Health and Wellness Concepts - Essay Example

?Health and Wellness Introduction As society becomes more health conscious, articles appear in magazines about eating healthy foods, avoiding the fast food lines, and signing up for a gym membership. Ads on television encourage people to get outdoors and do something to prolong your life and improve your health and wellness. More fitness classes are springing up around towns and cities that teach aerobics, zumba workouts, and yoga. Researching and writing this article allowed me to delve into the areas of health and wellness and gain a better understanding for specific concepts that can help me improve my current routines and promote a successful lifestyle. We can closely review personal health and wellness, self-management skills, health benefits of physical activity, self-planning for healthy lifestyles, and the issues with tobacco and diabetes that may prompt us to actively seek lifestyle changes (Corbin, Welk, Corbin, & Welk, 2009, p. 2). Health and Wellness Health and wellness are my personal understanding, attitude, and practices that relate to my physical body. Health is the body’s ability to remain free from disease or injury. Wellness pertains to the body’s mental and physical competence and the ability to achieve full potential as a holistic individual. Wellness is a consistent and constructive process that allows me to become aware of and make choices toward a successful lifestyle (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 3). For me to consider myself in good health and well, I need to be free from diseases or infections, be able to get enough sleep to function, and heal quickly if an injury occurs. When any of these items relating to health and wellness are affected, I consider myself sick or unable to fulfill my stewardships properly. The dimensions of health and wellness consist of a person’s emotional, mental, physical, social, spiritual, and intellectual well being (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 5). Emotional health is necessary for a clear mind. Anxiety, anger, fear, and rejection all affect my emotional health in a negative manner, while positive emotions allow me to focus on necessary duties and personal needs. A person’s mental stability can experience alterations with drugs, traumatic events, and hereditary genes. Even prescription medication has offered side-effects, while trying to help me heal from an illness or surgery. Physical health is determined by muscular, skeletal, nerve, and system wellness. Physical symptoms of a stomach ache or aches and pains from over extending during exercising have hindered my health. Social health is the ability to communicate and interact in various groups. One of my pet peeves is people who do not cover their mouth when they sneeze or cough in a social setting or group of people. Spiritual wellness takes shape on a more personal level and is contingent upon the individual’s perception. If I perceive that I am missing out on spiritual health then it becomes essential that I fill that void as I see necessary. Intellectual well being is the ability for a person to creatively and analytically understand different concepts. Taking classes and keeping my mind busy learning new concepts is one way to improve intellectual wellness. The different factors that may play a crucial role in health and wellness include age, gender, heredity, education, current health, current weight, stressors, personal needs, spiritual, and environmental aspects of everyday living (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 10). The maturity of a person may spark health issues that coincide with certain ages. Chicken pox is a childhood disease that I encountered, while Alzheimer’s affects older individuals. Gender influences some health issues that only occur in either males or females. Males experience prostate issues, while females experience vaginal and uterus problems. Heredity is a factor in many health and wellness issues, as genetic makeup can determine medical issues. Individuals in my family have a history of cancers, so I may be a higher risk than someone who does not have that in their family medical history. Education helps people understand different symptoms regarding health issues. Use of the Internet allows me to find my symptoms and determine if I should seek medical attention. The current health of a person can play a crucial factor in future health and wellness decisions. In my youth, I experienced numerous ear infections, so having my tonsils removed was a decision that had to be made. Current weight of an individual may force major decisions about health and wellness that will affect a person’s lifestyle (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 12). Some of my friends are overweight according to clinical statistics and borderline diabetic. Stressors impact health and wellness of every person. Stress in my life has caused me to become ill with flu-like symptoms. Personal needs invoke decisions about health and wellness when pain or ability is affected. Cutting my finger to the bone required medical attention to help the cut heal. Spiritual factors may influence health and wellness if a person’s belief system promotes or negates certain aspects of a lifestyle. I have a friend who believes that surgery is not allowed for religious reasons. Environmental issues impact specific geographical areas and groups of people, depending on natural and man-made events that occur. Chernobyl is an example of an environmental issue that certainly affected the health and wellness of many individuals. The tsunami in Japan and the problems associated with this and other natural disasters is another example of environmental issues that affect community health and wellness. Self-Management My self-management skills consist of my personal ability to determine my own needs and create a plan to achieve personal goals that will promote a healthy lifestyle. With each action I take, the next action may seem easier that promotes the quality of life I am seeking (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 22). The five stages include: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 23). Pre-contemplation is the “I am not ready yet” stage. Contemplation is the “I am thinking about it” stage. Preparation is the “I am preparing for action” stage. Action is “I am taking action toward my goals” stage. Maintenance is the “I am maintaining a good thing for my life” stage (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 23). Factors that promote a lifestyle change may include high risk for heart attack or stroke, borderline diabetic, artery bypass surgery, and other medical issues (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 24) that would make me stop and make changes to my lifestyle. A heart attack is not something I want to play around with or take chances that I may live. I have seen stroke victims try to come back and even with therapy, they are never the same because part of the brain has been affected. Doctors have given some of my friends the ultimatum that they can either lose weight or take insulin for the rest of their life. A threat like this would make me take the necessary precautions to avoid other serious medical problems. Artery bypass surgery means that the brain or the body is not receiving the necessary supply of oxygenated blood because of a blockage. This type of surgery takes veins from the legs to rebuild those channels that carry blood from the heart. I believe it would be easier to avoid this type of surgery altogether. Certain factors strongly encourage a person to change their lifestyle. These factors are categorized into four groups, which include personal factors, predisposition factors, enabling factors, and reinforcing factors (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 24). Personal factors include age, gender, heredity, and current health. Even though I cannot change the personal factors, I can take specific measures to improve my lifestyle at an early age to counteract some of the pending health issues on the other end. Predisposing factors may be threats of serious medical issues that motivate immediate action to healthy living. The threat of diabetes would make me alter my current actions. Enabling factors can help promote continuous healthy living. Exercise and proper diet can alter a person’s weight to avoid diabetes, which is considered an enabling factor. Reinforced factors support the choice of living a healthy lifestyle. Acceptable weight and avoiding insulin shots daily reinforce the choice of healthy living. Health Benefits of Physical Activity The health benefits of physical activity may include but are not limited to weight control, improved moods, energy boosts, better sleep, improved sex life, creates fitness, maintains a healthy heart, and even allows the body to fight infections easier (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 26). Exercise helps me control my weight by burning off excess caloric intake from meals and snacks. My mood improves through raised endorphin levels from exercising. I find I have boosts in energy when I maintain my personal fitness routine. My sleep patterns are altered when I do not exercise and I notice the difference on a daily basis. I believe that having a fit body improves my sex life. Exercise creates muscular fitness that allows me to perform other duties without feeling fatigued. I maintain a healthy heart by routinely increasing my heart rate and monitoring my pulse. I have found that being fit allows my body to ward off infection easier than friends who are not in the same shape as I. Self-Planning for Healthy Lifestyles The six self-planning steps include clarification, identification, goal setting, program selection, creating a plan, and evaluating the progress (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 28). Firstly, I need to clarify the reason why I want to change my lifestyle. Secondly, I need to identify what my needs are and how this plan will help. Thirdly, I need to set and define my goals and timeline. Fourthly, I need to select a program with the appropriate components that will help me reach my goals. Fifthly, I need to write out a plan that takes into consideration my time allocations, schedule, and ability. Finally, I need to continually evaluate my progress as an ongoing event and decide if I am meeting my goals or need to readjust my progress markers. Tobacco Nicotine is an additive that is included in tobacco that causes harmful health issues and addiction. Individuals may give various reasons for why they choose to smoke and one of those reasons may be stressful situations on the job or at home (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 385). Friends I associate with use the excuse that it is only a habit that they can stop at any time, or it is comforting, and it relaxes them. I believe that when needed, any excuse will do. In order to break a nicotine addiction, there must be a reason that has a strong influence on the person. Influences may be affiliated with the person’s health, the health of a family member, or money issues, as the price of smoking has increased by over 400% over the past three decades. I remember when a pack of cigarettes sold for $1.26 with tax and now they can be purchased for over $5.00 a pack. Another reason may be changes in the laws that require smokers to remain a specified distance from the entrance to a building, or a smoke free environment where smoking in not allowed on the premises. Family members, friends, and neighbors may influence a smoker to attend a formal program to help them quit. A doctor may recommend oral or topical medication to curb the nicotine addiction of the smoker. Diabetes Three classifications of diabetes are Type I, Type II, and Gestational diabetes (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 443). Type I diabetes requires a person to take insulin on a regular basis because the body does not produce sufficient amounts to manage the intake of sugar. Type II diabetes can be controlled by diet and exercise. The person who is affected with Type II diabetes refrains from eating sweets, monitors the type of foods eaten daily, and maintains a daily routine of some type of exercise that burns the excess calories. Gestational diabetes is often found in pregnant women who are not diabetic when not pregnant. For some reason, higher blood sugar levels are present when the woman is expecting a baby, but upon delivery the blood sugar levels return to normal. Health problems associated with diabetes can include blindness, kidney failure, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, neuropathy, failure to heal quickly from a cut or surgery, and in some cases death. Diabetes is not a medical condition that one would ignore. Those individuals who have diabetes have the extra expenses of purchasing insulin. Changes in lifestyle can prevent and even control diabetes. By altering the dietary intake of food, routinely exercising, and regular medical examinations to determine that blood sugar levels remain in the normal range, diabetes can be prevented. Individuals who already have diabetes can still watch their intake of food, exercise, and closely monitor blood sugar levels to control diabetes. Prevention is the best cure for diabetes and recognizing the symptoms early can save a life (Corbin et al., 2009, p. 444). Conclusion I have closely reviewed personal health and wellness, self-management skills, health benefits of physical activity, self-planning for healthy lifestyles, and the issues with tobacco and diabetes that have prompted me to actively seek lifestyle changes. The information I have gleaned from this research will provide me with the knowledge I need to make informed decisions that will help me stay healthy and may even prolong my life, while improving my lifestyle for the better. References Corbin, C. B., Welk, G. J., Corbin, W. R., & Welk, K. (2009). Concepts of fitness and wellness: A comprehensive lifestyles approach. (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Read More