In my last two posts, I discussed the importance of mental and spiritual health as components of your overall health.
Today, I'm going to tie it all together and talk about physical health.
I think everyone can agree that your physical health is important.
But why?
Besides a general quality of life, why should we care if our physical bodies are out of shape or not, in the grand scheme of things?
After all, isn't our physical fitness the first thing we calculate can be sacrificed, in the pursuit of other aspects?
I've talked to many people who say they don't have time to work out, because they have more important things to take care of - work, children, social responsibilities and/or other hobbies that nurture their mental and/or spiritual well-being.
All of those things are important. Vital, you could say.
But are they more important?
I am not here to tell you what to do with your time, nor, as some may read this, am I trying to pass judgment. What you deem important has nothing to do with what I think. We as individuals will certainly have differing opinions on how and what we prioritize.
I just want to get you thinking about how your physical well-being, wherever it falls on your list of priorities, is inextricably linked to your overall well-being.
Let's talk about some aspects in which this is true.
Your Gut and Mental Health
Did you know that having a healthy gut can actually help you feel better mentally?
Your gut microbiome is actually 90-95% responsible for your body's ability to produce feel-good hormones like serotonin. Studies show that patients with mental health disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism have shown to have significant differences in the composition of their gut microbiome. Enhancing beneficial bacteria in the gut has shown to have the potential to improve mood and reduce anxiety.
Check out this article on ways to improve your gut health.
Chronic Inflammation and Disease/Depression
Unhealthy eating and a sedentary and/or stressful lifestyle can often manifest itself in chronic inflammation of the body. Longterm, studies have shown that this can also lead to higher risk of serious diseases like asthma, Crohn's disease, ulcers and rheumatoid arthritis.
Studies have also shown that chronic inflammation in the body has been linked to anxiety and depression. One study found that people who were non-responsive to anti-depressants had elevated biomarkers of inflammation in their bodies. To take it further, treating the inflammation actually showed improvement in these patients' symptoms of depression. This is yet more evidence that a physical ailment, which may seem like a minor irritant, can acutely affect our overall well-being.
Outside factors notwithstanding, we can reduce inflammation simply by eating well, controlling blood sugar, moving our bodies (regular physical exercise) and losing weight if needed.
Exercise changes your Brain
Anyone who has experienced a "runner's high" through physical exercise can probably attest to the spiritual/mental benefits this gives you. A myriad of studies show that this isn't just a "feeling" we get. It's a pure example of how our bodies respond mentally and spiritually to moving.
I touched on this in a previous post, but besides improving memory and cognition and staving off brain-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, exercise actually boosts mental and spiritual health.
Studies have shown that a well-oxygenated brain (which can be achieved through aerobic exercise) may have a positive effect on patients with PTSD and a range of mental illnesses.
Research into physical exercise's affect on the brain has also suggested that exercise may actually generate new neurons in the brain's hippocampus, the region associated with emotions. The implication here is that over time, exercise might actually improve your ability to manage your emotions.
Exercise causes your brain to release a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) which is also linked to release of "happy" chemicals and neurogenesis of the hippocampus.
Closing Thoughts
My goal in tying together the three aspects of health (mental, spiritual and physical) was to contemplate what makes us truly healthy people living to our fullest potentials.
Feeding one aspect has an effect on the others - conversely, ignoring one aspect also affects the others.
We'd be missing out on being the healthiest we can be.