HOPE is All Around Us: Physical Wellness

Reviewed Content on May 21, 2024.

As we have learned about the Science of HOPE here in CSS, we have had the realization that all of us have been nurturing HOPE in our work here without even knowing it!! That is exactly what the “HOPE is All Around Us” article series is promoting. The Science of HOPE allows to share a vocabulary on things we have already been doing and what is to come in our future here!

Wellness has been a primary topic since the inception of CSQuest and Teleworking tips, but what is it? The CS Quest article, What is Wellness? can answer that question and introduce the concept of physical wellness. Physical wellness is defined as “Overall physical wellness encourages the balance of physical activity, nutrition and mental well-being to keep your body in top condition.” We are to be aware of our physical health and do what we can to keep our bodies and minds healthy.

How are you feeling physically? Can you do all the physical things you want to do, like run a 5K, walk or hike, play outdoors with your dog? Or maybe there are other physical things you do.

Maybe you lack the physical strength, flexibility, or balance you need to do all the things you want to do? This article is about CS Quest articles about physical wellness and how the Science of HOPE is related.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Not exercising – or not being active for the majority of the day – leads to health risks. Sitting for long periods is associated with higher risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, and anxiety. Sitting means hip and leg muscles do not get exercised which leads to tight hip flexors and leg weakening. Finally, not exercising is associated with greater thinning of the media temporal lobe, a brain area important for making memories.

Now that we have the bad news out of the way, we can discuss how to increase our physical wellness and maintain our willpower!!

This list of benefits of being physically active can be found in the CS Quest article, Improving Your Physical Wellness These benefits include, among others, improving your overall mood, reducing stress, improving metabolism and increasing your energy level. Physical wellness also helps prevent depression. The article has suggestions ways to increase your physical wellness, which includes walking greater distances by parking your car at the far end of a parking log; playing with your children – which can include playing indoor and outdoor games. Doing chores is a productive thing to do, and it makes you feel good when everything is in its place.

The article continues with the statement, “Physical Wellness encourages activities which contribute to high level wellness, including medical self-care and appropriate use of the medical system.” This suggests that physical wellness is not just exercising or being active, but also being aware of nutrition, getting annual exams, and getting proper treatment when ill.

Physical wellness includes being aware of safety. The CS Quest article, Understanding Safety in the Home contains a quiz which you can take to test your safety in the home knowledge. Knowing that our home and outside environment is safe produces peace of mind, a good thing to have for practicing the science of HOPE and maintaining our willpower to continue following pathways to our goals. Incidentally, 4^th of July safety tips can be found in the CS Quest article, Summer Safety: Have a Happy and Safe 4^th of July.

The vast advantages of walking are discussed in the CS Quest article, Why Walking is Good for You (and a Great Workout). In line with the concept of physical wellness, walking is among the most recommended exercises. Also, it is good for keeping our senses aware because of what we can see, hear, smell, and feel while walking.