Health & Well-being

Physical health is the overall physical condition of a living organism at a given time. It is the reliability of the body, freedom from disease or abnormality, and the condition of optimal well-being. It is when the body is functioning as it was designed to function.

A state of positive psychological functioning. It can be thought of as an extension of mental health; it is the degree to which you feel emotionally secure and relaxed in everyday life. Emotional health is linked to being happy, self-confident, self-aware, and resilient. People who are mentally healthy are able to cope with life's challenges and recover from setbacks.

Signs of Emotional Wellness

• Ability to talk with someone about your emotional concerns and share your feelings with others
• Saying "no" when you need to without feeling guilty
• You feel content most of the time
• Feeling you have people in your life that care about you- a strong support network
• Being able to relax
• Feeling good about who you are

Social health is one's ability to form meaningful personal relationships with others. It is also an indication of one's ability to manage in social situations and behave accordingly. It is the ability to interact with others and succeed in social settings.

Signs of social wellness?

• Development of assertiveness skills not passive or aggressive ones.
• Balancing social and personal time.
• The ability to be who you are in all situations.
• Becoming engaged with other people in your community.
• Valuing diversity and treat others with respect.
• Continually being able to maintain and develop friendships and social networks.
• The ability to create boundaries within relationship boundaries that encourage communication, trust and conflict management.
• Remembering to have fun.
• Having supportive network of family and friends.

Well-being: A general term used to describe a state of physical, emotional and social health.

Influence of taking part in sport & exercise on Physical Health: (see Responses to exercise)

• could lead to weight loss if overweight
• increase cardiovascular fitness
• increase muscular endurance
• decrease resting heart rate
• improved posture

Influence of taking part in sport & exercise on Emotional Health:

• Hormones such as serotonin and endorphins are released during exercise which makes us feel good.
• People enjoy exercise as it can be a change for activities like work or studying.
• It relieves stress by acting as a “catharsis” taking your mind off your concerns.
• Increases self-esteem (increased self-confidence) because you get recognition for being good at sport or because you may improve your performance or increase your fitness levels.
• People feel better about themselves and become more motivated because they may be becoming fitter and feel good about weight loss.
• Sport provides competition through playing against others in matches.
• The pressure that sport places you under to achieve a goal provides a mental challenge and can give you a sense of achievement once completed.

Influence of taking part in sport & exercise on Social Health:

• You widen your circle of friends
• Feel good because made new friends and gained an increased self-esteem through meeting new people.
• Leadership skills are developed.
• Physical activity often involves playing in a team. You need to work with others and display teamwork
• You need to be able to listen to others ideas, agree a tactic this helps you develop cooperation.
• Sport provides a chance to social or mix with others.