DATE: Tuesday, March 7th 2017

TOPIC: PHYSICAL HEALTH

OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to discuss
about physical health focusing on definition,
components, importance, activities to do or
don´t.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

Physical health is critical for overall well-being and is

the most visible of the various dimensions of health,
which also include social, intellectual, emotional,
spiritual and environmental health. Some of the most
obvious and serious signs that we are unhealthy
appear physically. Addressing this dimension is
crucial for anyone attempting to sustain overall
health and wellness.
Defining Physical Health
Traditional definitions of physical health prior to the
onset of modern medicine would have considered
someone physically healthy if he or she was not
stricken with a serious illness. With modern medical
innovations came longer life spans, which changed
the way we define physical health. Today's definition
can consider everything ranging from the absence of
disease to fitness level.
While physical health consists of many components,
here is a brief list of the key areas that should be
addressed:
  Physical activity - includes strength, flexibility,
and endurance
 Nutrition and diet - includes nutrient intake, fluid
intake, and healthy digestion
 Alcohol and drugs - includes the abstinence
from or reduced consumption of these
substances
 Medical self-care - includes addressing minor
ailments or injuries and seeking emergency care
as necessary
 Rest and sleep - includes periodic rest and
relaxation, along with high quality sleep
Components of Physical Health
Below are ways that each key area of physical health
can be addressed through lifestyle choices:
Physical activity: Most healthy children and adults
should be active on a daily basis. This should be a
mix of both leisurely physical activity and structured
exercise. Examples of leisurely physical activity
include hiking, biking, and walking. Examples of
more structured forms of exercise include strength
training, running, and sports.
Nutrition and diet: A well-balanced diet should
contain carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and
minerals. Restricting specific nutrients should only be
done under the supervision of a licensed health
professional. Fluid, ideally in the form of clean water,
should be regularly consumed. Meals and snacks
should be consumed throughout the day, and portion
sizes should be sensible.
Alcohol and drugs: Substances that alter mood or
other bodily processes should be limited or avoided.
Those with addictive tendencies or other health risks
should consider complete abstinence from these
substances.
Medical self-care: Basic items, such as bandages,
lozenges, and over-the-counter pain-relieving
medications, should be easily accessible from home.
Long-term coughing, fevers, or other ailments should
be addressed through primary care. Emergency
treatment should be sought when signs and
symptoms are significant or life-threatening.
Rest and sleep: While regular activity is essential for
physical health, allowing the body to rest is just as
important. Spending time relaxing or taking short
naps can help rejuvenate the body. Sleep should
take place in a quiet, dark environment and should
last approximately 7-9 hours. Consistent sleep that is
much shorter or longer than this duration, or is low
quality, may need to be addressed by a health
professional.
http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-physical-
health-definition-components-examples.html
Your physical health is important

Physical health is defined as is the condition of your

body. Good physical health is when your body is
functioning as it was designed to function.
What affects my physical health?

There are four categories of things that affect

physical health. You can not always control the
things that affect your physical body. But, you can do
your best to prevent injury and help you body to
function at well.
 Lifestyle. This is the element of physical health
that we have the most control over. This
includes our diet, our emotional health, our level
of physical activity, and our behaviors. Tobacco
use is a problem for many people - quitting
tobacco is an important behavioral change. Your
health plan may offer a cessation program.
There are things that we can change about our
lifestyles to help our bodies stay healthy. Get
more information on healthy living.
 Human Biology. There may be things in our
genetics and our chemistry that are perceived as
abnormalities. They may make it harder to
achieve complete physical health. There are
ways that our body compensates for disabilities.
Even though we can not control our genetics we
can control how we treat our illnesses.
 Environment. Our environment includes the
type of air we breathe, the places we live and
our surroundings. We may have to change our
environments if they are really bad for our
physical health.
  Healthcare Services. These are the services
that we get to help us prevent illness, detect
illness or treat illness.

What can I do?

We need to take care of every aspect of our being in

order to achieve good physical health. Positive
emotions are linked to better physical health. We
must try to keep a balance in our lives. Some things
that we can do to take care of our physical bodies
include:
 Rest. Our body needs a certain amount of hours
of sleep every night in order to function properly.
After hard work or especially trying times it is
important that we take time to rest and allow our
bodies time to recover.
 Eat healthy. Our bodies use food as fuel. We
must remember to eat regularly. We have to
watch what we eat. Sugars and fatty foods can
make it harder for our bodies to function as they
were designed to.
 Exercise. Our bodies were designed to be
physically active. We have to remember that in
order to keep our bodies healthy we must take
time each day to exercise.
 Hygiene. It is important that we keep our bodies
clean. This can help to protect against illness
and infection.
 Get regular check-ups. We need to see our
doctors regularly so that they can monitor our
 physical health and tell us about any changes
we may need to make to keep our bodies
healthy.
o Call us if you need help finding a doctor.

 Stay emotionally healthy. When we get overly

stressed or emotional our bodies get worn out
and it is easier for them to catch an illness.
Staying emotionally fit keeps our bodies in good
operating condition.

 Do not smoke, abuse alcohol, or abuse

drugs.

Illness and Injury

No matter how good we take care of ourselves we

will still experience illness and injury. During these
times we must take the necessary steps to heal. We
have to treat our illnesses. The biggest part of
healing is natural. With our help our bodies can heal
from illness and injury.