WELLNESS REFLECTION PAPER
Elijah Nora
Fresno Pacific University
KIN-120
M/W/F 11-11:50am
Steven Waite
December 2, 2015
Introduction
In general, health and wellness refer to a person’s general well-being. When
someone uses the word health, I think more along the lines of physical health, in reference to
one’s body and if they have any diseases or sicknesses. In comparison, I view wellness as
referring to the overall well-being of the mind and emotions. While these two concepts
intertwined with one another and may seem similar on the surface, I do believe they are different.
For example, one could be in perfectly good health, but their general wellness may be subpar. An
individual could have a great fit body, works out every day, and doesn’t have any diseases, but at
the same time have emotional distress and may not be happy with life. In this case, the person is
in great health, but their wellness is lacking. On the flip side, someone could be overweight and
maybe have a life threating disease, but be super happy and content with life on a daily basis.
The physical health isn’t good, but the mental and spiritual wellness is. According to the book
Health and Wellness: Honoring God in Body, Mind, and Spirit, “Health is the condition of being
sound in body, mind, and spirit; not merely the absence of disease. Wellness is a combination of
physical well-being, emotional well-being, and spiritual well-being” (Harper, Drake, Larkin,
Manning, & Woods, 2012). Obtaining complete wellness and health is largely dependent on
having balance throughout the six dimensions of wellness: physical, spiritual, emotional,
occupational, social, and intellectual. Understanding each dimension is key to obtaining that
overall wellness and living out a complete healthy life.
Physical Wellness
Physical wellness mainly has to do with the physical body and being physical fit. This
means that one is able to perform normal daily activities without difficulty or much stress.
Physical wellness incorporates daily physical activity with diet and sleep in order to yield the
most optimum level of physical health. Physical exercise is one of the most important aspects of
having a physically fit body. According to the American Heart Association, “30 minutes of
moderate intensity aerobic exercise five days a week is the recommended amount of exercise for
having good cardiovascular health” (American Heart Association). Just this little amount of
exercise per day is key in helping prevent heart disease and stroke. Being physical fit will not
only make one feel better physically and psychologically, but it will help them to be able to
perform the daily activities of life with ease. Diet and proper nutrition are just as important as
getting physical exercise. Weight gain and weight loss is largely dependent on the intake of
calories versus the amount of calories an individual burns. Proper nutrition is key as it is vital to
replenish nutrients and amino acids that are used up during exercise. Nutrition helps build the
body back up after it has been broken down. Eating the proper amounts of carbohydrates,
