Beyond Calories and Workouts: Unravelling the Complexities of Health

For years health, fitness and nutrition was predominantly viewed through the lenses of physical activity and the food we eat. You were deemed unhealthy if you didn't fit a specific look or eat a specific way. There are so many other factors that go into play to create a healthy lifestyle and a life of happiness and longevity. While it is important that I get my clients strong and fit in the gym, their health expands beyond this.

Definitions of Health

What is your definition of health? When you sit back how do you define health? It really is a hard thing to quantify when we take a long-lensed approach. I want to give you 3 differing examples that show just how complex a definition can be. These examples come from a study across the UK in 1990 of over 9000 participants. These are just 3 of the 7 components of health that they identified.

Physical Fitness: This is an easy one. Many respondents reported physical fitness as an essential element of health. But fascinatingly enough there was a discrepancy between men and women on what constitutes physical fitness. While men identified it primarily through strength feats, women identified it primarily through outward appearance. My own personal experience is physical fitness is a blend of both physical strength and wellness.

Health as a Reserve: This is an interesting concept and one very much overlooked in today’s society although since Covid we probably pay more attention to it. Health as a reserve which effectively means someone's ability to recover quickly from an Illness. Think the common cold. Is this something you think of when it comes to your health?

Health as Social Relationships: While we think physical fitness when it comes to health how often do we think of our social relationships as health? While respondents sighted this in 1990 you could argue that in a society suffering more turmoil now that the creation and fostering of social relationships is even more important to your health than ever before.

The Role of a Coach to Help You

It is my role as a coach to understand how the definitions of health connect and mould into the lives of my clients. It is crucially important to understand that these play the critical role in your overall success with nutrition, fitness, and a positive wellbeing and in turn a great well balanced and happy life. My aim is to focus on the following 5 dimensions of health when we focus on optimising training and associated goals.

Social: This is your ability to create and maintain relationships with others. A lack of social relationships can leave you feeling isolated and bored which can then foster a negative relationship with nutrition. Is having a beer out with friends a bad thing? No! In this regard it absolutely contributes to that element of social health that will improve your overall wellbeing. It is important to understand how crucial a role social connections are for your life and that you work on them.

Mental Health: is defined as a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises their potential and can deal with normal life stressors. When our mental health is compromised, we are far more likely to not look after ourselves through good nutrition and exercise habits. It is critical to understand the role mental health plays in our lives and wellbeing. The who reports that mental and substance abuse disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide. It is important to never lose sight of mental health and work on it constantly. Don't be afraid to talk.

Spiritual Health: while many people may think religion immediately, while that is a component for many individuals, we can also define spiritual health as the ability to establish harmony and peace within our life and to establish a fundamental purpose to our lives. When we have these things in place, we are much more likely to take care of ourselves through good healthy nutrition practices and want to get up and be part of something bigger.

Emotional Health: is our ability to manage our feelings and adapt to change. This is a crucial factor in nutrition as we often hear the term "emotional eating". When we have control of our emotions, we tend to create a better relationship with nutrition which in turn will lead to better training habits.

Physical Health: fundamentally as we discussed earlier the absence of disease and the level of physical health we feel. When we are physically healthy, we are far more likely to make good nutrition choices that promote our health as opposed to detract from it.

When these elements are looked at from both a coaching standpoint and a care for the client standpoint it's important to ensure all 5 elements are being worked on to produce the best outcome for sustainable long-term health and improved quality of life. We need to understand that unless we balance these things that any gains may be short lived.

The Complexity of Health and Nutrition

So, while contemplating that gym workout or making nutritional choices, it's essential to acknowledge the array of interconnected factors shaping our health and societal well-being. "What's the best exercise for my heart?" or "How do I lose weight from my thighs?"—these questions are part of a broader narrative that you are creating everyday. Understanding these concepts and how they apply to you is crucial for a sustained, holistic approach to physical and nutritional health. By focusing on all these areas, we pave the way for a more balanced, healthier life for ourselves and the community at large. How are these 5 areas of your life looking currently? Do you think about how they will impact your training and nutritional success? How can we improve them throughout the year? Email me at bpitfit@gmail.com as I'd love to hear and help you get the most out of your training!