Overview

Taking care of your body is an indispensable first step towards achieving emotional and mental health. The body and the mind are linked together. When you enhance your physical health, you will automatically experience optimum emotional and mental wellbeing. For example, exercise does not only strengthen our lungs and heart, but also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that empower us and improve our mood.

The choices you make daily and the activities you engage affect the way you feel emotionally and physically.

Definition of physical wellbeing

Physical wellbeing has to do with the ability to perform physical activities and carry out social roles that are not hindered by the experiences of bodily pain and physical limitations, and biological health indicators.

Tips for physical wellbeing

1.Listen to your body

• If you can do an activity that will not worsen existing pain, then there is a possibility of a net benefit for your wellbeing and health.
• On the other hand, if you can do a particular activity that is capable of worsening your pain, then think of a different way to achieve the same result.
• The exception is that if everything is painful, then it is advisable to stay as active as possible.

2.Undertake body activities that you enjoy

• Be active. Inactivity is unbeneficial to your physical wellbeing.
• There are several ways to be active; get involved in things you enjoy. For example, swimming, table tennis, ballroom dancing, walking etc.
• Consider exercising in groups as it is social and good for your mental health and motivation.

3.Respect your age

• As you age, your body’s connective tissues slowly lose their elasticity, which make them more susceptible to injury. While it is okay to undertake activities that violently load tissues at 20, it may be disastrous to do the same thing at 60.
• Our capability ebbs away with each passing year. Therefore, do not try to complete a certain quantity of task as quickly as you did some years ago.

4.Focus on good posture

• When lying, sitting or standing, always try and maintain posture that is as uniform and balanced as possible.
• Strategically keep the abdominal core muscles working. When standing, do so with slightly bent knees.

5.Take a medium-term view

• The aim of this tip is to slowly step up the capability of the tissues.
• Jumping suddenly during activity doesn’t give the tissues chance to adapt and dramatically the risk of injury.
• It is far better to achieve your desired level of activity in 3-5 months’ time, than to achieve it once in a week then be out of any meaningful activities due to injury.

6.Manage your stress

• Too much stress worsens body pain, which increases the of illnesses.
• Stress is necessary in short bursts to encourage response to emergencies. However, it is highly harmful to our bodies when sustained.
• Meditation, mindfulness and relaxation are effective strategies that help quiet our minds and reduce the activation of our stress.
• With each passing year, hopefully, we come to realize that we have less say over what happens to us in life, but a greater say in how we respond to it.

7.Right attitude towards eating and sleeping: Eat healthy foods and get enough rest to balance all dimensions of your wellbeing.