Health and fitness: A thought
Today is National Health and Fitness Day, as recognized by the Canadian Kinesiology alliance. It had me thinking, what does it mean to be healthy and fit? This is what I thought of in my professional opinion.
Taking care of your health extends beyond lifting heavy weights to get big, being able to touch your toes bending down, or going out for a stroll every day. When I think of what being healthy means, I consider 6 dimensions that influence our wellness and where our homeostasis finds its balance. You will find that these dimensions do not exist in their own vacuum. One aspect of your life will influence another in varying degrees. What you may agree with me is that purposeful physical activity can offer direct benefits to each one of these dimensions.
The first dimension is the name of the game, as far as my scope of practice is concerned, and what I can influence the most: Physical health. The ability for the anatomy and physiology of our whole body to function as it should. It is not enough to be merely absent of disease. We need to feel like we can move how we want our body to. Our body is not meant for sedentary pursuits; there are a number of deleterious effects that occur when we do not move around enough. We also have to ensure we’re taking in the proper nutrients through whole foods while also enjoying our snacks consciously. The average Canadian spends their last ten years unhealthy because we developed a disconnect on what we’re putting in our bodies, as well as neglecting exercise. If you don’t know what to look for, or how to get started, we are here to help you. Sometimes all that people need is reassurance that living a healthier lifestyle is within their powers. And it is never to late to start thinking about the habits we engage in. So, for better physical health, exercise in good amounts at the proper intensity, reduce or break-up the time spent sedentary, and be mindful of what you ingest in all its forms.
The second dimension I would like to bring up is mental health. There is a lot at play when we are physically active. Brain-derived neurotrophic factors, endorphins, motor cortex plasticity. Something as simple as walking outside 30 minutes a day does wonders for your brain. Engaging in physical activity, especially sports, allow you to challenge your brain through developing strategies, patterns, and predicting the movement and behaviour of those around you. The brain weighs about 3 pounds, yet uses about 25% of your total energy during that day. Make sure that energy is put to good use. Have sound thoughts throughout the day. Reduce stress to avoid any excess or deficiency in key hormones and neurotransmitters. Abstain using anything that can result in chemical dependency. There are substances that might make you feel right at the moment while self-medicating. However, there are independent and dependent pathways that can wreck havoc on your brain. If you are unsure about your current mental state, seek a licensed Psychologist. It is a very important organ, so be kind to it.
Closely related to mental health is our third dimension: Emotional health. There is a myriad of emotions out there. Some of these are tied to language or built-in from culture. For that reason, I will refer to our seven basic emotions: Happiness, sadness, contempt, surprise, anger, fear, and disgust. None of these emotions are good or bad in themselves. It is a matter of how we project them. Are we using them in our creative outlets for good? Are we expressing them to the wrong person? Do our emotions sway judgement before the slower-acting logical side of the thought process can sort information properly? Exercise can help regulate our emotions. Not to say you necessarily want to throw haymakers at a heavy bag because you’re raging. You may hurt yourself; trust me, I’ve done that. Use exercise to clear your mind, let your endorphins get you into a state of calm. Being physically active outdoors is a wonderful bonus. Being able to feel the Sun, rain, coolness of an Autumn breeze, whatever weather picks you up, taps into our wild side that is often too sheltered or blocked off from the outdoor environment. I find my mood does a 180 and lasts for hours after I get my sweat on, especially on a crisp Winter day.
Social health is another important dimension in our health. As you may guess, this is a reflection on how we interact with others around us. During the lockdowns in the developed World, it is very hard to connect with our friends and family we rely on for support. While modern technology allow for several options to remain in contact with our loved ones, being removed from the real thing for big chunks of time feels weird. As a personal trainer, a professional who works closely with someone, we become very important in maintaining human contact. Especially for those where becoming physically active is something new, without a lot of immediate support around them. My approach is to be empathetic, always encouraging good efforts, and following up on what the past week was like. Make sure that the circle you maintain is the one that makes you feel like you can set the World on fire.
Occupational health doesn’t necessarily mean your job is hazardous, or that you make it rain. The question to ask here is: does your job add fulfillment to your life? If you feel great about your role in society, that goes a long way with how positive you feel about your life. We see coworkers for more time than we might see our close family members. Kinda weird to think about it, but it’s true. If your job revolves around mostly sedentary activities, find ways to get out of your desk to stretch your legs and give your tiny eye muscles a break. First responder? Work out as a group in your station. Being able to move around a bit at your work, or finding those in your team with the same ideals of health, will help your work culture be less stressful and more fulfilling. Plus, the healthier you keep yourself by not burning out your body before retirement, will allow you to live out the rest of your life in the way that you see fit.
The last, but not least, dimension I want to go over quickly is spiritual health. This is different than abiding to a form of mainstream religion or denouncing all mythology as an atheist. This is about finding a purpose in life, understanding what you can and cannot control, how you connect with the physical world, and bringing out the potential of actualization by recognizing your roles. It’s gratitude for good days, and strength for bad days. In my personal reflection, the strongest connection that you can ever have is within yourself. I like to think that exercise offers a spiritual piece in-itself. What I mean by this is that I always instruct my clients to make a mind-body connection. If someone is performing a deadlift and I want them to maintain neutral spine, I’ll get them to stand normally so they get a sense of good posture. I would ask them to hinge at the hips while maintaining that feeling of vertebral alignment and adding in core engagement. For the concentric phase, I would ask them to engage the glutes to maximize force output. This sense of kinesthetics is transferable to all aspects of life; it serves as a constant reminder to be conscious of the body in space. From there, you can become more aware of the natural World, becoming more appreciative and respectful of it.
So much as for health on a physical, mental, emotional, societal, occupational, and spiritual dimension. Nothing occurring in its own vacuum, there is a lot of interplay here. Consider a dimension that you feel is not a strong point, and you might feel that as that improves, then all the other dimensions will follow suit in a way that is beneficial to you. Once these dimensions of health are well-adjusted, we can now become fit.
If I was a Biologist, I would state that fitness is the ability for an organism to pass their genes in a certain environment. As a Kinesiologist, fitness to me is function at peak potential. This is the ability to pass certain tests for the military, getting a grasp on sport-specific tasks, and competing at events. The greatest assests here are agility, balance, coordination, and power. I will argue at to become fit, you must become healthy. Fitness is regarded as being physiologically and metabolically sound, and adapting to environmental stress effectively. Using the six dimensions above, you can unlock your fitness by getting sufficient amounts of cardiovascular, resistance, and flexibility training; keeping your brain healthy and sharp; understanding the emotions you are feeling and coming to terms why you feel that way in the moment; keeping a circle of friends that you share common hobbies or that you can confide in; keeping a positive mindset at your job; getting in tune with your body and the natural world around you. Surprise yourself, and go find out what you are very capable of!
