Exploring Physical Wellness

The first installment of the Exploring Wellness series is all about the dimension of Physical Wellness. Housing elements such as health, diet, fitness, and sleep make this dimension one of the most influential.

These popular topics generate endless information, which can be quite overwhelming. For the purpose of this post, I will stick to general information and keep it very simple.

This series is all about laying the foundation of wellness. Look for deep dives in the future.

Let’s take a look at each element of physical wellness, explore why they are so important, and then discover simple ways we can implement change or better cultivate this dimension.

Let’s get started!

Health

While my previous post was all about the seven dimensions of health and wellness, for the purpose of this post, let’s refer to “physical health” as simply the absence of illness or disease.

When your health suffers, you suffer. Your physical health has a huge impact on the other dimensions. Maintaining physical health requires engaging in healthy habits and effectively preventing or managing any illness or disease.

Healthy Habits

Wash your hands. Practice high-quality hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water regularly. We all know how important this is given that we are in the middle of the COVID-19 global pandemic. While hand sanitizer is a good back-up, using it too frequently can strip your skin of its natural protective oils and bacteria. If you have a choice, choose soap and water.
Get regular check-ups. Visit your doctor for an annual physical and know your numbers. Knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose numbers will give you peace of mind if they are in a healthy range. If not, this is the time to work with your physician to make improvements. Remember to visit other providers, like your dentist, as well.
Manage your illness or disease. This means taking medicine as prescribed and following whatever other recommendations your doctor has for you. This also means taking action to improve your condition when possible. This usually involves making lifestyle changes which can be very difficult. Use whatever resources are available to you and seek professional help when necessary.
Weight management. This is a sensitive one, and part of a much bigger conversation around the balance between self-acceptance and physical health. The simple truth is that having too much body fat taxes your system and increases your risk for disease. If your doctor has recommended you lose weight, consider making this a priority. Effectively losing weight can be incredibly challenging, so find someone to help and support you through the process.
Decrease risky behavior. High-risk behavior can be as simple as not wearing a seat belt. While seemingly harmless, this can have devastating consequences, as can vaping, using tobacco products, and abusing alcohol or drugs. High-risk behavior also includes not practicing safe-sex.

Diet

Your diet is simply what you eat and drink. While there has been much research and debate over which style of diet is best, your body needs the following nutrients to function properly:

Carbohydrates
Protein
Fat
Vitamins
Minerals
Water

High Carb or Low Carb? Low Fat or High Fat? High Protein or Low Protein?

So much conflicting information, so little time. Many of the popular diet trends recommend different macronutrient (Carbohydrate, Protein, Fat) proportions, but which is correct? This is a difficult question to answer.

Some diets are appropriate for certain populations for medical reasons. For example, the Ketogenic diet (high fat, moderate protein, very low carbohydrates) is often recommended for people suffering from epilepsy, while a high carbohydrate, whole foods plant-based diet may be be recommended for someone fighting cancer.

Health vs. Weight-Loss

Another factor to consider is how we measure the success of a diet. If I am trying to lose weight, than surely a diet that allows me to rapidly shed the pounds quickly, even though it’s incredibly hard to maintain, must be the healthiest right? What if this diet recommends I eat nothing but steak and eggs? Great for my bathroom scale and the Agriculture Industry, but what about my arteries?

Each fad diet will have its advocates, passionately telling you how well this worked for them and why it’s the healthiest for your body. The recommendations we get from our family, friends, health and fitness professionals, healthcare providers, and even the media can all conflict with each other. It’s nearly impossible to navigate.

Why is it so complicated?

Research in this field is tricky because of the complexity of nutrients and how they function both individually and in concert with each other, nevermind how they impact disease.

At the risk of sounding like a conspiracist, there can also be hidden agendas and conflicts of interest within research, all of which we would never know. Consider the influence and reach of the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and meat and dairy industries, for example.

Side Note – I recently read, The China Study, which is an incredible book that explores the difficulties around Nutrition research. If you are interested in diet and nutrition, I highly recommend it.

The link above contains an affiliate link, read the full disclaimer here.

Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet

My personal and professional belief is that a whole foods plant-based diet is the gold standard for optimal health. The Mediterranean Diet is built around a whole foods plant-based diet, but does include small amounts of lean animal products. This can be an easier alternative.

While my opinion will differ from those who advocate for diets high in animal products (meat, dairy, eggs), such as Paleo and Keto (Keto can be plant-based by the way), we will be able to agree on the following guidelines:

Eat less of these:

Processed foods (cookies, crackers, chips, cereals)
High-sugar foods and beverages (candy, soda, super sweet coffee drinks)

Eat more of these:

Whole foods (foods as close to their natural state as possible)
Vegetables
Low-glycemic index fruits (berries)
Healthy fats (extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil)

Water

Ah, water. The one thing we can all agree on. We need water to survive. Many of us are dehydrated and don’t even know it. Is your skin dry? Do you get headaches frequently? Are you mindlessly eating? Is your urine dark?You may be dehydrated.

How Much Water Do I Need?

On average, the recommendation is that we drink at least 64oz of water per day. This number will need to be adjusted if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you drink tea, coffee, soda, or alcohol, which are all diuretics (make you pee). If you sweat a lot during exercise or exertion, you will need to drink more water.

A simple way to know if you are getting enough water is to check your urine. It should be pale yellow. Drinking too much water in a short period of time can alter your electrolyte balance, so aim for drinking moderate amounts throughout the day.

Tips for Increasing Water Consumption

Drink a large glass of water upon rising in the morning.
Purchase a 32oz water bottle and drink one full bottle before lunch and one full bottle after lunch.
Drink an extra glass of water for every diuretic consumed.

Fitness

Your overall physical fitness is essentially how well your body functions and performs during daily life. How easily you can climb a flight of stairs, reach down and pick-up something dropped on the floor, carry your groceries, etc.

Fitness is broken down into five components measuring aerobic capacity, muscular fitness, flexibility, and body fat percentage.

Health-Related Fitness Components

Cardio-Respiratory Endurance – The ability of your heart and lungs to effectively distribute oxygen to working muscles and how well they use it.
Flexibility – The range of movement possible at a given joint.
Muscular Strength – The extent to which muscles can produce force by contracting against resistance.
Muscular Endurance – The ability for a group of muscles to continue working over an extended period of time.
Body Composition – The percentage of the body which is fat and not lean body mass (muscle, bone, and tissue).

How much exercise is recommended?

The recommended amount of exercise is a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most days of the week. You should also mix in flexibility and strength training.

Luckily, you don’t need a gym membership to improve your fitness.

Engaging in more physical activity throughout the day is a great place to start. Parking further away from your destination, enthusiastically cleaning your house, or taking multiple trips to put your laundry away are all simple ways to get moving.

As for strength training, bodyweight exercises can be very effective. As your activities get easier, you must add more of a challenge to continue improving your fitness.

The internet is a great place to find all sorts of exercise regimens, but my advice is to find something that you enjoy doing. If you dread your workout, you probably won’t do it.

Get creative! Anything that moves your body and provides a safe, physical challenge will be beneficial.

Sleep

We all know that quality sleep is essential for our bodies to function efficiently and we can certainly feel (and see) the difference in ourselves when we sleep poorly. While we sleep our bodies get restored — toxins get flushed-out, tissues are repaired, growth and development occur, and our memories are consolidated.

Without proper sleep, you cannot efficiently retain new information learned or experienced during the day. A great example why “pulling an all-nighter” before an exam is not a great idea.

How much sleep do I need?

There are several variables that affect our individual sleep needs, such as age, sex, current state of health, and how much sleep you’ve been getting. A healthy adult generally needs 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.

What happens if I get less than that?

Missing out on those restful hours will have a negative impact on your health. In addition to being tired, you may also experience:

Decreased immune function
Increased appetite
Impaired cognitive function
Increased cortisol (stress hormone)
Mood changes and irritability
Increased risk for diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes
Increased risk for accidents due to impaired balance and responsiveness

The bottom line is that sleep should be a priority. Many people state that they feel just fine after 5-6 hours of sleep and maybe that’s true, but habitually depriving yourself of those extra hours will have a detrimental affect on your overall health and well-being.

Of course there will be times in our lives where getting enough sleep is nearly impossible, such as having baby, going through menopause, or experiencing a highly-stressful or traumatic event. Give your body the restorative sleep it needs now, so you can better handle those situations in the future. You’ll start in a healthier place and be able to get back to restful nights sooner.

Tips to Improve Sleep Quality

I love talking about sleep, so expect more posts around this topic. For now, here a few of my favorite tips:

Prepare your bedroom. Create a cool, dark, quiet space free from clutter, lights, and sound. Keep work out of your bedroom.
Give yourself a daily bedtime and wake-up time. Even on the weekend, go to bed and rise at the same time every day. Your body will become conditioned and you’ll fall asleep and wake-up much easier.
Reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption. Both can inhibit sleep.
Reduce screen time, especially within an hour of your bedtime. This includes checking your phone before bed.
Use a red light as a nightlight. Blue and white lights can inhibit melatonin production.

Summary

The dimension of Physical Wellness plays a major role in our overall health and happiness. Keeping your body healthy will have a direct impact on nearly every other dimension we discuss in this series. Being able to move about freely, feeling well-rested and energized, and free from pain and discomfort will allow you to be fully engaged in life and all it has to offer.

See more of the Exploring Wellness series as we take a closer look at each of the seven dimensions of wellness; Physical Wellness, Emotional Wellness, Intellectual Wellness, Spiritual Wellness, Social Wellness, Occupational Wellness, and Environmental Wellness.

Exploring Physical Wellness