Working Towards Wellness

           Imagine that you have the flu. You lie in bed all day, are constantly vomiting, and feel achy all over. I think everyone would agree that illness like this is very unpleasant and is something we should try to prevent. We should work towards wellness instead, which is not just the absence of disease but also “optimal health and vitality” and “living life to its fullest" (Insel & Roth, 2010, p. 1).        

           Wellness is made up of six dimensions—physical, emotional, intellectual, interpersonal, spiritual, and environmental. Physical wellness involves having a high fitness level and being able to take care of your own physical needs. Emotional wellness is the ability to understand and deal with your feelings. Intellectual wellness involves seeking out new experiences and constantly challenging your mind. Interpersonal wellness is your ability to develop and maintain supportive relationships. Spiritual wellness means living a life full of purpose and meaning. And environmental wellness involves living in surroundings that support, rather than diminish, your health (Insel & Roth, 2010, p. 1-3).

            Each of these dimensions of wellness is important, because they are all interrelated (Insel & Roth, 2010, p. 1). Living in a dirty, crowded environment, for instance, could cause you to contract a disease like the flu and diminish your physical health. And being cooped up in bed all the time because you are physically ill could make it hard to develop and maintain relationships with friends and, thus, diminish your interpersonal health.

            Realizing that wellness and each of its dimensions are important, the next question is: how can you improve your wellness? You can improve it by choosing to participate in certain health-promoting behaviors. One very beneficial action you can take, for instance, is to devote time to exercise. Physical activity has been linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes as well as lower levels of stress and anxiety, among other benefits (Insel & Roth, 2010, p. 245-247). You can’t just take one walk around the block and say you’re good, though: The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity 5 days a week or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity 3 days a week (Haskell et al., 2007). The intensity of an activity can be judged by how quickly it makes your heart beat (which is known as your heart rate). Vigorous-intensity activity causes a substantial increase in heart rate as well as rapid breathing (like jogging) whereas moderate-intensity activity just causes a noticeable increase in heart rate (like brisk walking) (Insel & Roth, 2010, p. 242-243).

            In addition to being physically active, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is another step you can take to improve your wellness. According to the United States Department of Agriculture [USDA] (n.d.), eating fruits and vegetables may reduce your risk for heart disease. And eating certain kinds of fruits and vegetables may offer special benefits, such as decreased risk for some forms of cancer, lower blood pressure, and deceased risk for kidney stones (USDA, n.d.). But just like with physical activity, eating one pea a day is not going to cut it. The USDA (n.d.) recommends “mak[ing] half your plate fruits and vegetables."

Using the actions discussed above, you can take charge of your health and protect it. So go take charge!

-Beth Antonacci

References:

Haskell W.L., Lee I., Pate R.P., Powell K.E., Blair S.N., Franklin B.A., Macera C.A., Heath G.W., Thompson P.D., Bauman A. (2007). Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 39(8), 1423-1434. doi: 10.1249/mss.0b013e3180616b27.

Insel, P.M. & Roth, W.T. (2010). Core concepts in health (Brief 11^th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

United States Department of Agriculture (n.d.). Why is it important to eat fruit?. Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/fruits-why.html.