There is an emphasis on “physical fitness” in our society, today. We also often hear the phrase “wellness” get bantered around (often in among human resources). As an exercise physiologist, I am focused of the physiology of fitness, but I personally find the concepts of “physical fitness” and “wellness” incomplete.
Wellness is more than smoking secession, stress management, and the like. It is a lifestyle. From my perspective, it is a holistic approach to personal growth and wholeness. It is essential to (extra)ordinary living.
The “well-centered fitness” approach emphasizes continued improvement (kaizen) across the dimensions of wellness—Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social. I consider these to have a common asymptote toward which one sets as a target. These dimensions are unique yet interrelated and interdependent. With growth, the target becomes ever smaller—not to cause success to elude us, but rather to refine what we consider “success”.
I view the dimensions of well-centered fitness as an ever-growing pyramid with the Spiritual and Physical dimensions at the base. We build our Intellect and our Social well-being upon the Spiritual and Physical, and our Emotional dimension serves as a sort of keystone. All the while, each dimension feeds and supports the others, giving no one dimension distinction over the others. It is a complex concept yet incredibly simple. One who seeks to be well-centered begins with the understanding that he or she is a unique physical being with purpose and responsibility to something greater than self. This physical self is connected at a level beyond a chemical and quantum-physical level to everything and everyone in ways we can hardly fathom. Thus, the Physical and Spiritual are separate, yet united. Upon these, we learn and examine our Universe—developing our worldview to be increasingly less self-centered. Our Intellectual growth builds our awareness and affects our Physical and Spiritual dimensions. Likewise, our relationships are built of the foundation of our Intellect and our Physical and Spiritual understanding. In turn, these hold together our Emotional well-being while, at the same time, are held together by our Emotional well-being.
When it comes to our Physical health and well-being, then, it is impossible to ignore the foundation these provide. Physical well-centeredness is not simply physical fitness as we understand and teach it in exercise science—e.g., merely a measure of one’s cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, body composition, and motor skill-related capabilities. Physical well-centeredness provides the why and the motivation for these. It provides the will to train and perform.
Well-centered fitness is (or should be) at the very heart of sports participation. If not, then why do we have teams and keep score?
Well-centered fitness is (or, again, should be) at the very heart of exercise training. If not, then why train? For whom do I want to be fit, live longer, look good, win, etc.?
There is, indeed, a Spiritual, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social, as well as Physical, dimension to exercise and physical fitness that cannot be ignored. There is much truth to the notion of the body as a temple. This is why I remind myself daily to “be your best today; be better tomorrow”. Progressive overload.
Carpe momento!