What Is Physical Wellness? (And 9 Ways to Improve It)

In the fitness world, we discuss physical fitness regularly. We talk about cardio, strength training, and stretching. We share how each one can help us lose weight, build muscle, or simply get into better shape. Yet, one concept that rarely enters the conversation—even though it probably should—is physical wellness.

What Is Physical Wellness?

Physical wellness is about the actions we take to obtain or sustain maximal health in our physical body. This includes the things we do to reduce our risk of major medical conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. It also encompasses activities designed to improve the health of our cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.

When you have optimal physical health, you’re able to complete day-to-day activities more easily. You have enough energy to handle your duties and obligations with some left to spare. Physical activities such as vacuuming the house and mowing the grass can be accomplished with minimal fatigue, if any.

Physical Wellness Benefits

There are many health benefits associated with physical health and wellness. One is that all of your important health numbers are more likely to be within a healthy range. Your blood pressure is under 120/80. Your total cholesterol is less than 200mg/dL. Your HbA1c (blood sugar) is below 5.7%.   

Greater physical wellness also means a reduced risk of disease. This is especially important for older adults as 80% have at least one chronic health condition. Even when treated or managed, disease can lower your quality of life. Increased medical care needs can impact you financially. You may also struggle with higher levels of fatigue or have movement-related limitations.

Having better physical wellbeing can also improve your mental wellbeing. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that major depression is a common mental illness. Several studies have found that physical exercise can help reduce depressive feelings. One meta-analysis even reports that exercise helps just as much as therapy and antidepressant medications. Other pieces of research connect exercise with helping other mental health issues. Working out regularly can help with everything from anxiety to simply putting you in a better mood.

Enhanced physical wellness also provides fitness benefits. When your body is in good physical shape, your muscles and bones are strong. This reduces your risk of injury. You also have enough cardiorespiratory endurance to sustain aerobic activities for longer periods. Your muscular endurance is increased as well.

The Connection Between Physical Wellness and Other Types of Wellness

Not only is physical health and wellness associated with improved mental wellness, but it also impacts other types of wellness. For example, when you don’t feel your best physically, it can affect your emotional wellness. It may feel harder to deal with everyday life stressors. Your physical fatigue becomes mental fatigue. You don’t have the brainpower to support positive emotional health.

If you’re constantly worried about health issues, your spiritual wellness can suffer. You might struggle to keep your faith as you question why you developed a certain disease. Or you could question your higher power for “allowing” you to get sick. 

There’s also an interplay between physical health and occupational wellness. If you are well physically, you won’t need to use as much sick time. This boosts your productivity and can improve your overall performance. Even if you do show up when feeling ill, you won’t do as well as you normally would. Your workplace wellness suffers because your physical health is reduced.

You can find a connection between physical wellness and all other forms of wellness. It impacts your intellectual wellness and social wellness. It affects your financial wellness and environmental wellness. That makes it even more important to engage in activities designed for health promotion.

9 Ways to Improve Your Physical Well Being

If your goal is to achieve optimal physical wellness, there are many ways to do it. Here are a few options to consider adding to your wellness program.

• Keep your body at a healthy weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of physical health issues, such as cancer. It’s also unhealthy to be underweight. Try to find a healthy weight for you. If you’re not sure what that weight is, a personal trainer or doctor can help you come up with a good range to target.

• Get regular physical activity. You can’t work out once and say that you have better personal wellness. Regular exercise is the key to maintaining the best health possible long-term. Ideally, you should get some form of exercise daily. Even if you can only fit in a 10 to 15-minute walk, every little bit helps.

• Make most of your cardio sessions a moderate intensity physical activity. Moderate intensity exercise gets your heart rate up. It forces your heart to work a little harder, making it stronger as a result. So, while a nice slow walk around the block is okay from time to time—and a good form of active recovery—aim for a more moderate intensity most days of the week. Brisk walking, swimming, and bike riding all qualify as moderate intensity activities.

• Add a vigorous intensity physical activity 1-2 times per week. If you want to give your physical health a boost, make at least one of your weekly exercise sessions vigorous in intensity. Push your exertion a bit more. High-intensity interval training is a vigorous exercise. So too is running. (You want to clear this intensity of exercise with your doctor if you have any medical issues or previous injuries.)

• Incorporate strength training into your exercise routine. Building muscle is another critical part of physical wellness. Aim to perform resistance training exercises 2-4 days per week. Allow at least 24 hours of rest before working a specific muscle again. If you lift heavy weights, allow 48 hours for adequate recovery.

• Eat mainly whole, unprocessed foods. What you eat can impact how you feel physically. Focus on consuming mainly whole, unprocessed foods. They will give your body the nutrients it needs. Plus, it won’t overload you with unhealthy substances found in processed food items. Build your diet around high-quality lean proteins, complex carbs, healthy fats, vegetables, fruit, and low-fat dairy. At the same time, watch your intake of sugar and sodium.

• Develop good sleep habits. Sleep is one component of physical wellness that many fail to think about. Yet, when you are sleep-deprived, your physical health begins to suffer. Aim to get 7-9 hours per night. If you have trouble getting to sleep, create a bedtime routine to calm your body and mind. Listen to soothing music or practice breathing exercises. If you wake up a lot, ask yourself why. Is your daily caffeine intake too high during the day? Maybe you’re not cutting off your water consumption early enough, prompting your body to wake up to use the restroom. Make changes to support a better night’s rest.

• Monitor your stress levels. High levels of stress can wreak havoc on your physical health. Some of the most common stress-related physical health symptoms include fatigue, headaches, and upset stomach. Take steps regularly to lower your stress levels. Exercise is one activity good for stress. So too is talking to someone you trust or engaging in a hobby you enjoy.

• Continue to build healthy habits. Many factors can impact physical wellness. They are too numerous to cover them all. The main thing to remember is that healthy habits contribute to higher levels of physical health. So, if there is some area of your life that is lowering your physical wellness, take actions to address it. You will feel better when you do.

Making positive lifestyle changes is a process. Learn how to make this process more effective with ISSA’s Health Coach certification. This course teaches you how to get results quicker, as well as how to make healthy habits stick.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, May 18). High blood pressure symptoms and causes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm 

2. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Cholesterol levels: What you need to know. MedlinePlus. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://medlineplus.gov/cholesterollevelswhatyouneedtoknow.html 

3. Amy Campbell, M. S. (2022, July 7). Blood sugar chart: What's The normal range for blood sugar? Management. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/managing-diabetes/blood-glucose-management/blood-sugar-chart/ 

4. Get the Facts on Healthy Aging. The National Council on Aging. (2021, January 1). Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-healthy-aging 

5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Major depression. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression 

6. Kvam, S., Kleppe, C. L., Nordhus, I. H., & Hovland, A. (2016). Exercise as a treatment for depression: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 202, 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.03.063 

7. Daily Life. The American Institute of Stress. (2022, March 30). Retrieved March 3, 2023, from https://www.stress.org/daily-life