What is Whole Body Health?
Whole body health can be considered as whole person health or health of our entire being.
This seems easy enough, but several ideas go into the entire concept of whole-body health.
Health is often referred to in a variety of ways:
- not having disease
- a state that we are currently in
- how we prefer to live
However, health should be looked at with a broader lens because our bodies are not always in a perfect state of unity. Often, we are unaware of what is happening at the deepest levels. Also, one specific word or a single thought cannot possibly sum up overall health.
While it appears possible to be free from physical issues at any given time, that state can change momentarily and bring on any number of situations.
We can compare the body to a huge city with many people and multiple moving parts. In this example, it is uncommon to go years without crime, electrical outages, and accidents or human conflict.
With so many working parts, it creates many possibilities for things to change and create difficulty. When considering an attempt to control the situation, we could find safety, have electrical backups, or take steps to be proactively protected.
Those steps would give some concept of control. Similar thoughts exist about promoting whole health in the body.
Being proactive with our health can ward off some illnesses and create a more stable environment. However, the truth is that not everything can be controlled by us. In addition, health is often considered as only physical in nature.
Healthcare professionals are becoming more interested in overall health, but there is still quite a bit of work to be done to enhance this idea. This represents a large part of why the mindset for whole health well-being is so important.
There are many parts to consider in the whole health of a person. Multiple areas of whole-body health to include:
In This Article
Whole Body Health and Wellness
For this discussion, we will consider our health as the general state we are currently in.
In addition, another concept should be mentioned that very closely accompanies health: wellness.
Some points to know about wellness:
- Should be partnered with health when discussing the whole person
- It is taking care of each part.
- The movement we create for our entire being to promote improvement.
- Can involve a variety of ideas and actions
- The methods we use to maintain our condition when we have reached a good level.
(More on health goals later.)
Some examples of wellness:
- Exercise
- Eating well
- Mindfulness
- Spiritual wholeness
Wholeness has a direct correlation to wellness.
“Whole” can be:
- A term to address our entire being
- Used to describe the absence of gaps in our body, mind, and emotional state.
Since both are a part of the overall vision here, health and wellness are addressed throughout this site.
They are the foundation for several important factors of whole-body health.
Balance is Key
Our bodies are very intricate in formation and have multiple systems with many working parts. Each of these systems has its own structure and function. Even when adding all the right ingredients and efforts, there is no guarantee that everything will continue to work well.
Our bodies don’t always perform perfectly in every manner, and our systems don’t always remain balanced. This information, although supposedly understood, often throws people for a loop when an expectation of “good health” is shattered.
Information we are given about certain concepts is often dumbed down and it can be challenging to be a good advocate. This does not always promote overall health, especially when you must look deeply into a diagnosis or sickness.
Saying health is “being free from disease” creates its own issues. This promotes the automatic feeling that people with illness have failed and often will not have opportunities to be healthy.
This view of health is harsh and outdated. It does not consider that people often live with chronic disease while focusing on their current health state. (More on this later.)
Instead of specific labels, we should transition to a measure of each person’s individual health and wellness using personal baseline and body awareness (strength and flexibility as well as endurance and balance). This should then be used as motivation to propel us forward.
Overall, becoming and remaining healthy as a whole person involves staying balanced in multiple areas of your life. Focusing on wellness can lead to balanced health and a more complete look at your whole person. This even includes family wellness.
No Extremes
As has been mentioned, balance is the key to optimal health. This is true for all parts of your body, including your mind and spirit.
Our bodies were not made to take extreme hits whether it be physical, emotional, or mental. It is difficult to remain in optimal condition during these attacks.
When operating in the realm of balance, all systems run more smoothly. Remember though, not every part of our health can be controlled. However, it is up to us to make sure we make every effort to maintain the balance our bodies crave.
One bit of advice is not to wait to attempt balance until you feel a particular way or notice a certain mindset. Instead, think, “There is no time like the present.”
The preferred method of approach is to:
- Know your own body well
- Understand your current state
- Strive to gain and then keep balance within your body systems
This usually comes in baby steps. Just as our body does not operate in extremes, neither can we leap our way to increased balance.
Taking Care of Yourself
Over the years, we have been told that to be healthy we simply should eat well, exercise, rest, and drink plenty of water. There are many dynamics involved with becoming and staying healthier, but these four basics are indeed a good starting point.
If you want something to operate well, it involves a commitment to upkeep. Our health is no different.
In its most basic form, the body needs food and water, especially hydration. Once the most elementary needs are met, we have a foundation to build from. While this mindset is very basic, it can ultimately be the basis for using wellness to create a healthier whole person.
When encouraging balance, it is important to recognize those things that can create and maintain a solid foundation.
- Recognize your current state
- Identify the basic needs in a situation
- Seek help when we cannot succeed on our own
It is important to mention that whole body health can be challenging, and we may begin relying on others too continuously.
The minute we totally rely on other people to maintain our health—trainers, coaches, doctors, nurses—we lose the first and most important concept of our health and wellness—personal insight into our own bodies.
We should become comfortable being our own advocate and strive to keep fit. So, remember, getting help is important, but maintaining your own understanding is vital. It is an important part of the balance of our health and wellness.
So What and Who Cares?
When I was in college, I had a professor who was famous for asking this question during our lessons, “So what and who cares?”
It has stuck with me in several aspects as I have gained more knowledge and even as a healthcare professional for the past thirty years.
I have posed this question regarding health and wellness of the entire body and used it for increased motivation when explaining specifics to other people.
While most people understand the importance of increased health and wellness, it becomes obvious that where intention meets action challenges are often created. Simply put, the hard part is often following through with steps that fall into creating wellness.
However, it is important to have greater understanding. We should continuously monitor our current state. We can adjust accordingly with each area that we would like to build on.
Changing Incorrect Thinking
When stepping toward a healthy mindset, whether new or revitalized, remember to pace yourself.
Any method being used to address a health change or highlight should be thought of as a marathon not a sprint.
For those that don’t care for running analogies, consider it a leisurely stroll through the mall window shopping rather than at a clearance sale getting stepped on or pushed around.
For nature lovers, consider this a slow climb up the mountain rather than a race to the top.
Obviously the concept is the same for everyone, slow and steady wins.
With a focus on gaining and maintaining overall health and wellness, our sights should be set on balance and moving at a steady pace, not just trying to get ahead.
How to Overcome Old Habits
We have all heard the saying about old habits.
When it comes to health, often we see situations where people try, slip, feel as though they failed, and possibly try again.
You might experience failing diets, an abandoned exercise program, or not maintaining a healthy food regimen. These may be specific examples, but the overall idea is similar and pertains to people falling back into what are considered bad habits.
It can be quite challenging and deflating in a physical and mental whole health situation, or with anything for that matter. A simple idea is to pace yourself and take only one small step at a time if needed.
A small step forward is still forward movement.
All too often, we know what we want but can’t seem to stay motivated. For a deeper dive, check out this article on inspiration and motivation.
Setting Attainable Health Goals
Small steps are a good place to start, but another reason people feel like they have failed is because they have skipped setting tangible and attainable goals.
By nature, we readily jump straight to the desired outcome. Often this is too extreme.
Setting goals is important and should be specific to your health and wellness plan. It is important to encourage more knowledge of an idea or situation.
We shouldn’t get hung up on specific terms and overlook the big picture though. Remember, balance is key.
You can read five different books, with five different health views, that contain five different plans and become totally confused.
However, all five may not pertain to you. Just because it applied to your friend, does not mean it’s right for you.
In addition, it is important to realize that you should not believe everything you see, hear, or read. This often leads us down the wrong path.
The main point is to stay educated (increase your knowledge) but also, you should increase your understanding (comprehension) of what is appropriate, needed, and attainable for you.
Don’t escalate goals to a place where you won’t reach them.
Then, you end up quitting instead of taking successful steps. Even the best intentions don’t bring progress if we’re standing still.
That said, we can all take interest in our personal health and wellness by sticking with the view that balance is important.
Helpful Hints When Setting Health Goals:
1. Make them attainable
This seems like common sense, but often people set goals that are very difficult to reach which creates a stressful and negative mindset.
2. Plan goals that bring small successes
This can assist in forward progress and encourages continued wellness.
3. Cut yourself some slack
If a goal that seems reachable has not yet been met, reconsider if it is attainable. Do not berate yourself for not meeting it.
4. Think of goals as guidelines
This mindset creates more focus on the overall outcome, not set in stone miles markers that can cause you to feel like a failure.
5. Remember that small steps are still steps
Shoot for a step in the right direction each day, no matter how small. This creates good habits and can promote greater lasting success.
Another Kind of Health
So far in this discussion, we have:
- Focused on whole body health and wellness
- Looked at maintaining balance
- Learned the importance of setting goals
Another part of the health discussion we need to address is how society sees illness or sickness.
After spending much time in many situations with those considered ill, I have realized that this label is general and incorrect.
Labeling people as:
- Diseased
- Unhealthy
- Sick
Is a definite way to decrease:
- Healing
- Mindset
- Multiple other parts of the whole person
Incorrect ideology: healthy=no disease, unhealthy=sickness.
Correct thinking is not that these are opposites—healthy and sick—but that they are different parts of whole health.
In our society, it is common for any health state other than fully functioning to be termed as sickness.
The focus becomes negative, and the mindset can easily spiral to a detrimental place.
This can be devastating to us, our family, and even the general impression that hangs over the situation.
How Illness is Incorrectly Portrayed
To understand how a different viewpoint can birth a better health perspective, imagine how we monitor our encounters with people that have been diagnosed with an illness.
Consider someone who has recently found out they have cancer. Would you approach them with a negative mindset and degrading words?
Should you tell someone who has received a chronic disease diagnosis that they don’t have long to live? Or mention that the person with an immune deficiency will never live normally?
No one would approach situations in this manner, but even without words, this is often the mindset of everyone involved—the one receiving the news and the one consoling them.
We have created these mindsets by negatively labeling several health issues. These examples show how powerful our thoughts are and how quickly we can turn to deflating mindsets.
On the contrary, many people gain and maintain a healthy and whole view as they actively battle a situation that has weakened or interrupted their current health. This is where whole-body health and wellness comes in.
Remember, there are some things we cannot control about our health, but we can definitely choose how we react to them.
Wellness Outlook for Health Interruptions
Most of us have experienced a type of health issue at one time or another, some more difficult than others.
We realize this is possible and sometimes when thinking about family history or genetics may feel more pressure about the possible outcomes. We shouldn’t live in fear or wait for a situation but rather stay proactive to keep focused on higher health.
Just like keeping gas in your car, changing the oil, and rotating the tires, fueling and maintaining your body is key to the performance outcome.
You can have a chronic situation and still actively focus on your whole health and especially your wellness. The landscape may look different, but the steps are still possible and important to general well-being.
Check out this article on different types of physical therapy for a deeper understanding of healing in healthcare.
Better Outcomes Overall
When looking more into health interruptions, the concept of balance is still very important. While the health situation itself may not change, the other areas that are directly and indirectly affected should become more of a focus.
For example, I have spent time with patients with amputations, chronic disease, and terminal illness that maintain a healthy mindset and create experiences for wellness every single day. This contributes to “whole” body health, as well as, “wholeness” in respect to overall well-being.
A side note here, while this is important for anyone dealing with an illness, the people surrounding us can also contribute to this whole view by creating a support system when we need uplifting. But remember, advocating for yourself and gaining and maintaining lasting health and wellness is ultimately the focus.
Final Thoughts on Whole Body Health
As we have seen, there are many parts to whole-body health.
Some of the most vital points to remember are:
- It involves our entire being and our wellness
- It’s a not a race nor a sprint
- The key is to find balance
- The right goals are important for our success
Ultimately, “whole” refers to all parts of us and using wellness to close any gaps in our health by creating “wholeness.”
These key ideas represent the concept of whole-body health for our entire being.