Fitness And Wellness
“Life is not merely to be alive but to be well” and “a sound body has a sound mind” are just two of the famous and time honoured quotes we are familiar with. While fitness refers to physical wellbeing being & strength, wellness is the state of having a healthy mind and body, thus the former refers to physical well-being, the latter refers to an overall state of being healthy- we need a holistic perspective.
Lifestyle behaviours are the most important factors in short-term and long-term well-being. Developing healthy lifestyle habits will have a dramatic effect on overall wellness. Components of a healthy lifestyle include: physical activity, balanced and adequate nutrition, rest, and recovery and stress management. Daily physical activity is one of the key components in developing and leading a healthy lifestyle. Physical activity improves overall quality of life. It helps to boost energy, assists with weight management and improves self-esteem.
Wellness is a broad topic that includes disease prevention stress reduction, and even personal, social and spiritual growth. The process of achieving wellness is an on-going practice. This process is dynamic and ever changing throughout life. The Wellness Continuum defines this fluid and interactive process defining wellness as a constant work in progress. Experts have defined 8 dimensions of Wellness: Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Social, Occupational, Financial, Spiritual and Environmental.
Physical Wellness: This refers to the health of your physical body. Nutrition, movement, and mindfulness of the functions of your body on a biological level are the main factors in this, however all eight dimensions of health play an almost equal role in maintaining and supporting physical wellness.
Occupational Wellness: Involves balancing school work, jobs, and leisure time. Learning ways to reduce stress, live within your means, and live joyfully are essential.
Emotional Wellness: Developing self-awareness to the point of being in control of your emotions. Proper feeling, expression, and release are all apart of maintaining wellness in this area. Emotional wellness requires working on honesty with yourself primarily along with those around you. Emotional wellness requires non-judgement and acceptance in full of anything you may be feeling.
Social/Interpersonal Wellness :This refers to the daily interactions you have with others, their quality, and personal social skills. This dimension of wellness also addresses the human desire for a sense of belonging and community contribution.
Intellectual Wellness: Stimulating your innate desire for learning and growth.
Spiritual Wellness: The personal connection to whatever energy, entity, philosophy, or belief that makes you feel whole as a human being; that which completes the trinity of mind, body, and spirit. Spiritual Wellness is feeling complete and supported, purposeful, and at ease. It is light; it is our shared human lifeline.
Financial Wellness: Denotes a balance between living comfortably in the moment while being mindful of the financial requirements of the future. Empowerment and feeling in control of this financial balance is the goal.
Environmental Wellness: Being aware of the very serious role human beings play as the primary caretakers of Earth. The key is in learning to make decisions based upon this mindfulness. We are not separate from the planet on which we live; every positive, wholesome choice made for the Earth is a positive, wholesome choice made for every other aspect of our health.