Valentine's day is quickly approaching. At Village, we know how important it is to have people around who love you. This year however, we’ve decided to focus on loving ourselves. It seems simple to us. How do you learn how to love others, if you are not focused on loving yourself? We’re going to be talking about how to feel good about YOU!
Wellbeing is a word that has grown in popularity over the last few years especially. It’s often related to meditation, and the ‘self-care’ craze all over social media. However, wellbeing is a lot more than that, and a fundamental part of a successful society. It’s a complex thing to measure, because fundamentally it’s an individual thing- what feels good to one person, may not feel good to others. In simple terms, wellbeing is a measure of how satisfied you are with the life you are living. This is more than just lack of illness and good health, it’s physical, mental, social and emotional. Why is it so important though? Having this measure of how satisfied you are, builds confidence in achieving your goals. It also improves your likelihood of overcoming life's obstacles more successfully. Knowing what makes you feel good, helps with trying to cheer yourself up, when things aren't going as well as you’d hope.
As we mentioned before, wellbeing is not a one size fits all affair… but we’ve put together a list of all the types of wellbeing, and how getting moving can help improve that category. Let’s get started!
Emotional Wellbeing
This is the ability to manage stress, be resilient and the main element in that ‘self-love’ we talked about before. Stress is a speedy way to not feel your best… and i’m not just talking mentally. Too much stress can have an impact on your physical health too… think stomach problems, chest pain and worse.
So you might be thinking… How does exercise help this? Not only does exercise make you feel good about yourself, because it creates a sense of accomplishment, boosts self esteem etc. It’s also great at reducing stress, because extra blood flow to the brain when we raise our heart rate, results in a drastic improvement in our mood. In addition to this, our brain releases endorphins- the feel good hormones that keep us feeling our best!
Physical Wellbeing
This is the more self explanatory version of wellbeing when it comes to exercising. The easier we can complete everyday tasks, the more likely we are to reach our full potential, and therefore feel our best.
Beating obesity, improving mobility, building stamina… These are just a few reasons why improving your physical wellbeing will have a knock on effect for your overall well being. Think about the other categories in this list… How much easier would it all be if you were the fittest version of yourself?
Social Wellbeing
This is where the true meaning of Valentine’s day comes in. Being around people. A common loss of well being comes with loneliness. Even if the other factors are successful, you are bound to not feel your best if you have no one to share your successes with.
Exercising can be a great gateway to socialising. Take Village for example… We call it Village Life, and that’s because we are more than just a gym. Sitting in the whirlpool and chatting to a stranger can make their day without you even realising it. Being part of a community like this creates a sense of belonging, somewhere to go when you're not feeling your best. Check out our website for our timetable of member events if you want some inspo!
Workplace Wellbeing
This one is sort of a by-product of good workplace wellbeing. Life is about balance, and ensuring you fit in a good mix of what you NEED to do, versus what you WANT to do, is crucial.
As we mentioned earlier, exercise is great for beating stress. Why not book yourself on to one of our 6am classes before the work day begins? By 7am, you will have already done something for you, and you’ll start the working day off with an endorphin fuelled bang. Not to mention, exercise is great for the memory.
Societal Wellbeing
Finally, let's talk about the bigger picture. Contributing towards a successful society opens the door to new opportunities to grow and develop. Embrace community, embrace culture differences and co-exist as a positive community.
At Village, we have a variety of members from all different walks of life. We put on classes designed for all abilities and age groups. See someone struggling on the gym floor? Why not give them a few tips and tricks to lend a hand? Sharing knowledge is a great way to improve the overall wellbeing of our community!
Hopefully breaking down the types of wellbeing has given you a more rounded view of how it can contribute to that ‘self-love’ this Valentine's day. Ensuring you make exercise a priority in your week, can contribute to success in all other aspects of your life!
Love your body, feed your mind and live happily.
