Our health and wellness is important to explore so we are able to learn and build new

healthy habits. Exploring the relationship between nutrition and optimal health is crucial for us in

order to successfully balance all six dimensions of health. In an effort to begin my personal

health research I decided to visit the health center at Pasadena City College to learn about my

body’s composition. It was surprising to find out I am currently slightly overweight. For a female

my age and height with a BMI of 26.7 I should weigh between 120-126, however, I weigh 137.

In full transparency I was surprised and disappointed. I realized I had been focusing on my

mental and emotional health but neglecting my physical health. I recently began a full time job

that has caused me to be sedentary. On top of a lack of physical activity my demanding work

schedule has led me to eat out more than usual. In light of this news I decided to set three goals

to help improve my physical health. 

Physical health is only one of the six dimensions of health. Yet, how we choose to engage

with our physical health today will have consequences in the near future. If you are someone like

me in a sedentary phase improving your health starts with taking on an amount of physical

activity. Being physically active could help you not only with immediate benefits but also long

term benefits. We usually only associate physical activity to weight loss and management but

there is more to it than this. An immediate benefit could be lowering your anxiety, reducing

stress, and helping you think more clearly. Some of the long term benefits revolve around

reducing your risk of disease and illness as well as strengthening your bones and joints. Physical

health is a dimension too important to ignore the smallest change can make a difference, only a

few lifestyle choices have as large an impact on your health as physical activity. People who are

physically active for about 150 minutes a week have a 33% lower risk of all-cause mortality than

those who are physically inactive (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). 
 Let’s be honest one of the most difficult steps is getting started and adjusting our daily

life demands to include physical activity. However, there is a mindset we can use to help us

achieve this, to successfully change a behavior you need to see change not as a singular event but

as a process by which you substitute positive patterns for new ones- a process that requires

preparation, has several stages, and takes time to occur (Donatelle, 2017, p 13). There are 4 steps

Donatelle breaks down to help us understand how to get started. These steps include increasing

your awareness, contemplating change, preparing for change, and getting started. I find myself

currently in the contemplating change step of this model. I have been reflecting not only on why

I have neglected my physical health, but also why it matters to me now. Being in the

contemplating step has made me realize I come from a family history of diseases like high

cholesterol, diabetes, and thyroid disease. It’s important for me to break this cycle and invest in

my physical health today. This motivation was important for me to establish because wanting to

change is an essential prerequisite of the change process, but to achieve change, you need more

than desire. You need real motivation, which isn’t just a feeling but a social and cognitive force

that directs your behavior (Donatelle, 2017, p.14). 

Once you have contemplated change it’s time to move into the next step and start

preparing for change by setting smart goals. I decided to set and commit to three goals to help

me improve my health lifestyle. I have set these goals with shaping in my mind, a process which

requires you to take small steps towards a goal. My first goal is to continue not consuming soda

pop or juice. Both of these liquids are very high in sugar and calories. I already have two months

without drinking either of these liquids and my goal is to continue until May to do so. I have

noticed removing these liquids from my diet has caused my water intake to increase. Increasing

my water intake in the last two months has benefitted me already by clearing my face, giving me
energy, and helping me pay more attention to what my body needs. Setting this goal in a time

oriented fashion will allow me to be able to stick to a plan and reassess in May how this behavior

change has benefitted me. My second goal is to only eat out twice a week. This measurable goal

will help me plan ahead and think more about what I am eating. Physical activity also aligns with

what you decide to feed your body. We have to keep in mind the two things we are able to

control are our diet and exercise. This goal will help me monitor what I eat to help me balance

my sedentary work style. For example, storing healthy snacks in my office and meal prepping

work lunches. Lastly, my third goal is to walk around or stretch every 40 mins in my office. This

realistic goal will benefit not only my health but also my posture, for busy desk dwellers

hunched over computers all day, posture is something that is often neglected but is crucial to

overall fitness. Good posture allows you to breathe more deeply and easily, improves circulation

and digestion – your organs have the space to function – and makes us look more confident and

composed (HealthySD.gov, 2020). 

Although it was difficult to hear I am currently overweight I am grateful I addressed this

issue because now I can start to make behavior changes to help my health. It takes constant work

to balance all six dimensions of health, but being able to identify the dimension I most struggle

with has marked the beginning of a new health pattern for me. I plan to add on physical health to

my work towards mental and emotional health. Committing to a new dimension of health doesn’t

mean lacking in others. I will continue working on my three physical health goals while still

going to therapy and meditating. My hope is to return to the health center and see where my

body composition stands in May after working on these goals. I know there will be obstacles I

face while working towards my health goals but working through them will result in positive

consequences in the long run.

 Works Cited

1. Physical Activity and Health. (2020, January 9). Retrieved February 27, 2020, from
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/
2. Miller, L. (n.d.). How to Make Your Desk Job Healthier. Retrieved February 28, 2020, from
https://healthysd.gov/link_how-make-your-desk-job-healthier/
3. Donatelle, R. (2017). Health: The Basics, The Mastering Health Edition