Fitness, strength and well-being


A sense of well-being

Well-being is your state of happiness, comfort and health. Maintaining a sense of well-being helps us live a happy life and enables us to overcome difficulties.

A sense of joy can be fleeting

Coursera offers a very interesting course called the "Science of Well-being". 

One of the key points from this course, is that the joy that acquiring "things" and "experiences" bring, can be temporary. For example, while a new phone, a good grade, a new house, a holiday or a tasty meal may give you a sense of happiness, this joy is fleeting. Soon you will seek to procure new things or look for new experiences to keep you happy. Purchasing the same item, going on a trip to the same place or eating the same meal will not give you the same feeling wellbeing.

It is better to give than receive 

In general, the happiness that acquiring new "things" give you are often more temporary than "experiences". The joy from some pleasant experiences can last a very long time; especially when you give to others. For example, being able to raise a happy family and seeing those in need, benefiting from your help can give you a sense of joy that will have long term benefits on your state of well-being. As a trainer, I find joy in seeing adult learners pursue new careers from attending courses that I run. 

The joy of becoming fit and strong.

Becoming fit and strong is a gift that you can give yourself, that will have long term benefits to your state of well-being. Progressing to a heavier load or seeing improvements in your visual appearance or finding that your body fat content has dropped will give you a long-lasting feeling of comfort. 

Becoming fit and strong will therefore not only improve your physical health, but also your psychological health. For seniors, developing fitness and strength will help develop your sense of self-confidence and reduce the risk of developing mental illnesses that can afflict the elderly. 

The sense of well-being that one will feel from achieving strength and fitness goals will be amplified by kind comments from others. So giving positive feedback on another's fitness and health improvements is a simple way of helping another person to improve their psychological state. 



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