Yoga’. In this episode, Sarah Hentges explains the holistic nature of fitness as it is a holistic endeavor, impacting mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Sarah Hentges addresses the prevalent misconception, in this social media era, that fitness is primarily about losing weight and achieving a certain body image instead of focusing on overall well-being, energy, and stamina for daily activities. Together, Sabrina and Sarah Hentges discuss the main ways to be healthier in mind, body and spirit as well as approaching self empowerment in a holistic approach to fitness along with critics on current fitness communities in uplifting the empowerment of fitness community.

As science expands and more studies are finally conducted on women’s health, more and more interesting connections are being made on the impact of the menstrual cycle on overall health. In this episode, expert Lyssandra Guerra joins host Joahanna to talk about something everyone goes through - stress - and how it might be connected to the cycle. Lyssandra Guerra is a Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant and the Founder of Native Palms Nutrition based in Oakland, California. She has over five years of nutrition coaching experience and specializes in providing support to overcome digestive issues, food sensitivities, sugar cravings, and other related dilemmas. She received her holistic nutrition certification from the Bauman College: Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts in 2014. Lyssandra Guerra shares tips for tracking the cycle, how this might be a helpful tool, and touches on apps that might be of help and the pros and cons of using these. Together Joahanna and Lyssandra Guerra explore practices that might assist people in better tracking their cycle and how this could benefit your overall wellbeing.

There is now a growing body of research that’s shown strong connections between mental and physical health, but little is known about the pathways from one another. On this episode of Self-Improvement Atlas, host Joahanna is joined by Jarryd Heasman to learn more. Drawing on his background in sports science, research, and mining industry wellbeing, Jarryd Heasman translates multidimensional expertise into practical strategies that enhance physical and mental health. He has a mission to empower people with actionable insights and foster environments that prioritize holistic wellbeing, and distills complex information into clear, concise insights. In this episode, Jarryd Heasman shares the important part hormones play in stress, and strategies for managing stress. Together, Joahanna and Jarryd Heasman discuss exercises that are beneficial for mental health, especially for those who struggle to exercise due to mental health obstacles. Jarryd Heasman also touches on the many wellness apps available on the market at the moment and gives advice on improving mental resilience.