Physical Well-being

In a previous post, I shared with you the 5 "spokes" of well being. This afternoon, I want to share a small write-up on the physical well-being:

Physical well-being is probably the first component of health that comes to mind. And yet, it is often the component most neglected in American culture. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that “being physically active reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. (And yet) nowhere is the gap wider between what we know and what we do than in the area of physical activity, and nowhere is the potential pay-off greater.”

Americans seem to be of two minds when it comes to physical well-being:

1) that it is to be taken for granted and any form of abuse (cigarettes, alcohol, fast food, lack of sleep, no seat belts) can be remedied by medical technology, or

2) that physical well-being is a competitive goal of perfection, and any degree of abuse (steroids or other physical performance enhancers, obsessive exercise, or significant investment in exercise equipment) is acceptable in achieving the goal.

It is written in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory.”

Our healthy bodies are truly miraculous gifts from God. We have been given the responsibility to maximize our health by avoiding abusive behaviors and practicing healthy behaviors. When we meet this responsibility, we are best prepared to use our talents to serve God and to serve others in God’s name.

For myself, my physical well-being as been in the back-seat for approx. 10 years. I have placed my 'being" in my state it is to the following:

- I love junk food
- My schedule is too chaotic to eat healthier
- I am fiiiiiiine
- Ummm, I am still young
- and more

Well, Change in '08 is my mantra. I am going to get my life in balance and these 5 elements will be in order time the year. Once again, here are the spokes:

- physical well-being
- intellectual well-being
- vocational well-being
- social and interpersonal well-being
- emotional well-being

In the physical realm, I will get healthy and I will do this by eating healthy and getting into an exercise regime. This will hopefully help me lower my chloresterol and my blood pressure. I will also be able to "run" again against the hs kids in sports.