When you think about wellness, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Most often we associate wellness with physical fitness and that, as we have seen, is one aspect of complete wellness.

But what is physical wellness?  Is it just exercising and having an attractive physical appearance?  That is the one that the majority of people think about and/or aspire to.  However, even this is more layered than we consider.

Cardiovascular fitness: Keep your heart healthy by daily aerobic activity.  The benefits are amazing and include the following:

• Increased exercise tolerance
• Reduction in body weight
• Reduction in blood pressure
• Reduced bad cholesterol (LDL)
• Increased good cholesterol (HDL)
• Increased insulin sensitivity (less risk of Type II diabetes)

Weight-training:  Ageing doesn’t equal loss of muscle tissue!  Keep your muscles by adding weight training to your exercise regimen.  Why?

• Increased strength.  What prevents the elderly from rising from a chair is not their age, it’s the progressive loss of muscle tissue
• Burns more calories by elevating your metabolism
• Reduction of abdominal fat
• Reduced fall risk
• Improves heart health
• Helps to manage blood sugar levels
• Makes bones stronger reducing osteoporosis

Stretching:  The addition of stretching to increase flexibility is helpful in many ways including injury prevention:

• Increases range of motion which improves your freedom of movement
• Improves your performance in physical activities
• Increases blood flow to muscles which may improve your circulation and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness from exercise
• Improves posture.  Muscle imbalances contribute to poor posture which can lead to neck and or back pain

Nutrition:  The benefits of healthy eating are too numerous to count!!!

• Longevity of life
• Healthy skin, teeth and eyes
• Boosts immunity
• Strengthens bones
• Lowers risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancer

So to achieve robust physical wellness, make sure to incorporate  aerobic exercise, weight-training, stretching and nutrition for maximum health benefits.

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Keep this handy book by your desk while working or in your carry on when travelling for tips to keep you flexible and pain free.