What is holistic fitness?

What is holistic fitness?

When people use the term fitness, they are generally referring to a state of sound physical health. Physical health, in turn, is defined in terms of strength, endurance and freedom from disease. However, in recent years the concept of fitness has expanded. A concept ofholistic fitnessemerged from the broader holistic perspective on health and healing.

The holistic perspective on health and healing is multidimensional. It is believed that the body, mind and spirit are connected in a way that is difficult to separate. So poor health is not just a question of injuries or illnesses. When healing is needed, people who subscribe to this approach are open to a wide range of therapies. You can opt for a combination of conventional and non-conventional medical treatments. Or they might consider an intervention that belongs to a completely different healing tradition. The main requirement is an approach that takes the whole person into account. However, healing is not the only problem when it comes to the holistic view of health. Proponents of the holistic approach to health are concerned with improving personal health and preventing disease before it can take hold. These concerns have led to the concept of holistic fitness.

Holistic fitness requires optimal health of the entire person. To achieve optimal personal health or holistic fitness, the person must address the body, mind and spirit. This likely requires a combination of activities including regular physical exercise, healthy eating habits, positive social-emotional experiences, and attention to our spiritual needs. It can be said that when we are fit in a holistic sense, our body, mind and spirit are in harmony with each other.

Achieving traditional physical fitness is an important part of the path to holistic fitness. A variety of research shows that physical activity and exercise can have a profound impact on our overall health. There are many positive correlations between our activity levels and the health of our bodies and minds. For example, physical activity correlates with a reduced likelihood of developing diabetes and certain types of cancer. It appears to improve cardiovascular respiratory health. At the same time, it appears to reduce the risk of depression and cognitive decline.

While strength and conditioning exercises are important, other aspects of being cannot be ignored in the search for optimal health. Proponents of a holistic approach to fitness know that the positive effects of exercise can be undermined by poor nutrition or excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs. Developing healthy eating habits may require nutritional counseling. Reducing dependence on various mood enhancers generally requires psychological counseling and some sort of internal, spiritual change.

Additionally, the positive effects of exercise tend to be greater and better maintained when the person's social environment is supportive. A supportive social environment can encourage people to continue an exercise program. A supportive social environment can help people achieve healthy eating goals. For this reason, people seeking holistic fitness may need to evaluate their social environment and work to improve it. If they are lonely, they may need to join community and church groups. Such groups can be a great source of psychological rewards as well as potential training partners. If toxic friends are a problem, spending less time with such friends may be necessary. The everyday environment at home and at work must also be taken into account. If things are very stressful, meditation procedures may be necessary to complement the positive effects of exercise.

Holistically speaking, fitness cannot be achieved through a simple exercise program. Rather, it is only achieved when body, mind and soul are optimized and brought into balance.

Inspired by Ezine and Douglas Hardwick