AS the world this week observes World Well-Being Week, today, Durban fitness guru and motivational speaker, Phumlani ‘Big Punisher’ Dube, outlines ways to maintain physical well-being.
According to him, physical well-being is the ability to maintain a healthy and balanced life without physical limitation, physical stress and excessive fatigue.
Also read: World Well-Being Week: Maintaining your mental health for well-being
“Our physical well-being refers to the physical state of our bodies, whether that’s maintaining a healthy weight or good posture, well-functioning organs or the ability to carry out normal daily tasks without exhaustion or discomfort,” says Dube who previously worked as a fitness coach to award-winning music mogul DJ Tira and his Afrotainment stablemates.
Dube says physical well-being can also refer to the absence of disease or infection, but these are not the only things to consider.
He states that the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines physical well-being as being a key factor when it comes to overall health.
A healthy and balanced diet
Dube says one of the easiest ways to improve physical well-being is by maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. A healthy diet includes fruit, vegetables, legumes (lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice).
He says unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocados, nuts and sunflower, soya bean, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter and palm and coconut oil).
“Fruit and vegetable intake can be improved by always including vegetables in meals, eating fresh, raw fruit and vegetables as snacks, eating fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season and eating a variety of fruit and vegetables.”
He advises that food high in salt (sodium), such as canned foods, processed meats (lunch meats, sausages, hotdogs and ham) and frozen dinners should be avoided. Some of the foods that don’t belong in a healthy diet include baked sweets, cookies, snack cakes, doughnuts, pastries, chocolates and sugary drinks – “They are not good for us,” he says.
Exercise has physical benefits
Dube is adamant that exercise is one of the best ways we can improve physical and mental well-being.
“Exercise has been shown to have many physical benefits, including improving bone health and function, helping to maintain a healthy body weight, improving mental health and mood, improving the body’s ability to manage blood sugar and insulin, helping with sleep, and lifting the chance of living longer – the list is endless.”
He adds that staying hydrated is also important when it comes to maintaining physical well-being as the WHO recommends drinking approximately two litres of pure water a day.
“If you’re exercising, then your intake should be even higher,” he concluded.
For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
