The Relationship Between Physical and Mental Health

It has been well accepted that health is not one-dimensional. The definition of health actually consists of physical health, mental health and social adaptability. Being physically fit doesn’t mean you are totally healthy. It is also important to have mental health as well as social wellness. To adapt the society well means people have the abilities to form and maintain a complex network of friends and associates. But how do these components of health relate to each other? Especially, what is the relationship between physical and mental health and what meanings do healthy body and healthy mind really have?

People consider it commonly that components of health are interdependent, namely, aspects of health influence each other. When people using this type of health model are assessing health, they would focus on the balance among components of health. They believe an over-emphasis in one realm can be offset by activities in another realm. For instance, in order to keep the wellness system balanced, they may advise some people to take more physical exercises when they are working in offices for long hours consuming much mental energy. This is apparently a simple remedy, but it has profound meaning on wellness. A much more balanced health can be achieved even by making a small effort in a neglected realm. People would likely return to work energetic by spending some time out on physical exercises to rest their mind, for example, a small walk from time to time could make you feel refreshed and invigorated. Therefore, to keep your aspects of health balanced is worth to advocate while over-attention to one aspect of health is not.

It is widely believed that physical health and mental health are related to each other. A lot of athletes sustain physical performance by taking much mental effort. You will see the relation between physical and mental aspects of sporting performance is so close just thinking of a momentary lapse in concentration in a game of tennis. It is generally acknowledged that mind has influences on physical activities. However, it is not as widely understood that physical exercises has impacts on mental health. Yet there are researches supporting the view that physical exercises do have a positive effect on the mental health. Physical exercises can contribute to positive mood and elevated concentration. Those outcomes mainly attribute to chemical changes within the body caused by physical activities.

Through physical activities do have positive influences on mental health, but that doesn’t mean physical activities are necessary relevant for mental ill-health. For instance, if someone has a mental illness, exercises would be unlikely to act as a remedy. However, it is widely believed by health practitioners that physical activities are a useful adjunct to therapy for mild mental illness.