my perspective of health
If you remember anything from high school health classes, depending on how old you are, you might roll your eyes at the word ‘Hauora’ or the dimensions of wellbeing, being physical, social, spiritual, and mental/emotional). But they actually are just as important as the teachers tried to tell us they were.
As a definition Health is a ‘state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
As I’ve got older (bear in mind I’m still 20!) I understand the meaning of this much more. As a teenager, I and many of the people around me thought health meant just eating healthy 100% of the time, being ‘skinny’ or ‘muscly’, and exercising.
To me health means freedom. To explain this, freedom can relate to the absence of diseases or physical incompetency, such as being able to go for a walk or move your body*. Many people take that aspect of physical health for granted. In my eyes 'Health = Wealth' and is one of the most important factors in life, without your health you have nothing. If you’re sick in hospital, you can’t work at your job, run your business, study for a degree, or even spend meaningful time with family and friends; which are the things most people see as important. Freedom can also be in the form of mental freedom. Recently the importance of mental health has been highlighted in society and through social media. Whether this is looking after your mental health through mindful activities or your spirituality. It’s also about finding balance to look after your health but not letting the urge to have perfect health with every food choice, or every workout overtake your mind.
Of course, we can also look at health in a more clinical way ensuring you have balanced hormones, reaching your vitamin and mineral levels, preventing disease or mobility issues, and maintaining a healthy weight that supports you. We must always remember that health is much more than just your physical self.
During my degree, we have based a lot of work around the physical health of athletes and their perfect diets down to the timing of meals and grams of carbohydrates which is extremely interesting but not always viable to the everyday person. The biggest problem for the wider society when trying to change to a healthier lifestyle, being diet or exercise, is one's mindset and changing it. You could be a personal trainer with all the knowledge of training but, you still have to create motivation and have the discipline to wake up in the morning and use your skillset to train.
Keep in mind Health can look different for everyone, this is my outlook and you might not agree, but that’s okay. As long as you find something that works for you to benefit your mind and body no matter how big or small you're taking steps towards a healthier self. Life only gives you one body so you may as well invest in it.
*Disclaimer: those that can’t walk or exercise due to disability or long-term injury can still be ‘healthy’ this is just an example.
