What is "Health"?

As many of you venture through the new year, you are exploring different ways to become “healthy”. Recent media attention has brought to light that health is so much more than just a number on the scale. Health is how you feel about yourself, how think about yourself, your coping mechanisms, your spirituality, your exercise routine, and of courses eating behaviors. When you are working towards a healthy more abundant life, you cannot only be healthy in one area and ignore the others. I once read a quote that stated, “You can eat your vegetables and lift your weights but if you don’t deal with what you’re struggling with inside your head, you will still be unhealthy.” Although this quote seems to be a tad vulgar it brings out the component of reality.

As mentioned before, there are different types of health. Here is a list of different health categories that are just as equally as important as reaching your desired weight or finally hitting your max bench press.

Mental Health – This category refers to the psychological state that someone is performing at a satisfactory level both behaviorally and emotionally. Mental health should not be classified a person having a mental illness or not. Instead, mental health should be understood as the self-talk have with yourself and the thoughts you generate. To have great mental health is to love yourself, treat yourself with kindness, understand you have purpose, cope with stressors effectively, and acceptance of yourselves.

Physical Health – This category of health is related to your physical activity levels and how your body can perform through certain exercises. These categories test your optimal performance and pushes you for even further. To reach a physical health level that is idyllic here are some subcategories that contribute to your overall physical health.

1) Physical Activity

2) Nutrition and diet

3) Alcohol and drug use

4) Medical self-care

5) Rest and Sleep

Spiritual Health – Many may consider spiritual health to be religion but in fact it is defined as much more. Although, the practice of religion is an adequate way to have spiritual health some prefer other methods. This can include nature walks, outdoor activities, meditation, or other self-reflective moments. Many who practice spiritual health possess a sense of belonging, a clear definition of morals, spend time alone, practice forgiveness, and more.

Environmental Health – This category encourages people to be aware of their environmental surroundings and the effects it can have on your lifestyle. Some who live in the city without a car may have tendency to order more take out rather than taking trips to the grocery store. Others who live on farms may have more access to fresh vegetables. Our environment is a key catalyst to health decisions. Taking time to critically think about your environment and reflecting on if it is contributing to your health goals or not may help you identify small obstacles you face daily.

Social Health – This category is reflective of the relationships within your life. Creating relationships indicates healthy interpersonal skills you possess. According to research, those with very little social relationships put you at a higher risk of obesity.

Emotional Health – This category of health keeps you intact with your feelings. Throughout each day, there are numerous feelings we encompass both positive and negative. Taking the time to understand why you may feel a certain way about a particular situation can help you realize strengths and weaknesses in your emotional health. Understanding your personal feelings will not only help yourself but also, the people in your life.

All these categories of health are different areas you can work on to improve your overall health status. The concept of health is a lot more than just exercising and eating your vegetables. By challenging yourself in all these areas can truly make a significant impact on your overall well-being.

If you have any questions or comments about this week’s blog please be sure to comment in the section below or on our social media pages! If there is a topic you want to know more about, please feel free to send us a message asking for content on that subject! Forever Fitness is not only a gym but a family that is here to support you through your health journey!

Resources

6 Different types of Health. The World Book. Updated 2020. Accessed January 10, 2021.https://theworldbook.org/types-of-health/