Wellness Terminology
There are many words today associated with wellness. Many of
those terms are new for readers, and some of the terms are
interchangeable between fitness, wellness, and health. So let's
take a minute to explain some of the terms you may see from time
to time.
Wellness itself is defined as the condition of good physical and
mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet,
exercise, and habits.
Meditation, an exercise recommended for everyone, but especially
those of use with hectic, stressful lifestyles, is defined as an
engagement in contemplation, especially of a spiritual or
devotional nature. Meditation has been shown to be an effective
method of lowering blood pressure, relieving stress, and
promoting overall good health, by simply reflecting upon our
day, and finding happiness within ourselves.
Fitness refers to the condition of our physical body and mental
fitness would of course be addressing our mental state. Often we
will join and participate in fitness centers that provide
personal trainers, and stationary fitness equipment. There are
numerous pieces of equipment available that perform many
different exercises to address specific areas of the body. The
best time to learn about this equipment is during the
orientation session of the fitness center you have chosen.
Exercise covers a lot of ground. There are so many forms of
exercise that we can only try to cover some of the more popular
and well defined programs. There are aerobic programs that focus
on heart rate and your cardio health. There are water aerobics
that again focus on your heart health. Weight training and free
weights are used for building muscle mass, and sculpting the
body. Walking is one of the best exercises available, as it
doesn't jar our bodies, but uses all parts for toning and
building heart rate. Running, swimming, jogging, and skiing are
all forms of exercise, but not recommended for the novice.
Your nutritional needs refer to the physical supplements of
vitamins, minerals and calories needed in order for you to
sustain optimum physical health. Much discussion is centered on
this topic right now, because our nation faces obesity problems
of epidemic proportions.
Alternative therapies refer to the alternative medicine options
such as chiropractic care, acupuncture, herbal cures, and
holistic medicine. Of the examples given here, chiropractic and
acupuncture are becoming more widely accepted as complements to
the traditional form of western medicine. Studies are conducted
often that support the evidence that chiropractic care and
acupuncture are effective forms of medicine.
Herbal cleansing and healing are terms used by many of the
natural healers to describe what ingestion of certain herbal
combinations can provide for the body in the effort to bring it
back to optimal health, or to sustain optimal health.
Today wellness is used not only in conjunction with health and
fitness, but also wellness of the mind, body, and spirit. There
is an ever increasing movement among the health conscious
citizens, that wellness should include not only our physical
being, but our mental and spiritual health. The only true form
of wellness must include the entire person.