Positive Health

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The next sub-category of positive health that I looked at in-depth during this course was exercise. As I mentioned previously, health and fitness have always been a major interest of mine. Ever since I can remember, I have enjoyed exercise and going to the gym and have noticed that it is a very positive factor in my personal life. Exercise benefits not only physical well-being, but psychological well-being also (Compton, 2013). Exercise promotes a positive self-esteem and a higher level of personal accomplishment. I have found this to be very true in my own life. When I get off track with my usual exercise routine, I notice my self-esteem is not near as high and I seem less motivated in other areas of my life as well. When I make it to the gym regularly and get good exercise, I feel much better about myself and more motivated to complete other tasks. I learned that aerobic exercise is recommended 3-5 times a week, resistance training is recommended 2-3 times a week, and stretching is recommended 3-5 times a week (Compton, 2013). Doing the recommended amount of exercise can help to control weight, lower blood-pressure, aides in sleep, relieves depression and anxiety, and can prevent chronic illnesses such as heart disease (Compton, 2013). With both physical and mental benefits, it is very motivating to exercise and stay active. After learning the specifics of how exercise can contribute to my positive health, I plan to continue with my active lifestyle. The benefits have proven to be substantial and have motivated me to try and be active every day to maintain good health and work towards the coveted “good life.”

Positive health is such an interesting and important sub-category of positive psychology. “Health” is such a monumental part of living a happy and successful life and it can be so easy to overlook its positive effects in our lives. Taking this positive psychology course really opened my eyes to the contributing factors of positive health and the changes I need to make in my own life to promote positive health. I now aspire to have not only good physical health, but good mental and social well-being too.

References

Bhattacharya, Shaoni. "Brain Study Links Negative Emotions and Lowered Immunity." New Scientist. New Scientist, 2 Sept. 2007. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

Compton, William C., and Edward Hoffman. Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Flourishing. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.

Smith, Melinda. "Laughter Is the Best Medicine." : The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter. HelpGuide.Org, Feb. 2016. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.