Exercise Is Not Just Physical

By its very definition, holistic healing simply means looking beyond physical symptoms and, instead, treating the person as a whole by considering emotional, psychological, spiritual and social causes of illness. There’s a strong argument that your exercise regime should take the same approach.

Think back to a time when you were miserable at work or with a family or personal situation, and remember how it affected your diet, sleep patterns, concentration, activity level and, ultimately, your overall physical and mental health. Just as the different elements of your being are interconnected, so different types of exercise might help improve more than one part of your total wellbeing.

Physical exercise releases endorphins and helps you feel happier. You can also choose to exercise with others, which offers emotional and social benefits. Some types of exercise – particularly those originating from the Far East – deliberately and effectively combine several elements of the whole. Martial arts, for example, combine rigorous and exacting physical exercise with mental and emotional discipline. In T’ai chi ch’uan, the concept of emotional and spiritual stillness is considered as important as the physical movements themselves. Studies of T’ai chi have shown that regular practitioners demonstrate a measurable improvement in psychological wellbeing including lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

So next time you think to yourself, “I really must get more exercise”, also think about what kind of exercise you need, and remember that your brain and emotions need working out just as much as your abs and pecs.

Tips to help you exercise more

  • If you dislike exercise, try to put more effort into DIY or gardening
  • Take up an active hobby such as ballroom dancing, bowls, swimming, golf, walking or cycling
  • Spend less time watching TV and more time pottering in the garden or around the house – listen to music or the radio if you like background noise.
  • Keep or borrow a neighbour’s dog and take it for regular walks
  • Walk up stairs rather than using the lift or escalator
  • Walk or cycle reasonable distances rather than taking the car
  • Try to take a short walk at least once a day eg. walk around the block in your lunch hour
  • Walk briskly rather than dawdling whenever possible
  • If you can’t go out, try walking up and down stairs a few times a day
  • Develop a habit of a family walk after Sunday lunch
  • Get off the bus one stop earlier than usual and walk the rest of the way
  • Start getting up an hour earlier than usual and go for a walk, cycle, do some gardening, fetch the daily paper, or visit the gym
  • Buy a home exercise machine and use it while watching the evening news
  • Buy an exercise video and follow the routine regularly.

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