The 4 Pillars of Wellbeing - Part 4

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For those who like a little music while you read, this week's playlist links to our Physical Health theme. This is my playlist to run to. It started off as an hour's run, but somehow I've now got 2 and half ours of music in there! 😂

Physical Health

So, what do you think of when you think about Physical Health?

Exercise?
Diet?
Maybe sleep if we're thinking a little outside the box?

All brilliant ideas, all totally valid. Not at all what I had in mind for this blog though.

...But that's getting ahead of myself. Exercise, diet and sleep all play a massive role in supporting our physical health. When one of them falls by the wayside, we tend to find the others start to slide as well. You've probably seen it yourself at some point, most noticeably with your sleep. I know I do. When I don't get enough sleep I don't have the physical, or mental energy to exercise, and I really don't take care of what I'm eating - I either lose my appetite, or just grab something quick and simple (which never has the right nutritional value!)

So let's spend a little time looking at those 'traditional' Physical Health needs before we move on to the real business of today shall we.

Diet

Now, there are so many different opinions on what food to include in a healthy diet that I'm not touching that one with a barge pole! Simple advice - do your research, find what's balanced and works for you.

Personally, I'm a vegetarian with a sugar addiction (apparently one of my ancestors worked for Tate & Lyle - I blame them)! I bounce on and off of a Vegetarian Keto diet a few times throughout the year. So really here it's a case of don't follow my example, do it better and let me know how!!

One thing that is pretty universally agreed upon is our fluid intake. What is it they say...3 weeks without food but only 3 days without water?

If you get your hydration wrong it won't just be your physical health that suffers, it will effect your Psychological Health as well.

via GIPHY

Thankfully it's pretty straightforward. Take in more fluid than you lose. We lose fluid through urine, sweat and even breathing. The exact amount varies depending on any number of things from body size to the temperature and time of year. So the exact amount is difficult to name. Again, this is a 'work out what works for you' situation. What counts towards your fluid intake? Water, low-fat milk, sugar-free drinks, tea, coffee...there's plenty to choose from.

Sleep

Sleep plays a massive factor in our wellbeing. It impacts both our Physical and our Psychological Health, and in return they impact it. Sleep is one of the first things to be effected when we're under stress or depression, which then creates a vicious circle that's hard to break free of. At the lower end of the scale, one or two nights without sleep can make you tired and grumpy. Consistent sleep deprivation on the other hand, can lead to more serious concerns such as obesity, heart conditions, hypertension and diabetes. The bad news is that all that talk about 'catching-up' on your sleep at the weekends is rubbish. We don't ever 'catch-up' on lost sleep, certainly not in any meaningful and measurable way.

So, the most useful thing you can do is to know how much sleep you need, and to take care of your Psychological Health and stress levels to make sure you don't put it under pressure to begin with.

~~Exercise~~...Adrenaline!

Now, for me this is where things really start to get interesting. Most people consider one of the key points to maintaining good Physical Health to be the need for copious amounts of exercise. It's a good point, it certainly has merit - increasing muscle tone and strength, reducing fat, improving aerobic and cardiovascular systems. I'm certainly not knocking it, I've done my share of traditional exercise:

Half-Marathons,
Triathlons,
Trail Runs,
Cycle Sportives,
Sea Swims

Before that I can even add winning the South-West England Volleyball championships and being selected to train for the England Team. (Alright, so it was the under 15s, but it still counts 😤😂)!

What I think is missing from this mix though, is adrenaline.

So, yes, hands up, I'm an adrenaline junkie 🙄. Comes with my neurology I'm afraid. The way my brain's wired, at a neurological level, is fundamentally different to the majority of society, which is awesome. It gives me the ability to take a more creative look at the world than most...but it also means I'm hard-wired to risk-taking. Now, I'm bound to say this; but that's no bad thing. In fact, I think we could all do with a little more adrenaline in our lives in general. However, if we're talking about Physical Health, here's how adrenaline helps.

First of all, we need to understand that it's linked to us being kicked into our sympathetic nervous system. Now, if you don't know about this already, keep your eyes peeled, I'll probably be doing a blog on Polyvagal Theory and how it relates to our wellbeing in the not too distant future. For now though, what you need to know is that it's where our Fight or Flight response lives.

So, why is this a good thing? Shouldn't we be trying to avoid situations that put us into the fight or flight response in the first place? Not in my books, no.

The sympathetic nervous system takes over when we're stressed, yes, but also in times of exertion, exercise and emotional arousal...and it does so for a very good reason. To give us access to the chemical responses we need to get through those situations.

via GIPHY

When our sympathetic nervous system is engaged our pupils dilate to allow us to take in more of our surroundings, our lungs increase their oxygen intake, our hearts beat faster, and...adrenaline is released. When we're operating under adrenaline a number of really cool things happen to our bodies:

Adrenaline triggers blood vessels to contract in a way that redirects blood toward the major muscle groups. This primes those muscles to be ready for action. It's literally tensing, and tightening your muscles without you even looking at a set of dumbbells, let alone lifting them. 🏋️‍♂️
It increases your pain tolerance. That doesn't mean you should go about deliberately running into walls. But it does mean you can run farther, climb harder, push yourself more than normal without feelings of muscle fatigue. More intense workouts...just remember the cool down and the Radox bath afterwards! 🛁
Max. Strength. Adrenaline is basically a leftover ingredient of an earlier stage in our evolutionary development. Its purpose was to prime us to respond to physical threats. So basically it boosts, well, everything really. Our muscles get a temporary power boost, and so do our eyes - we take in more light to take in more of our surroundings. The effects can even last for up to an hour after the adrenaline's worn off. 💪
Brain Boost. When adrenaline increases blood flow, it increases it everywhere, including to our brains. The increased flow of blood to our brains increases our cognitive functions...literally making us smarter (temporarily at least). 🤯
Improved immune system. When we subject ourself to high levels of stress, the rush of adrenaline can be a bad thing. However, if we introduce adrenaline to our system little and often, it can actually improve our immune system. With an improved immune system comes less excuses to miss a training session for a nasty cold! 🤧

What I really love about adrenaline though is that you can get a decent workout without even getting out of your chair (if you really want to)! There are plenty of activities you can choose that involve very little movement, yet will still give you the associated benefits we've just seen. I got one of my biggest adrenaline hits just waking up once!! (see the camping bit on the right)

Or, why not get even more bang for your buck and take on something that does both - physical exertion AND adrenaline. If you're looking for inspiration, here's just a few of the things i've tried (and if you've got more you can add to the list, let me know, I'm always looking).

The important thing is to get out there and do it, don't just dream about it. Adrenaline doesn't come from dreaming. One of my favourite quotes of the moment comes from adventure traveller Eva Zu Beck:

"Planning and dreaming is fun; but planning and dreaming isn't living"

Why not get in touch and let me know how your thoughts, and how you stay connected. Share your ideas with me on Twitter, and use the hashtag #stayconnected