We’re told to chase “optimal.” Optimize your productivity, your macros, your sleep cycles. Peak performance becomes the goal, and anything less feels like failure. But for Hanif Lalani, a UK-based health coach whose practice bridges fitness, nutrition, and emotional well-being, this constant optimization comes at a cost—especially when it ignores the body’s natural cycles.
Lalani encourages a radical shift in mindset: instead of striving to operate at the same level year-round, we should embrace the intelligence of seasonal energy shifts. Just as nature rests in winter and blooms in spring, our bodies are not static. They ebb. They pulse. They require variation.
Many of Lalani’s clients initially resist this concept. They’ve been conditioned to see rest as laziness and slower seasons as backslides. But through his coaching, they begin to understand that tuning into seasonal patterns—both environmental and personal—leads to deeper health, not less of it. As explored in this article, movement patterns and expectations often shift with the seasons, yet many people resist adapting their routines accordingly.
During colder months, for instance, metabolism may slow slightly. Motivation dips. The body craves grounding meals and more sleep. Instead of forcing high-intensity routines, Lalani might shift a client’s focus to restorative movement, nutrient-dense stews, and circadian rhythm support. In contrast, spring may bring natural momentum, allowing for increased training volume or dietary adjustments without pushing against resistance.
This doesn’t mean abandoning structure; it means adapting structure to match capacity. Lalani frames this as energetic fluency—the ability to listen, respond, and realign. He points out that many chronic health issues stem from ignoring the body’s cues in the name of productivity. Burnout, hormonal imbalances, and digestive issues often trace back to months (or years) of overriding internal rhythms. This framing is at the core of a holistic wellness philosophy shared by Hanif Lalani, where structure supports energy rather than suppressing it.
In a world built on sameness—same schedule, same output, same expectations—seasonal living feels like rebellion. But Lalani sees it as a return to wisdom. When clients work with their biology instead of against it, they experience more consistency over time, not less. The dips become less extreme. The recoveries, faster. Health stabilizes because it’s being stewarded, not micromanaged. More of his seasonal guidance and personal reflections can be found on HanifLalaniHealthSubstack.com, where he shares insights into adapting routines throughout the year.
Ultimately, Hanif Lalani offers a liberating perspective: health is not a constant upward trajectory. It’s a conversation. And sometimes, the most optimal thing we can do is stop trying to be optimal at all.