What Is Health?

DEFINING HEALTH, THE AGATSU WAY.

Health is so much more than working out. Let's help you to define what different aspects are important to you, so you can build your foundation.

The most common definition of health found in the dictionary used to be “the absence of illness or injury” referring specifically to physical health.

Nowadays our definition has broaden greatly to include more than the physical.

I define health as a balance between mental, physical and spiritual health. Sounds cute right? But what does that even mean in real life?

The pillar starts with AWARENESS. Nobody is perfect and not all aspects of health are at the same level every day but what assists you in improving those aspects is your awareness of where you are and your ability to take action.

We can start by defining the following principles and asking ourselves questions that ignite action.

Physical health: The absence of illness of injury and/or the ability to maintain physical activity that is conducive to improving my lifestyle.

Is my training making me feel stronger and more flexible?

Can I perform basic movements? Pain free full range of motion squats, unassisted strict pull-ups, pain free range of motion push-ups, pain free overhead pressing? Can I maintain neutral spine and hip alignment throughout those movements?

Can I crawl around and roll on the floor like I did when I was a kid?

Can I perform a full range of motion bridge?

Can I stand up and sit back on the floor in a variety of ways without using my hands?

The above may sound simple to some of you but the above movements are indicators of joints that posses the range of motion they are supposed to have anatomically, muscles that posses the basic strength needed before attempting a higher skill.

We all have that thing we know we could work on but we skip because we hate doing it. That exercise or that activity you avoid is most likely the one you need the most.

Mental health: emotional, psychological and social well being.

This one is tricky to define in short. We have all suffered or gone through experiences that have affected how we interact with the world. Seeking help or implement tactics to support our healing is a form of taking action.

Spiritual health: spiritual health and mental health go hand in hand. The simplest way to define spiritual health would be your ability to bring purpose into your life. Filling your life with practices, values and behaviours that full fill more than just your body and mind.

This is a very personal practice and it doesn't have to involve belonging to a religion or practicing traditional forms of meditation.

Do I do things daily to improve situations I encounter?

Do I do things for others without expecting anything in return?

Do I take time in the day to slow down and listen to my breath?

Do I go to bed worried?

I'll leave you with the above. There's so much more we could expand on however, this is just a little to get you started on the journey to your own health. That's why it's called balance, the journey never stops.

How do you define health?

What tactics or routines do you implement to support your journey?

Share with us in the comments!

We will be posting more on creating routines in blogs to come :)

Article written by our wellness expert Paluna Santamaria