mental and physical health

Everyone aspires to be in good bodily and mental health. However, numerous behaviors are used by people to keep themselves physically healthy. Every day, I practice strength training. The exercise promotes metabolism, builds lean muscle mass, improves sleep, lessens back pain, and aids in calorie burning. But I don’t work out every day of the week. I take three days off each week to let my body rest and heal. According to L’Abate (2007), exercising without a break every day could result in fitness benefits that are lessening. A crucial part of fitness is having healthy eating habits. First thing, I drink 8-10 glasses of water every day to prevent cells from sticking together. I also keep alcohol to a minimum. Although wine has various health benefits, I usually limit it to one glass during dinner. Finally, I avoid junk food especially ones with a lot of fat, salt, or sugar.

I am usually happy with my body weight and size, but I engage in vigorous activities to improve my physical health. I can attain this through a number of goals. The first goal is that I will walk to the grocery store whenever I need to purchase less than ten things for three months. Walking to the grocery which is about two hundred meters will help me to do enough physical exercise, stretch muscles, and loss some weight. Carrying the items will also help to build body muscles. The second goal is that I will increase the frequency of my 15-minutes walking sessions from two to three days, for one month. This practice will keep me physically fit by losing some calories and keeping the muscles active. The third goal is that I will limit my computer use to 20 minutes in the morning and thirty minutes in the evening for 1 month. This goal will minimize time I spend seated which might interfere with efficient blood flow.

There are various health risks associated with poor physical health. These include depression and anxiety. According to Dixon et al. (1999), being overweight or having abnormal body size can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety as the individual feels uncomfortable to interact with other people. Poor physical health might also increase risks of developing certain cancer. Anon (2017) found that poor physical health increases risk of colon cancer. According to the author, waste removal through the colon is slow in people with conditions such as abnormal body size and weight (Anon, 2017). As such, the wastes spend a long time in the colon to be exposed. Poor physical health also exposes an individual to hypertension. According to Dixon et al. (1999), abnormal body size or being obese hinders normal blood flow. In other words, the heart cannot push blood against the artery walls well. Those with poor physical health also risk developing heart diseases. Anon (2017) cites that conditions such obesity impair efficient flow of blood in the coronary due to accumulation of cholesterol.

Although stress is inevitable in daily life, excess stress might lead to various health issues. One of the issues is obesity. Research shows that stress increases the level of hormone cortisol which increases the level of fat deposited in the abdomen (McEwen, 2008). Excess fat in the abdomen poses greater health risks than in other body parts. Excess stress also exposes an individual to diabetes. According to Anon (2017), stress increases individual likelihood of indulging in excessive drinking or unhealthy eating. As a result, the level of glucose in the body might increase leading to type 2 diabetes. The other health risk includes anxiety and depression (McEwen, 2008). Excess stress resulting from demanding work or other causes increases chances of developing depression and anxiety.

The mind and the body are connected in some ways. According to Black (2006), what the mind thinks moves to all parts of the body and then back to the brain. As such, thoughts influence physical symptoms. Person’s feelings, thoughts, and mental images in mind create chemical messengers called neuropeptides. Black (2006) defines neuropeptides as chains of amino acids produced in the brain or mind and floats in fluids in all parts of the body. Neuropeptides percolate into the blood and circulate to different glands, organs, and other areas in the body. According to Brower (2006), most cells in the body have neuropeptides receptors implying that all the information in the mind is communicated to the body. Therefore, thoughts influence every feature of individual’s physical health. According to Black (2006), negative mind-body connection can lead to poor health. In this regard, it is important to ensure positive body-mind connection.

The type of neuropeptides generated in the mind determines the feelings and health condition communicated in the entire body. Positive thinking leads to production of neuropeptides such as endorphin which is a pain-killing neurochemical in the mind. This chemical helps the mind to relief pain and promotes pleasure by preventing pain signal from reaching neuropeptides receptors in the body (Black, 2006; Brower, 2006). Dopamine, which is produced in the frontal cortex of the mind, also creates a feeling of pleasure when released into the blood stream and stimulates neurons involved in emotion.

In conclusion, mental and physical health is important for everyone. Fortunately, in individual can influence his/her health condition by exercising, avoiding stress, and encouraging positive thinking.

References

Anon. (2017). Chronic stress puts your health at risk. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037?pg=1

Black, L. D. (2006). Discontentment: Being content in a discontented world. Longwood, Fla.: Xulon Press.

Brower, V. (2006). Mind–body research moves towards the mainstream. EMBO Reports, 7(4), 358-361.

Dixon, L., Postrado, L., Delahanty, J., Fischer, P. J., & Lehman, A. (1999). The association of medical comorbidity in schizophrenia with poor physical and mental health. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 187(8), 496-502.

L’Abate, L. (2007). Low-cost approaches to promote physical and mental health: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Springer.

McEwen, B. S. (2008). Central effects of stress hormones in health and disease: Understanding the protective and damaging effects of stress and stress mediators. European Journal of Pharmacology, 583(2), 174-185.