Wellness, Fitness and Health: Be Your Best You Training Course

This training will discuss a holistic approach to better understanding wellness, fitness, and health. A better understanding of overall health and wellness will lead to better decision-making, ultimately improving quality of life. We all have our own idea of what it means to live life fully. The aim is to strive for personal harmony that’s authentic to the individual.

Components that will be discussed in the training include managing stress to maintain optimal mental health, the cognitive benefits of exercise, the effects of substance use on health and wellness, and the benefits of exercise and nutrition.

Stress, if left unchecked, can lead to more serious mental health concerns, such as anxiety or depression. When someone experiences chronic stress, the amygdala, or fear center of the brain is activated, causing the body to be in a constant state of stress. As a result, several parts of the brain are impacted such as impaired memory, changes in brain structure, development of mental illness, reduction in brain cells, and a shrinking brain.

Mindfulness and the beneficial impact it has on one’s overall health and wellness will also be explored in this training. Mindfulness is the ability to know what’s happening in your head at any given moment without getting carried away by it. It’s about focusing on the breath and the present moment, not giving any thought to distraction. Exploring breath work can help decrease stress by helping to minimize distraction and develop a greater sense of focus and awareness. Not only does it improve focus, but it can lead to improved feelings of calmness and relaxation.

Exercise can stimulate brain cell development, improve memory, increase focus and concentration, boost your mood, as well as reduce stress. Another cognitive benefit is that exercise improves blood flow to the brain which in turn, increases the flow of nutrients to the brain, improving cognition. In addition to the cognitive benefits of exercise, there are numerous physiological benefits. Improvement of muscle strength and bone mass and consistent regular physical activity are recommended and beneficial for weight loss and weight management. Lifestyle choices impact your future. The choices you make today lead to a healthier tomorrow. Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet, coupled with exercise can help control or delay age-related health problems. Exercise and nutrition is all about finding a balance by eating a variety of foods and exercising regularly. 

The training will close with exploring substance use and health and wellness. Drugs interact with chemicals in your brain and body and make you feel a certain way. Illegal drugs can damage your health. Taking higher than recommended doses or taking prescription drugs when you don’t need them for medical purposes can also cause mind-altering effects, and can be very dangerous. Substance use can lower your inhibitions and make you more likely to take risks that can lead to injury or other harm. The negative health effects of drug use and smoking can also depend on the way you take the drugs.

This program is available with Spanish and French closed captions.