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The Be Well Now Method™

 The whole-person approach to exercise that eliminates the barriers of
pain, stress and motivation

We all know that regular exercise, healthy eating, and stress management—The Big Three—are key to well-being. Yet, most people struggle to make these habits stick.

 

Why? Because the traditional approach creates stress and drains motivation—pushing through pain, guilt-driven dieting, or tracking every step creating an all-or-nothing pattern.

But real, lasting health doesn’t work that way.

 

The Be Well Now Method™ is a science-backed, whole-person solution that realigns The Big Three—exercising regularly, eating healthy, and stress management—so they support each other, making health habits feel good from day one —without pain, exhaustion, or burnout.

The Well Framework:
A Smarter Way to Move

The Be Well Now Method™ follows the WELL framework, blending movement science, mindfulness, and motivation to make exercise sustainable and stress-free.

Why Traditional Exercise
Feels So Stressful

Most fitness advice unknowingly keeps you stuck in a stress-based mindset about exercise:

exercising distracted

Distraction

Just Get It Over With
 Exercising to burn calories, fix 'problem areas' in your body' or to out of fear of disease rather than to feel better now
 
exercising stress

Distrust

Motivate Me
Relying on trainers, step goals, or apps instead of learning to trust your body’s signals and build lasting self-motivation.
exercising pain

Discomfort

More is Better
Encouraging soreness and fatigue as signs of success, when in reality, they can be signs of overdoing it and derail your progress.

This mindset creates stress instead of health.
The solution? A whole-person approach that blends

movement science, mindfulness, and motivation science—working together.

How to Be Well Now

The Be Well Now Method™

Three Phases to Sustainable Movement

Phase 1: Be

The smart start to building healthy habits, is to learn how to BE—restoring energy, trust, and ease in your body.
 

Typical fitness advice starts with jumping in to "get to a goal" or to avoid a disease—using stress and fear as motivators. But this makes your body feel like something to fight against rather than something to care for.


The first phase of the Be Well Now Method™ shifts this mindset, integrating:

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  • Mindfulness – Cultivate awareness and reduce stress while moving.

  • Self-Compassion – Shift from self-criticism to self-support.

  • Mind-Body Connection – Strengthen communication between your brain and body.

  • Biomechanics – Learn to move in ways that feel good and prevent pain.

  • Physiology – Support your body’s natural ability to heal and restore energy.

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When exercise starts with the confidence that comes from this foundation of presence and kindness, it transforms from a “should” into a resource for feeling well—right now.

Phase 2: Well

Well-being isn’t just a goal—it’s a physiological state where your body has the energy to heal, grow, and thrive.

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Stress is the opposite of this state. Traditional exercise programs rely on stress-driven external motivation—pushing harder, ignoring fatigue, and chasing results. But this approach is unsustainable.

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The second phase of the Be Well Now Method™ shifts motivation from stress to self-trust by integrating:

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  • Self-Efficacy & Positive Psychology – Build confidence and make movement enjoyable.

  • Motivational Interviewing & Appreciative Inquiry – Discover what truly drives you.

  • Physiology & Kinesiology – Move in ways that restore energy, not drain it.

  • Gut-Brain & Heart-Brain Research – Support whole-person health by strengthening the connection between your brain, body, and heart through movement.

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When motivation comes from within, exercise becomes effortless—helping you feel stronger, more capable, and truly well.

Phase 3: Now

The first two phases set up exercising to feel like self-care, not a struggle—but the "more is better" mindset leads to pushing through pain and fatigue. This signals your brain to resist exercise instead of embracing it, making it harder to stay consistent.

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The Be Well Now Method™ rewires this response by integrating science-backed movement principles so exercise works with your body, not against it.

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  • Biomechanics & Kinesiology – Move efficiently and comfortably, reducing strain and tension.

  • Clinical Exercise Physiology – Exercise safely while building strength, stamina, and mobility without fear of injury.

  • Pain Science - Learning to exercise well helps you move confidently, reduce fear, and break the cycle of chronic pain.

  • Neuroscience & Psychology – rewiring mindsets to reduce chronic pain, stress, and illness.

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By using mindful movement templates, you’ll learn how to do just enough exercise to feel and function better now—so movement becomes a resource for well-being, even during life’s most stressful moments.

Why This Works:
A Whole-Person Approach to Health

Most programs tend to be overwhelming because they treat health habits as separate tasks. The Be Well Now Method™  teaches you to: 

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  • Rest Well – Exercising well clears stress and tension and supports restorative sleep, reducing fatigue and improving energy.

  • Nourish Well – Mindful movement helps calm the nervous system, reducing emotional eating and stress-driven cravings.

  • Move Well – Exercise strengthens mobility, stamina, and confidence, preventing frailty and keeping you active for life.

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This program takes the stress out of health with a whole-person approach to The Big Three, so they support each other effortlessly. 
 

The Big Three Health Habits

  References for the
™ Be Well Now Method 

The Be Phase

Mindfulness. Self-compassion. Mindset. Biomechanics. Physiology

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  • Crum, A. J., & Langer, E. J. (2007). Mind-Set Matters: Exercise and the Placebo Effect. Psychological Science, 18(2), 165–171.

  • Zahrt OH, Crum AJ. Perceived physical activity and mortality: Evidence from three nationally representative U.S. samples. Health Psychol. 2017 Nov;36(11):1017-1025. 

  • Pascoe MC, Thompson DR, Jenkins ZM, Ski CF. Mindfulness mediates the physiological markers of stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res. 2017 Dec;95:156-178.

  • Schuman-Olivier Z, Trombka M, Lovas DA, Brewer JA, Vago DR, Gawande R, Dunne JP, Lazar SW, Loucks EB, Fulwiler C. Mindfulness and Behavior Change. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2020 Nov/Dec;28(6):371-394. 

  • Bowman, K. (2017). Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement Expanded Edition (2nd ed.). Propriometrics Press.

  • Seppälä EM, Bradley C, Moeller J, Harouni L, Nandamudi D, Brackett MA. Promoting Mental Health and Psychological Thriving in University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Well-Being Interventions. Front Psychiatry. 2020 Jul 15;11:590. 

  • Ludwig, V. U., Brown, K. W., & Brewer, J. A. (2020). Self-Regulation Without Force: Can Awareness Leverage Reward to Drive Behavior Change? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(6), 1382–1399.

  • Kleis RR, Hoch MC, Hogg-Graham R, Hoch JM. The Effectiveness of the Transtheoretical Model to Improve Physical Activity in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. J Phys Act Health. 2021 Jan 1;18(1):94-108. 

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The Well Phase

Self-efficacy. Motivational Interviewing. Appreciative Inquiry. Positive psychology. Transtheoretical Model. 
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  • Aggarwal M, Ornish D, Josephson R, Brown TM, Ostfeld RJ, Gordon N, Madan S, Allen K, Khetan A, Mahmoud A, Freeman AM, Aspry K. Closing Gaps in Lifestyle Adherence for Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease. Am J Cardiol. 2021 Apr 15;145:1-11. 

  • Morris LS, Grehl MM, Rutter SB, Mehta M, Westwater ML. On what motivates us: a detailed review of intrinsic v. extrinsic motivation. Psychol Med. 2022 Jul;52(10):1801-1816. 

  • Lee W, Reeve J, Xue Y, Xiong J. Neural differences between intrinsic reasons for doing versus extrinsic reasons for doing: an fMRI study. Neurosci Res. 2012 May;73(1):68-72. 

  • Turner, AR, Reed, SM.. Intrinsic Motivation in Exercise: A Concept Analysis. Nurs Forum. 2022; 57: 136- 143.

  • A. Wasserkampf, M. N. Silva, I. C. Santos, E. V. Carraça, J. J. M. Meis, S. P. J. Kremers, P. J. Teixeira, Short- and long-term theory-based predictors of physical activity in women who participated in a weight-management program, Health Education Research, Volume 29, Issue 6, December 2014, Pages 941–952,

  • Hill, P.L., Burrow, A.L. & Bronk, K.C. Persevering with Positivity and Purpose: An Examination of Purpose Commitment and Positive Affect as Predictors of Grit. J Happiness Stud 17, 257–269 (2016).

  • Ahmed Jerôme Romain, Catherine Bortolon, Mathieu Gourlan, Marion Carayol, Emmanuelle Decker, Olivier Lareyre, Grégory Ninot, Julie Boiché, Paquito Bernard, Matched or nonmatched interventions based on the transtheoretical model to promote physical activity. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Journal of Sport and Health Science, Volume 7, Issue 1, 2018, Pages 50-57,

  • Okada, Tomoko; Huxel, Kellie C; Nesser, Thomas W. Relationship Between Core Stability, Functional Movement, and Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25(1):p 252-261, January 2011. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b22b3e 

  • Komal, S & Siddhi, V & S, Anandh. (2021). Correlation between Core Strength and Stability with Body Mass Index among Postmenopausal Women.. International Journal of pharma and Bio Sciences. 11. 10.22376/ijpbs/lpr.2021.11.4.L23-28. 

  • Kara G. Margolis, John F. Cryan, Emeran A. Mayer, The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: From Motility to Mood, Gastroenterology, Volume 160, Issue 5, 2021, Pages 1486-1501, ISSN 0016-5085,

  • Brewer J. Unwinding Anxiety : New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind. New York: Avery an imprint of Penguin Random House; 2021.

  • Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421.

  • Moore SM, Charvat J. Promoting health behavior change using appreciative inquiry: moving from deficit models to affirmation models of care. Fam Community Health. 2007 Jan-Mar;30(1 Suppl):S64-74. 

  • Nikos Ntoumanis, Johan Y.Y. Ng, Andrew Prestwich, Eleanor Quested, Jennie E. Hancox, Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan, Chris Lonsdale & Geoffrey C. Williams (2021) A meta-analysis of self-determination theory-informed intervention studies in the health domain: effects on motivation, health behavior, physical, and psychological health, Health Psychology Review, 15:2, 214-244,

  • Rick Hanson, Shauna Shapiro, Emma Hutton-Thamm, Michael R. Hagerty & Kevin P. Sullivan (2023) Learning to learn from positive experiences, The Journal of Positive Psychology, 18:1, 142-153,

  • Pirson, Michael and Langer, Ellen J. and Bodner, Todd E. and Zilcha, Sigal, The Development and Validation of the Langer Mindfulness Scale - Enabling a Socio-Cognitive Perspective of Mindfulness in Organizational Contexts (October 8, 2012). Fordham University Schools of Business Research Paper, 

  • Silvio Maltagliati, Philippe Sarrazin, Layan Fessler, Maël Lebreton, Boris Cheval, Why people should run after positive affective experiences instead of health benefits, Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2022,

 

The Now Phase

Biomechanics. Physiology. Clinical Exercise Physiology. Kinesiology. Pain science.
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  • Octavia H. Zahrt, Alia J. Crum, Effects of physical activity recommendations on mindset, behavior and perceived health, Preventive Medicine Reports, Volume 17, 2020

  • Betancourt-Núñez A, Torres-Castillo N, Martínez-López E, De Loera-Rodríguez CO, Durán-Barajas E, Márquez-Sandoval F, Bernal-Orozco MF, Garaulet M, Vizmanos B. Emotional Eating and Dietary Patterns: Reflecting Food Choices in People with and without Abdominal Obesity. Nutrients. 2022 Mar 25;14(7):1371. 

  • Dasso NA. How is exercise different from physical activity? A concept analysis. Nurs Forum. 2019 Jan;54(1):45-52. 

  • McArdle WD Katch FI Katch VL. Exercise Physiology: Nutrition Energy and Human Performance. Eighth ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2015.

  • Ashdown-Franks G, Firth J, Carney R, Carvalho AF, Hallgren M, Koyanagi A, Rosenbaum S, Schuch FB, Smith L, Solmi M, Vancampfort D, Stubbs B. Exercise as Medicine for Mental and Substance Use Disorders: A Meta-review of the Benefits for Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Outcomes. Sports Med. 2020 Jan;50(1):151-170.

  • Di Liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di Liegro I. Physical Activity and Brain Health. Genes (Basel). 2019 Sep 17;10(9):720. 

  • Booth FW, Gordon SE, Carlson CJ, Hamilton MT. Waging war on modern chronic diseases: primary prevention through exercise biology. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2000 Feb;88(2):774-87. 

  • Chen Y, Almirall-Sánchez A, Mockler D, Adrion E, Domínguez-Vivero C, Romero-Ortuño R. Hospital-associated deconditioning: Not only physical, but also cognitive. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2022 Feb 2;37(3):10.1002/gps.5687. 

  • Panagioti M, Khan K, Keers R N, Abuzour A, Phipps D, Kontopantelis E et al. Prevalence, severity, and nature of preventable patient harm across medical care settings: systematic review and meta-analysis BMJ 2019; 366 :l4185 

  • Fedarko NS. The biology of aging and frailty. Clin Geriatr Med. 2011 Feb;27(1):27-37. 

  • Walston JD. Sarcopenia in older adults. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2012 Nov;24(6):623-7. 

  • Santy-Tomlinson J. The musculoskeletal implications of deconditioning in older adults during and following COVID-19. Int J Orthop Trauma Nurs. 2021 Jul;42:100882. 

  • Emiel O Hoogendijk, Jonathan Afilalo, Kristine E Ensrud, Paul Kowal, Graziano Onder, Linda P Fried, Frailty: implications for clinical practice and public health, The Lancet, Volume 394, Issue 10206, 2019, Pages 1365-1375,

  • Travers J, Romero-Ortuno R, Bailey J, Cooney MT. Delaying and reversing frailty: a systematic review of primary care interventions. Br J Gen Pract. 2019 Jan;69(678):e61-e69. 

  • Crofford LJ. Chronic Pain: Where the Body Meets the Brain. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2015;126:167-83. 

  • Bray NW, Smart RR, Jakobi JM, Jones GR. Exercise prescription to reverse frailty. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 Oct;41(10):1112-1116. 

  • Schoenfeld, Brad J. MSc, CSCS, CSPS1; Contreras, Bret MA, CSCS2. Is Postexercise Muscle Soreness a Valid Indicator of Muscular Adaptations?. Strength and Conditioning Journal 35(5):p 16-21, October 2013. 

  • Walston JD. Sarcopenia in older adults. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2012 Nov;24(6):623-7. 

  • Miller WR, Rollnick S. Meeting in the middle: motivational interviewing and self-determination theory. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012 Mar 2;9:25.

  • Weyland S, Finne E, Krell-Roesch J, Jekauc D. (How) Does Affect Influence the Formation of Habits in Exercise? Front Psychol. 2020 Oct 23;11:578108. 

  • Santy-Tomlinson J. The musculoskeletal implications of deconditioning in older adults during and following COVID-19. Int J Orthop Trauma Nurs. 2021 Jul;42:100882. 

  • Pontzer H, Durazo-Arvizu R, Dugas LR, Plange-Rhule J, Bovet P, Forrester TE, Lambert EV, Cooper RS, Schoeller DA, Luke A. Constrained Total Energy Expenditure and Metabolic Adaptation to Physical Activity in Adult Humans. Curr Biol. 2016 Feb 8;26(3):410-7. 

  • Helene M. Langevin, Connective tissue: A body-wide signaling network?, Medical Hypotheses, Volume 66, Issue 6, 2006, Pages 1074-1077,

  • Król, M.; Kupnicka, P.; Bosiacki, M.; Chlubek, D. Mechanisms Underlying Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Cancer Properties of Stretching—A Review. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 10127.

  • Bordoni B, Marelli F. [Emotions in Motion: Myofascial Interoception]. Complement Med Res. 2017;24(2):110-113. German. 

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© 2023 by Exercising Well

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