Fueled by social media, “healthmaxxing” describes extreme measures taken to optimize physical and mental health.
On its own, it seems like a robust way to pursue a better you. Problems can arise when all this well-intentioned maxxing goes too far, however.
Overloading on protein or fiber, obsessing about exercise or sleep, getting preoccupied with supplements, or fixating on devices that monitor your biometric data – these are all trending examples of healthmaxxing.
Brieann Backes is a physician assistant in family medicine at Sanford Landmark Clinic in Minot, North Dakota, who hears a lot of questions from wellness-conscious patients about ways to become even healthier.
She responds first by commending them for consulting a provider familiar with their health history. She follows with a plea to bring a sense of proportion to the art of staying healthy. It is best to build a foundation with evidence-based habits before you go looking for new health hacks.
“For your physical health, the pillars are getting the right amount of sleep, eating a whole food diet, staying hydrated and getting regular exercise,” Backes said. “They’re not flashy things but they’re the things that move the needle the most.”
Staying healthy vs. healthmaxxing
Backes describes the basics of staying healthy vs. “healthmaxxing” options like this:
“There are big boulders for your health and there are small pebbles,” she said. “The big boulders – proper sleep, staying hydrated, eating enough fiber, exercising – are always going to be the heavy movers in your health.”
The “small pebbles” take on many forms in this analogy and are not necessarily harmful. The key is common sense.
Essentially “healthmaxxing” supports the idea that if a normal amount of something is good, more of it is probably better. This strategy often comes at the expense of the evidence-based recommended levels of the things a body needs.
Common forms of maxxing involve loading up on protein or fiber and are often rooted in sound evidence-based health habits. This is especially true of fiber, where the content of the typical American diet often falls well short of recommended levels.
Other forms of maxxing cover a wide scope of wellness concerns and occasionally intermingle. Dietary supplements in the form of vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals and probiotics are everywhere. Wearable tracking devices that monitor sleep, nutrition and exercise are also becoming more and more common.
Add to that robust strength-training regimens, saunas, cold plunges and ice baths – each with committed proponents attesting to the benefits via social media – and collectively you have a significant cultural shift in how people view health and wellness.
Good for one, not good for all
In many cases navigating maxxing terrain involves acknowledging that what is good for one person might not be in the best interests of another. Or just plain not worth the time, effort or cost.
“If you’re a high-level athlete, that can affect how you would approach maxxing,” Backes said. “But for a lot of us, some of the things that we would classify as ‘maxxing’ are not things we have to do every day or would even have the time to do every day.”
Health trends gaining steam via social media can also be right on target and worthy of attention.
“It’s not all nonsense – there is a lot of good information available,” Backes said. “You should remember that most of the things you can do for your health supplement-wise can be done through eating whole foods and avoiding ultra processed foods. You don’t need big stacks of supplements.”
Reputable healthcare websites can be great tools in helping people establish and maintain a sound health foundation.
“It’s very important to fact-check or talk to your doctor about what you might be interested in,” Backes said. “You can then confirm or shed light on what the topic or trend might be.”
When healthy becomes unhealthy
Knowing when the pursuit of optimal health is getting out of control depends on the person and what they’re maxxing on, but pulling back can be difficult. Sometimes good habits taken too far are just as damaging as bad habits.
“When you’re focusing on only one thing, that can be problematic,” Backes said. “Or when that focus is taking away from one of your health foundations. If it is affecting you financially or your relationships, it can become harmful.”
It could be the amount of money spent on pricey supplements, or an exercise regimen that is getting in the way of interacting with people you know.
“It can go in a lot of ways,” Backes said. “Anything that starts taking away from other important aspects of your life and creating an imbalance – that’s a good sign you’ve gone too far, even though it is well-meaning.”
Wearable devices like Apple watches and Oura Rings and dozens of other products monitor things like steps, heartrate, sleep, food intake and medications. They can be effective tools in establishing a healthy lifestyle.
“They’re very helpful but they’re not perfect and they don’t always give you accurate readings,” Backes said. “If your ring is telling you you’re not sleeping at nighttime – but you feel OK – then that ring can create unnecessary stress. If knowing how many steps you’re taking is motivating you to hit goals, that’s great. But if it’s stressing you out or making you get down on yourself because you’re not hitting your goals, then it’s not really serving the right purpose.”
Bring the questions to primary care
Sorting through it all is best determined with help from regular checkups with a provider who is familiar with your health history. Together you can determine what can help and what might not help.
“As providers we should be asking why a patient is asking this question – why do they want this information?” Backes said. “Sometimes it’s not just, ‘Well, I want to lose 10 pounds.’ We should be getting to the root cause of what a patient is trying to accomplish.”
Directing attention to the big boulders rather than the small pebbles is all about moderation and balance. It emphasizes essential quality-of-life issues centered on physical health, but also mental, social and financial health.
A focus on a particular maxxing trend and its underlying philosophy can sometimes get in the way of that.
“You really can’t have health in a vacuum of just physical things. It exists within everything else in our lives,” Backes said. “It’s not worth missing a birthday party because you’re on a diet and there are certain things you’re not supposed to eat. Maintaining a social aspect to your life is usually going to help your mental health more than taking a night off from your diet is going to hurt it.”
Finding a doctor
A Sanford Health primary care provider can be a trusted expert when you need medical care, from annual wellness visits to treatment for illnesses and injuries. At Sanford Health, you can build a relationship with a primary care provider who partners with you for a lifetime of care.
Sanford physicians and providers get to know you and your concerns to help you stay healthy and reach your health goals.
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Posted In Family Medicine, Healthy Living, Internal Medicine, Minot, Nutrition
