Book review: 'Well to the Core' offers accessible, whole-body approach to wellness

Certified Pilates instructor Robin Long, founder and CEO of Lindywell, shares her whole-body approach to wellness in her 2023 book Well to the Core from Tyndale Refresh.

From an early age, Robin felt pressure to look a certain way and believed lies about what being healthy meant. In her book she argues that women are taught by the media, fitness industry, and even (sadly) some family members to believe their worth is measured by the size and shape of their bodies. But she lays out a different approach to wellness that is attainable for any woman seeking a healthier lifestyle without restriction or guilt.

“It’s possible to pursue a healthy lifestyle in a way that is guilt-free, realistic, and enjoyable,” she writes. “You can let go of the rules and myths about wellness you’ve been led to believe over the years. You can release the pressure you’ve been carrying all this time and exhale, knowing it’s possible to make progress toward your goals, improve your fitness, and experience more wellness—without obsessing over numbers, neglecting what your body truly needs, or comparing yourself to others.”

Her approach is explained with 10 core components: reframe, move, nourish, listen, unplug, connect, rest, breathe, play, choose. Robin breaks down her reasoning for each component by sharing her own life experiences and some scientific research, too.

For the chapter “Reframe,” she explains why we need to retrain our minds when it comes to wellness and why diets don’t work. This lays the groundwork for all the other components in the book.

For the “Move” chapter, Robin shares her love for Pilates and how it has helped her have a healthy view of fitness. She teaches Pilates to thousands of women across the world through her Lindywell platform, which offers her classes online. The workouts are often brief and require little equipment. In the book, she says that Pilates is beneficial for anyone at any age in any season of life.

Long’s approach in the “Nourish” chapter teaches “nourishment and not restriction.” She recommends we listen to what our body needs (and give it what it needs) and be mindful of our eating habits. This section encouraged me to slow down when I eat and stop eating out of boredom or when I feel full, even if I have food left on my plate. The author also encourages hydration, meal planning, balancing blood sugar, and eating an anti-inflammatory diet. She includes many tips, snack ideas, and some recipes in this chapter.

The remaining chapters offer interesting insights and practical tips. Long includes several free Pilates workouts to access throughout the book as well.

While I would have loved Long to share more about biblical stewardship and back up some of her claims with Scripture, she didn’t do that, though she made brief mentions of prayer and church community. Nonetheless, I found Well to the Core to be very accessible for anyone at any stage in their wellness journey. Her principles are ones I hope to incorporate in my own life.