Hello Wellness Warriors! I hope you are doing well. Today I want to talk a bit about some commonly used – and misused – words. These three words get thrown around a lot in the wellness community and since their meanings overlap a bit, many people mistake them for synonyms. But in fact, they are very different.
Part of my goal is to help you, reader, understand how I am using these terms here on MMW. I always strive to be clear in my messages and using correct language plays a big role in that. Part of my goal is also to draw your attention to the fact that others are using these terms interchangeably and maybe (not always, but some of the time) shouldn’t be. And, part of my goal is to illustrate that these definitions are changing with time.
What is health? Old school dictionary definitions state that health is an absence of illness or injury. This brings to mind merely what is going on with the physical body. And that is typically how we view health. When we tell a friend or family member we are healthy, usually we are referring to the fact that we are not, at that moment, sick or hurt.
Newer definitions of health are emerging to include Mental, and even Emotional or Social, Dimensions of Wellness. This reflects a shift we have (finally) made in society by destigmatizing some aspects of mental health. To be mentally healthy indicates that our mental capacity is also without illness or injury. Mental illness or injury could include depression, anxiety, or addiction.
This is where the overlap between health and wellness occurs. Wellness is defined as being in a state of good health, especially as an actively pursued goal. You can see where the confusion comes in. Health is used to define wellness. But when wellness is viewed in the Dimensions model, it is actually easier to see.
You can describe each individual Dimension in terms of health. You can have a lack of Physical illness or injury, but might be dealing with Mental illness. Or perhaps you feel as though your Environmental/Occupational Dimension is ill, or not serving you, but your Social Dimension is stellar.
In this way, wellness describes a broader picture of what is actually happening to and around you. It also illustrates the second important difference of health and wellness. Health, by its definition is almost something that happens TO us. Wellness, though, is something that we are actively seeking to change or pursue.
In other words, it is one thing to say that your Intellectual health is suffering (i.e. not healthy) because you feel outstripped by work colleagues. It is another thing to say your Intellectual health is under stress (i.e. pursuing wellness) because you have gone back to school.
Both of those statements are really trying to communicate similar things. But the wellness statement puts the individual in a position of action. And this is how I try to communicate here on MMW. I love the Dimensions of Wellness model and I speak about health (absence of illness or injury) as it relates to an individual Dimension (which I always call out by capitalizing it). But I speak about wellness as a whole person construct and as something that we can choose to pursue. No matter how small the steps we take or what beginning circumstance we find ourselves in. There is always something we can do to move towards positive change.
This brings us to fitness. Again, the dictionary defines fitness as the state of being fit, especially as a result of exercise and nutrition. Much like health, the traditional definition is fairly limited in scope to the Physical Dimension. Also much like health, newer definitions are expanding to include Mental and other Dimensions.
For the most part, fitness is still typically confined to describing the Physical Dimension. We think of fitness as what our bodies are able to do. Can we run a mile? Can we squat or leg press our body weight? Can we keep up with our kids (or grandkids) at the park? And so on.
Again, the difference between health and fitness is that fitness is something we are pursuing in some way. Specifically, as per the definition, by changing our nutrition or exercise habits. While nutrition and exercise will certainly impact our Physical Health Dimension, scads of research shows the benefits changing these practices can have on Mental, Emotional, Social, Intellectual, and Environmental Dimensions as well.
Here on MMW, I typically will use fitness to refer to things happening in the Physical Health Dimension. And, at least as I have noticed, most other bloggers/writers are doing the same. The line between health and wellness, as I pointed out earlier, is much more blurry.
I hope this little vocabulary lesson helped clear up some common confusions! Certainly let me know in the comments if you have any questions.
Until next time, be well friends!
