usually implies that one has a belief in a higher ing a good mental attitude can go a long way
being.
when trying to become fit. Find a physical
activity that you believe to be fun and stick
Environmental Wellness is the ability to recwith it. You are more likely to stick with an
ognize the quality of your environment has a
activity if it’s something you like.
direct impact on your health and well-being.
Take small steps. Taking small steps
Armed with that knowledge, you understand
and building your self-confidence can be very
your responsibility for helping to sustain the
quality of the air, water, and land in your envi- beneficial. An example of starting small can
be as simple as walking home from school
ronment.
sometimes instead of taking the bus (take
Intellectual Wellness is the ability to be open
the appropriate precautions to ensure your
to new ideas and experiences that can benesafety). Use the stairs instead of taking the
fit both your personal and your community’s
elevator. When it comes to eating, try having
betterment. It speaks to one’s curiosity and
a salad as a side instead of french fries and
ongoing learning and their ability to apply the limit the amount of salad dressing which can
things learned to create more opportunities
help to reduce your caloric intake.
and a brighter future.
Always remember to warm up. Before
Physical Wellness is the ability to maintain a
going out and doing any physical exercises, try
healthy quality of life that allows one to get
stretching beforehand. Stretching warms up
through daily activities without unnecessary
your muscles and makes them flexible, which
fatigue or stress. It is the understanding that
enables you to the do your physical activity
our behaviors have a significant impact on our without a having a high risk of injury.
wellness and adopting healthy habits is the
Be open to change. If you spend more
key to having great physical wellness.
time in front of the television than you do
exercising, then it’s time for change. Keep in
Once you understand these six components
mind that change doesn’t happen overnight,
of wellness it is now time to set yourself on a
path to fitness, which is a huge component of so you must start out taking small steps. Try
doing push-ups in between commercial breaks
your overall well-being and a key indicator of
the quality of life you can expect in the future. while watching TV. After eating, try taking a
walk around the neighborhood to burn a few
THE KEY TO GETTING FIT
calories. Invite a friend to join you and make it
Exercise should be a regular part of
even more fun.
your day just like sleeping, brushing your teeth
If you begin making these positive
and eating. According to the American Acadchanges now, then you can take on more chalemy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org), you are more lenging routines over time. Getting fit will not
likely to be successful if you use the following only help you feel better about yourself during
tips in your fitness approach:
your teen and young adult years, it will also set
Stay positive and enjoy yourself. Havyou up for better health throughout your life.
26 HimPower May 2015