Body Wellness: Overview for a Successful Outcome

Friends Giving High Five After Walking the Track for Body Wellness

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Overview of Body Wellness

All it takes is one quick glance around to determine how important body image is in our society.

From social media to commercials to input from other people, we are constantly bombarded with images, promises, information, and plenty of insight into what society considers body wellness.

However, this is part of what creates confusion when attempting to gain better health.

Overload of information, especially if incorrect, can create a poor mindset, negative perspective, and overall difficult outcomes.

We’ll discuss ideas that show what body wellness is, why it’s important, and how to improve your wellness; and yes, it will be simple.

In This Article

What Does Body Wellness Really Mean?

Our first stop will be to create better knowledge which in turn will lead to a deeper understanding of body wellness.

As mentioned, there are more sources than we can imagine with information on physical health, body health and wellness, physical wellness, and/or body wellness.

Just writing a few of the different terms makes my head spin. No wonder people get confused and throw in the towel. Literally!

The reality is that with so many views, authors, and ideas, it’s no wonder people become overwhelmed when it comes to this topic.

However, we will keep it simple. This information will be thorough, have basis, is well-proven, will make sense, AND is easy to grasp.

Keep reading to find out how you can:

  • Better understand body wellness
  • Create change
  • Make gains toward better physical health

What Exactly is Body Wellness?

Let’s get started by looking at an easy way to view body wellness.

First, we need to explain the term that goes closely with wellness but often gets thrown in the mix incorrectly: health.

 

Health – The current state our body is in.

Wellness – The actions we take to promote improvement or maintain our current state.

 

Simply put, health is where we are now, and wellness is what we do to maintain it or propel our steps forward. (Think of health as a noun, and wellness as a verb, an action.)

The other part of this we should talk about briefly is the idea of the body.

While this seems simple, we need to clear up any confusion for the sake of this discussion.

As this article about whole body health explains, our whole being, or body, is made up of three parts: mental (including social and emotional), physical, and spiritual.

These in turn have parts but are the three main health areas of the body.

 

Simply stated reminders:

  • Health is our current state
  • Wellness is the action steps we take for our health
  • Physical health is one of the three parts of our entire body.

 

Here we will be focusing on the physical aspect of our body.

Incorrect Views of Physical Wellness

Due to the immense amount of information that affects us, we will take some time to discuss the detriment of incorrect image of body wellness.

At a glance, we can find multiple areas that seem to show (or tell) us what we “should” look like or what “healthy” looks like.

Instead, we should consider the following:

  • We each have a different baseline
  • We reside in different places of physical health
  • All of us have a variety of levels of knowledge
  • There are a variety of situations for our physical health

 

General health information often places everyone in the same categories. Nothing could be further from the truth!

This line of thinking creates many situations where we are expected to be capable of creating wellness easily and maintain knowledge without difficulty.

Information comes quickly and can be a challenge to understand especially specific treatments, ideas, or guidelines.

It has never been more apparent that people misunderstand information and desperately need greater opportunities for communication.

Everyone needs to have a safe place to learn more and ask questions.

Physical health and wellness can be very intimidating, but that should not be the reason we don’t progress with increased body wellness.

5 Steps for Physical Wellness

Let’s start with a few ideas that are considered wellness and are put in this category because they are action steps. (Remember, health is a noun, wellness is a verb and creates action.)

As you look at the following, try to rank them in order from those things you feel you do well to the ones you need to work on.

By the time you finish this list, you will have created an easy action plan that will begin to address an increase in your physical wellness. (More on improvement later.)

 

The first ideas discussed will be considered the Core Four.

These are the ideas you have probably heard throughout your life regarding “staying healthy.”

(Remember, these are for physical wellness and do not include mental or spiritual health steps in this discussion.)

 

1. Eat Nutritious Food

Notice I didn’t say “eat right” or “eat well.” Those terms often create confusion because what falls into this category for one may not be the same for another.

This can be especially true when considering how we were taught to eat when growing up. Each learning curve is different.

Diets and calorie counting methods are intimidating and are not usually a sustainable way to live unless you must do so for medical reasons. Generally, it creates frustration and failure.

Always consider information as you gather it to make sure it pertains to you specifically.

 

2. Get Plenty of Rest

Each of us has an inner clock that tells us when it’s time to go to bed. Partially because of the time of day, and partially because our body becomes fatigued toward the end of the day.

We can create a good habit by having the same bedtime each night. We often do this for children but neglect the same care for ourselves.

Sleep is required to give our body a chance to revitalize and rejuvenate daily.

At the cellular level, our body is constantly discarding and remaking things that keep us going. Without adequate rest, it is difficult for our body to go through the processes it needs to rejuvenate.

As we age from childhood, we need less sleep, but approximately 7 to 10 hours is stated as the norm for adults in most literature.

Why the range? Again, each of us is different, and we should assess our individual needs.

 

3. Maintain Adequate Hydration

This is another point that we have likely heard throughout our life.

Notice I didn’t say “drink plenty of water.” While that may be one piece of advice, it doesn’t give the explanation needed.

Hydration, just as sleep, is needed by the body to rejuvenate cells and keep our body systems in working order.

Our bodies are made of 60% to 70% water. This can be higher or lower depending on age, gender, activity, and weight. People need different amounts of water. 

Another point to consider is that water is not the only fluid that can be used to stay hydrated. (It is however important to make sure there is not too much caffeine, sugar, or too many additives when drinking liquids.)

Moderation of these ingredients is important, but there is nothing wrong with varieties to stay hydrated.

Honestly, it’s better to drink some other healthy liquids in addition to water rather than become even minimally dehydrated because you don’t like or won’t drink water.

Our body reacts to even the slightest level of dehydration. This is especially true the older we get.

So, staying hydrated is important to overall physical wellness.

 

4. Exercise is Important

This is the least favorite of the Core Four for most people.  This a part of the main focus of what I have done in healthcare for almost thirty years.

When looking at the other three core ideas, most people say they are “easier” while considering the amount of effort needed for each.

Exercise is usually the most difficult for people. (As with all topics, there will be some who don’t mind and others who despise it.)

In general, exercise is difficult to enjoy if we have health challenges.

One reason is because proper accommodation or modifications aren’t always made when needed.

The other reason most people say they don’t exercise is because they have trouble staying motivated. (Check out this article on tips for motivation.)

When thinking of average physical health, exercise creates the ability for extra strength, greater cardiac function, and increased endurance.
All of these promote better overall physical health.

Even if this is common knowledge, often people don’t know where to start with exercising. See this look at exercise ideas and explanations.

 

5. Upkeep of Your Medical Care

In this section, we will address taking care of our physical health by medical input.

For some, this means functional medicine or holistic health needs being met.

For others, it is seeing a medical doctor or specialist to create and maintain physical wellness.

Medical upkeep also pertains to required medications that have been prescribed or administered.

Regarding any of these situations, we should:

  • Be aware of our own personal baseline
  • Increase our understanding of the information
  • Advocate for optimal outcomes

 

Medical care can be overwhelming. It is important to ask questions anytime we feel unsure about something.

Also, when seeing medical doctors, it’s common for people to feel intimidated or rushed because of the productivity standards and methods of common medicine.

This is a problem that several patients have reported over the years. Remember that doctors are human, and often a simple request to further explain an idea or create better understanding is needed.

If this does not remedy the situation, then don’t be afraid to find a new doctor. Too often we don’t advocate for ourselves or feel like we should “just deal with it.”

Doing this time and again leads to the habitual mindset that your health needs are not as important as a physician’s time. Remember, they took an oath to bring greater health to others. Even if some doctors forget their purpose, not all have. Find a good fit.

 

Hopefully you made a list that ordered these topics and will use it to take steps to create greater improvements where needed.

While it may not seem like a huge impact, we often overlook areas where we are falling short until we are forced to pay closer attention.

Sharpening these basic wellness steps will lead to greater physical health indefinitely.

Why is Body Wellness Important?

We addressed the meaning of overall body wellness by highlighting some of the methods of wellness, or action steps. These points are important ways to increase physical health and create wellness.

Often, we move through daily life putting things off that we feel can wait, or that may not seem like pressing issues.

This is a common occurrence with physical health, especially if it seems to be troublesome to gain information, get an appointment for consult, pay for medication, and numerous other reasons for delay.

A better way to approach physical health is to increase body awareness (strength and flexibility in addition to endurance and balance). The idea is that we have great responsibility to encourage each part of our body operate in an optimal manner for overall health and to keep fit.

Impact of Overall Physical Health

We discussed that there is importance in creating better wellness for our physical health and listed some examples of this.

When combining the mentioned examples, it creates an overview of things that need to take place for optimal physical health.

It is imperative for our well-being that we create opportunities and take steps to improve and then maintain our wellness.

Since our body prefers to remain balanced, the impact of each of the ideas is felt as we make more effort to stay intentional with our steps.

 

When considering health of the entire body, we realize that we cannot control all aspects of our health.

So, making greater efforts to take action steps is important. It is better to stay healthy in case we were to suddenly have a health challenge.

Remaining proactive for our physical wellness promotes not only better health now, but in case we experience any health situations in the future.

Optimal Performance from Wellness

Once we gain knowledge and create spaces for better health, our well-being is also affected. (This simply means it’s good for all parts of us.)

Besides creating the best opportunities and outcomes for our everyday journey, increased physical wellness allows preparation if we have a health situation arise.

For example, from a rehab standpoint, I have seen numerous patients gain great outcomes after an illness when they were healthier to begin with.

It can be looked at like trying to drive a car on tires that are only partially filled.

Similarly, a patient that is working to get healthy during or after an illness often rebounds more quickly and fully if they were addressing physical wellness before the incident.

Even though not all parts of our health can be determined or controlled, it’s up to us to do the best we can to create a healthy foundation.

How Wellness Affects Injuries

For most of us, injury at some point in our lives is inevitable. This could include a broken bone, an injury from an accident, or even a chronic injury.

Just as with illness, when using steps for wellness to create better overall health, it will often enable a more complete recovery.

Of course, there are circumstances beyond our control that may require physical healing. However, the basic understanding is that the healthier we stay, the better our outcomes can be.

Another aspect where injuries are concerned is that if we prepare with wellness and have a good foundation, we may prevent some injuries from occurring.

This is especially true with exercise programs, walking, running, and even in everyday activities.

If we focus only on the Core Four, we can still have better physical health which may prevent injuries. 

Especially as we age, when basic needs are sometimes overlooked such as nutrition, hydration, and adequate sleep, we are at higher risk for a health issue.

This can lead directly to an injury taking place or to difficulty preventing an injury. In turn, there could be a need for health interventions. Paying attention to ergonomics is one good focus to prevent injury.

Overall, the view is that wellness creates better physical health and is important to achieve.

Girl with Healthy Lifestyle Eating Well in the Gym

How to Improve Your Body Wellness

Now that we have discussed what body wellness is and the importance of it, let’s look at how we can improve our overall wellness.

As mentioned, there are examples of some simple methods that can increase outcomes for our physical health.

In addition, any ideas we know are helpful should be considered for action.

Recognizing the Right Reasons for Action

While it has become obvious that body wellness is something that we should all address, the main idea here is to realize that people often use the wrong incentives for progress.

Especially with social media and more virtual options that ever before, comparing our physical health to others is not what should encourage us to turn to wellness.

It has become very easy to briefly see and quickly decide what we should look like or participate in.

Unfortunately, this unhealthy view has misled many people and can lessen the outcomes we are able to accomplish.

 

These views are detrimental to physical health (and mindset) and are not sustainable when attempting to use them for wellness.

Here are some unhealthy reasons for changing your ways:

  • Wish you looked like someone else
  • Saw clothes you would like to fit into
  • Compared yourself to someone you saw on social media
  • Think you should eat very minimally (starve yourself)
  • Think you need to exercise continuously to lose weight

 

Reasons like this do not promote success for better health but can actually create frustrations and lesser outcomes.

 

A side note here, one of the most common reasons for attempting wellness is because we dislike how we look.

While this may initiate motivation, this reason alone is not healthy to maintain and can increase imbalance in other parts of our being, especially our mindset.

It is easy to become obsessed with how we view our body and act in an unsafe manner based on that instead of focus on our overall health.

We should not use it solely as a long-term method of changing our health steps.

On the contrary, there are things we can pay attention to that will bring about better steps toward wholeness and a long-term outlook.

Taking Steps Toward Physical Wholeness

While we addressed the mindset that is unhealthy for promoting action, we can counter that by reviewing some healthy reasons for action that create a powerful mindset.

These reasons for taking steps will allow greater sustainability and promote better reach toward meeting personal goals.

Here are some reasons for initiating and maintaining your wellness:

  • Desire to have better physical health in part or overall
  • Realizing that you aren’t in optimal shape for everyday activities
  • Understanding that your eating—or drinking—habits are not good for your health
  • Deciding that you want to take steps to change for the future
  • Desire to gain knowledge of a health program

 

When you start with the right perspective, it promotes greater outcomes. You will also have a more optimistic outlook.

This can be the case in several life circumstances but is especially an important approach when addressing your current and future physical health.

Remember, one of the best pieces of advice is to know your own health so that you can begin to formulate an authentic and reachable result.

There are many professionals such as nutritionists, personal trainers, physical therapists, and exercise physiologists that can assist with a correct approach especially if a medical situation is involved.

However, it remains important for each of us to stay knowledgeable about our own health and wellness and not rely fully on others for guidance. Learning to listen to your body is one of the best ways to accomplish wellness.

Creating Success Within Reach

Whether it involves a professional for help getting started, or you personally take it on, one idea to remember is the importance of setting attainable goals.

Although often we have vision of the end result—and think we can easily jump to it—the reality is that physical wellness takes steps and steps take time.

This realization is key to begin and maintain a good program.

One important first step is to set goals that are attainable. This means understanding the baseline and setting a goal that is possible to reach.

While that sounds obvious, often people make an assumption about reaching a specific outcome, but the expectation is not realistic.

Then, comes the feeling of failure and often includes a defeated posture.

Setting correct goals from the beginning brings small successes throughout the program and often promotes a longer lasting effort. This is especially important if changes are being made due to health situations.

Check out this article on whole body health that addresses setting goals.

Final Thoughts About Body Wellness

Now that we understand what this topic means, it will allow for a better outlook and planning for greater body wellness.

Understanding specific examples that can be used to create greater physical health will allow more of an impact in our life.

In addition, realizing the result that it has on our entire body and potential situations can promote greater action.

Finally, keeping tabs on what motivates us to increase body wellness is important to assure the reasons are sustainable and healthy.

This encourages setting attainable goals that can last a lifetime and help us get and stay ahead.

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