Fitness is True Healthcare.
Marinate on the title of this essay for a while.
Do you agree with it?
Does it make sense to you?
Don’t you believe that ensuring you are fit is, in every sense of the word, what healthcare should represent? To be fit is the ultimate manifestation of healthcare at work. Engaging in fitness is truly “caring for your health.”
I’ve read over a few definitions of the word “fit” and my general understanding is that the word can mean “to match with something,” “to complement something,” “to move toward something,” or “to appropriately and successfully engage in something.” To be physically fit is to possess the capacity to successfully engage in any physical activity you desire. Your ability, or inability, to comfortably engage in physical activities indicates your current level of fitness. I would add that your desire to engage in physical activity is directly proportional to your physical ability to engage in that activity; and your physical ability, and desire, to engage in certain physical activities is an indicator of your health.
To make such a bold claim without sharing my understanding of what “health” means would deny your mind the clarity it needs for comprehension. If I were to ask you what health means and you didn’t have a ready-made definition, it would suggest you don’t truly understand the word “health” because it’s likely not something you contemplate very often. Before you read on, take a moment to consider your answer to that question.
The word “health” descends from the original term used to describe a state of “wholeness.” To be “healthy” is to be “whole.” So, what does it mean to “be whole”? It’s crucial to fully understand the words we use to describe such an important state of being.
To be whole is to be uninjured, safe, sound, unhurt, undamaged, complete, etc. To know whether you are a whole (healthy) person, ask yourself: In what ways do you feel injured or uninjured? In what ways do you feel safe or unsafe? In what ways do you feel sound or unsound? In what ways do you feel hurt or unhurt? In what ways do you feel damaged or undamaged? In what ways do you feel complete or incomplete? Addressing these questions is addressing your health. Ignoring these questions denies yourself the means to live a healthy and fuller life.
One lesson I’ve learned, and I'm sure you can attest to, is that it’s nearly impossible to go through life uninjured, undamaged, or unhurt. But perhaps we aren’t supposed to. Perhaps the mission, which we all chose to accept, is to learn to heal ourselves. To return ourselves to a state of wholeness because that’s how we all came here—uninjured, undamaged, and unhurt. To care for ourselves, and each other, is the mark of true “healthcare.”
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be truly healthy, to not only heal yourself from all your physical, psychological, emotional, and physiological wounds, but to elevate your health and fitness to levels you’ve never experienced before? Levels that would make you nearly impervious to illness and injury, and even if you were to experience any ailment, you would be in prime condition to bounce back because your prior levels of health were so elevated.
Our age, gender, or so-called race become irrelevant when it comes to fitness because fitness is a progressive practice. As long as we seek to progress in whatever physical endeavor we engage in, we will see improvement because the body is truly limitless in its capabilities.
At the time of writing this essay, I am in my late 30s and capable of performing physical feats that I could only dream of in my 20s. Last I checked, we are told that we reach our physical peaks in our 20s, but if we are capable of doing more with our bodies in our later years, wouldn’t that mean we are fitter? And if we are fitter, wouldn’t that mean we’d even move and look better?
I could cite thousands of scientific studies from journals worldwide that confirm that the fitter you are, the more likely you are to live longer, the less likely you are to succumb to disease, the less likely you are to trip and fall and suffer a serious bone fracture, the less likely you are to be on medications, the stronger your immune system will be, the more confident you will be, the more attractive you will feel, and the more productive you will be. But you know that already.
Healthcare is currently structured to respond to poor health and disease, but it is clearly more effective if structured to be more preventative. You’d solve a huge percentage of your problems in life if you’d just maintain a higher level of fitness, no matter your age. So what steps are you taking to elevate your current level of fitness?
Embrace the journey towards fitness and wholeness. Start by incorporating regular physical activity into your routine. Educate yourself on what it means to be fit and healthy. Don’t wait for illness or injury to compel you to act. Take control of your health today and strive to be the best version of yourself. By doing so, you not only improve your own life but also contribute to a healthier, more vibrant community. The power to transform your health and, by extension, your life, lies within you. Start now, and see how far your body and spirit can take you.