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Improving Physical Wellness

A healthy body. Good physical health habits. Nutrition, exercise,and appropriate health care. These make up the physical dimension of wellness. A few ways we can get there might be choosingthings that make our body feel good and trimmingback the thingsthat bring us down. We can also feel better by creating a routine that balances activitywith inactivity, and that is manageable within our obligations and needs. Our body is intelligent, and learning to listen to it more deeply may be very important and empowering.


Ther are seven sub dimenstions to Physical Wellness: Physical - Nutrition, Physical Activity, Sleep, Alcohol, Tobacco, and other drugs, Medication Safety, Preventive Medicine



Photo credit: BragoPhoto


1. NUTRITION

Some questions to think about

  1. Do you have access to fresh, healthy food?

  2. Are you in a position to eat at home so you can better track what you are putting intoyour body?

  3. Areyouimprovingyourdietbysettingsmallgoals for small changes each day, week, ormonth?

Some resourcesRESOURCES

  1. Check out local food co-ops if one is in your area for good, affordable food.

  2. Visit USDA’s Choose My Plate (http://www.choosemyplate. gov) or FoodPyramid.com (http://www.foodpyramid.com).

  3. Meet with dietitians and nutritionists if you need help,or try programs like Weight Watchers.

  4. Explore self-help support groupsand organizations, like TOPS or Overeaters Anonymous.


2. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Some questions to think about

  1. Are you getting regularphysical activity whenever you can, and making it fun?

  2. Have you been taking “shortcuts” to exercise, like parking further away from the store and taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator?

  3. Have you identified your healthy Body Mass Index and begun working toward it, one day at a time?

Some resources

  1. Join and visit local gyms, YMCAs, and fitness clubs, or join a neighborhood pool.

  2. Look throughfitness and other magazines for exercises you can do at home.

  3. Check out free resources, such as YouTube, to learn how to do yoga or other exercises.

  4. Search for tracking tools like http://www.myfitnesspal.com that will show how far you’ve come.


3. SLEEP

Some questions to think about

  1. Are you getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night whenever possible?

  2. Are you avoiding exercise within a few hours of bedtime, as well as “screen time”?

  3. Are you avoiding large meals before going to bed?

Some resources

  1. Try managing your routine to carve out time to rest and sleep, and cut back on caffeine.

  2. ExplorethetipsfoundonHealthyPeople.gov(http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=38), MayoClinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep/HQ01387), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/sleep).


4. ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND OTHER DRUGS

Some questions to think about

  1. Have you tried tools that can help you cut down or quit using tobaccoproducts, alcohol, or other drugs?

  2. Are you reaching out to family or friendsinstead of using substances when you are going through a tough time?

  3. Are you being mindful of triggers that make you want to use substances and do you have a plan that can help you avoid them?

Some resources

  1. Find support groups and 12-step groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), in your community and attend meetings.

  2. Consider engaging in hypnosis, acupuncture, or nicotine replacement therapy to curb the smoking habit (http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/smokingcessation/tools-to-help-successfully-quit-smoking.htm).


5. MEDICATION SAFETY

Some questions to think about

  1. Do you wear medical