By Jennifer Joy
It is time to open your textbook, put on your thinking cap, and slide into your favorite yoga pants. We are going to stretch the concept of “wellness.”
My grandmother tries to be enthusiastic when I tell her about my position as Wellness Director at the YMCA, but finally asks in her Old South accent, “What does that mean, Ja-yen?” I know she’s not the only one, because the wellness industry has undergone a transformation since the days of leg warmers. It was clear-cut back then: females should don horrific outfits and jump around in a studio. Men should either hang out at Muscle Beach with Arnold, Lou and friends, or grunt and pose in a dark and archaic weight room (don’t forget drinking a dozen raw eggs with Rocky).
These days, “fitness” has turned mainstream and has gone beyond physical well-being. Gyms have popped up on every corner, women find it fashionable to show a little muscle and strength, and men are spending time on the elliptical machines and in “core” classes! The industry even coined a new term sometime in the late 80’s or early 90’s that many people (like my grandmother) are still trying to wrap their heads around: wellness.
Looking into the textbook and performing the first mental stretch, wellness is more than just physical well-being, it is a concept that encompasses balance and awareness in the following areas: physical, intellectual, emotional/psychological, occupational, relational, environmental, and spiritual.
Whew! Read that list again and try to think of wellness as an umbrella concept under which the list of characteristics lies. The ultimate goal of wellness is to achieve some sort of balance in all seven areas- if one area is being ignored, then all areas suffer (whether we realize it or not). Remember what it was like to play on the seesaw as a child? We need to evenly distribute the weight of wellness throughout life, knowing that change will cause a shift of distribution of how much emphasis we place on one aspect or another. For example, the loss of a loved one immediately gives more “weight” to the emotional/psychological aspect of wellness. Other areas must shift during the season of emotional heaviness in order to stay healthy and balanced.
This article begins a new series that will highlight the seven aspects of wellness. Some areas will certainly seem like review while others will require the mental yoga pants! The goal is that you, along with my grandmother, will have a better understanding of wellness, but more importantly, you can make the effort to live your life in balance. Making change where necessary, you’ll find yourself walking comfortably under the umbrella of wellness.
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