Physical components of wellness
- "It is better to be physically fit than out of shape."
- "It is better to consume foods and beverages that enhance good health
rather than those which impair it."
- National Wellness Institute
Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center Employee
Healthy Recipe Contest
Physical wellness is centered around the specific things you do on a daily
basis to maintain your physical health. This includes regular physical activity,
appropriate eating habits, maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough sleep,
avoiding tobacco use, appropriate use of medications and moderate alcohol
consumption. It also includes taking appropriate actions to protect and manage
your health through preventive testing and proper self-care.
Managing one's physical wellness through proper nutrition, exercise,
preventive testing and appropriate self-care contributes to an increased level
of energy and enhanced self-esteem.
Helpful information and tools for getting
started
Health risk appraisal
Health Risk Appraisals (HRA) are a series of questions about your health, history and
lifestyle that provide relevant data about your current health status,
educational information and recommendations on how to reduce your risk
factors
Increasing your physical activity
Why exercise? Because increased physical activity not only improves
the fitness of your heart and lungs, it also helps you manage your weight,
control your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, helps you build
healthy bones, muscles and joints, helps reduce stress and increases your energy
level. As you can see, the benefits of exercise are many and the good news is
that it is never too late to become more active and to begin to reap the
benefits!
How do I know it is safe for me to start exercising? For many people,
beginning a low-to-moderate physical activity program is quite safe. But
depending on your age and whether you have certain cardiovascular risk factors,
you may need to see your physician before starting a program of vigorous (as
opposed to moderate) aerobic activity.
The American Council on Exercise offers excellent advice to help you
determine if you need a doctor's permission before starting an exercise program.
Click here to review these guidelines.
If at anytime during activity you experience excessive shortness of breath,
light-headedness, dizziness, chest pain or pressure, stop your activity and
report your symptoms to your physician.
How can I become more active?
Opportunities to become more active
Managing your weight
The psychology of weight loss (articles on WeightWatchers.com)
Managing high blood pressure
Please note that the guidelines are for healthy persons at normal risk.
Your health care provider can answer questions about your risk factors and
can help you decide on screenings that best meets your needs.
Click on a gender/age group below to see what screening tests are
recommended for you or a member of your family.
Complementary & alternative medicine
Other resources
