The Role of Lifestyle Medicine in Promoting Resilience Among Women, People of Color, and LGBTQ+ Individuals

Background Resilience—the ability to adapt and recover from chronic stress—is a critical determinant of health, particularly among marginalized populations. Women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals experience disproportionate levels of psychological distress due to systemic discrimination, trauma, and social exclusion. Objective To explore how lifestyle medicine, when applied through an equity lens, can serve as a powerful tool to promote resilience and mitigate psychological distress in underserved communities. Methods This narrative review applies the 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, social connection, and avoidance of risky substances, to the lived experiences of marginalized populations. It integrates public health literature, minority stress theory, and insights from culturally responsive clinical practice. Results Structural inequities create barriers to wellness for marginalized individuals, including limited access to healthy foods, safe environments for movement, and affirming care. When adapted with cultural humility, lifestyle medicine interventions can improve emotional well-being, foster identity-affirming behaviors, and strengthen resilience. Conclusion Equity-centered lifestyle medicine provides a promising, accessible framework to help marginalized populations build resilience and reclaim well-being, offering a preventive strategy to reduce long-term psychological distress.