Health & Balance (2024)

FAQs

What is it called when you balance all areas of health? ›

Wellness is a holistic integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit (1).

Eating nutritious foods, hydrating, and finding time to do some form of physical exercise on a routine basis creates physical balance in our bodies. Sufficient sleep is also necessary for our bodies to revitalize and feel refreshed. Making time for friends and family creates balance in our personal lives.

Those who couldn't balance also proved to have more health problems than those who could. These included triple the rate of Type 2 diabetes as the successful balancers and a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, unhealthful blood-lipid levels and obesity.

The World Health Organization (WHO)¹ defines health as the balance of mental, physical and social health, also known as the health triangle. Having a good balance in all three areas is essential to living a healthy lifestyle.

Certain conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, or problems with your vision, thyroid, nerves, or blood vessels can cause dizziness and other balance problems.

Just walking across the room or down the block requires good balance. So does rising from a chair, going up and down stairs, toting packages, and even turning to look behind you. And good balance helps prevent potentially disabling falls.

What is a danger of not having good balance? ›

Balance problems can make you feel dizzy, as if the room is spinning, unsteady, or lightheaded. You might feel as if the room is spinning or you're going to fall down. These feelings can happen whether you're lying down, sitting or standing.

In static balance the body remains stationary, and the centre of mass is over the base of support. This type of balance is important when doing activities such as squatting or standing on one leg. Dynamic balance is required when your body is in motion and most mimics real life situations, such as walking.

The health triangle (also called the “wellness triangle”) is a simple visual that represents the overall state of your social, physical, and mental health.

The ear is a sensory organ that picks up sound waves, allowing us to hear. It is also essential to our sense of balance: the organ of balance (the vestibular system) is found inside the inner ear.

Balance is not about achieving perfection or evenly dividing your time and energy among all areas of your life. Rather, it is about having a sense of control, feeling grounded, and being able to navigate the different aspects of your life without being overwhelmed.