Fitness vs. Wellness

“I want to have arms like Jennifer Aniston.” vs. “I want to live an active, healthy pain-free life.” We are often being bombarded with commercials that promote “rock hard abs” and “buns of steel” and promises to “look better than you have in 10 years”. The models they use are images of physical perfection. They even show before and after pictures of how these people look from the outside. They don’t show the results of their blood panel, their hormone levels, their X-rays and MRIs and they don’t talk about how their joints feel when they get out of bed in the morning. Their workouts don’t protect you from high blood pressure, asthma, osteoporosis, pelvic floor disorders, plantar fasciitis, bunions, joint degeneration, heart disease, diabetes, and fibromyalgia. A body mechanics instructor had the privilege of sitting next to one of the “Biggest Losers” from TV’s reality show on a plane ride. The participant from Texas talked about stress fractures, torn ligaments and nearly crippling pain as well as the eventual return of all the weight she had lost. Having been put through the same kind of “boot camp” training football players endure, her body was more damaged than when she started. So much of our protein and energy has to be devoted to repairing the damage we do following vigorous workouts, that we don’t have the reserves left to nourish us and keep us vital and healthy. So much lactic acid is generated from muscular overuse, that our liver is tied up filtering that instead of burning fat. There are body builders that every day create micro tears in their muscle tissue that has to be repaired quickly causing overgrowth of fascia and restrictive scarring. They can’t lift their arms over their head anymore. Overdevelopment of one muscular group does not help the whole body, it taxes it. We all need enough muscular strength to stand on one leg for 60 seconds. We all need enough upper body strength to lift ourselves off the ground. We all need enough lung capacity to blow out 20 candles at once. We all need the motor skill to be able to lift the big toe by itself. And we all need to walk with proper alignment an hour a day in 15 minute segments. That is where wellness can be measured objectively. Begin there and work toward feeling good. When you feel good on the inside and all your systems are working with you toward health, it will shine out from the inside and you will look better than you have in 10 years!