In the Pursuit of Health (Part 1): Physical Health

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Health is a word that is often thrown around without much care given to its meaning. “This [insert food] is healthy” or “It’s healthy to express your emotions” or “I want to live a healthy life” are all common sayings about health, among many. And health is something that we often strive for, whether consciously or not. The constituents of health, however, largely remain unclear. Moreover, there are various forms of health such as physical health, emotional health, mental health, social health, etc. But given all of this, where does this leave us in the pursuit of health?

The Question of Physical Health

I consider much of my life directed towards cultivating “good” health. Some components that constitute physical health are fairly clear, so I try to adhere to them the best I can. I exercise regularly, try not to overeat, drink plenty of water — you know, all the typical recommendations someone would hear from a doctor.

Some people take physical health even more seriously. They do not stop at a jog every few days and a salad here and there. These people attempt to optimize physical health. And this is where the debate about health gets tricky.

There are some who claim we should never eat carbohydrates. Others claim we should eat only plant-based foods. Some claim we should fast. And others claim we should eat regularly. The list of opinions is nearly endless. I’m not here to try to settle this debate. In fact, I do not care to venture into this debate at all. What makes me curious is two questions that follow from this perspective towards physical health.

The first is, what is the point? In other words, what is the ultimate goal in this pursuit of “optimal” or even “good” physical health? The second question is, why does the emphasis on health always default to physical health, as opposed to other forms of health, such as emotional, mental, or spiritual health?

The Aim of Physical Health

To address the first question, take a physically healthy person in the stereotypical sense. I mean the image of the person that appears when you Google, “physically healthy person”. This person is often someone who actively exercises, is not overweight, and is probably eating some sort of fruit or vegetable.

Great. There is nothing terribly wrong with this stereotype. Much of these notions of physical health do in fact come from legitimate scientific research. The issue is, the goal of this scientific research is almost always looking for what physical behaviors and diet lead to longevity. Although, longevity cannot be the only goal of physical health, right?

Nothing is Guaranteed

Take this hypothetical example. A young man who runs triathlons, is at a healthy weight, does not smoke or drink alcohol, and shows no signs of physical distress or illness is suddenly diagnosed with a case of brain cancer. Doctors try to remove the tumor but to no avail. The cancer continues its course and the man dies soon after the diagnosis.

Later, the family asks how this could possibly happen to such a fit young man, yet no one can give a definite answer. Why he developed brain cancer is unclear. And despite a seemingly physically healthy lifestyle that research would confirm leads to longevity, the young man still succumbs to death at an early age.

Maybe this was due to an unknown genetic predisposition, and despite the man’s physical health, cancer could not stop from developing. “An unlucky draw,” someone may say, “but it does not diminish the majority of people who commit to a physically healthy lifestyle and live a long life.” And that’s true.

But How About the Unexpected?

Let’s take another hypothetical example. A young woman is as healthy as the aforementioned man but free from genetic predispositions to any disease. She exercises vigorously and labors extensively to maintain a perfectly balanced diet. She tracks all her food intake, spends two hours a day exercising, and is up-to-date on all physical health research. Then, one day while she is out running, a car hits her, and she dies immediately upon impact.

At the end of the day, we have to ask, was this woman’s physical health pointless? If the point of physical health is for longevity, I would have to sorrowfully concede the answer is yes. This is not the answer others or even myself want to admit, but unfortunately, I cannot see any other way around it.

More Than Just Longevity

On the flip side of this unfortunate train of thoughts is what we uncover about the goal of health. Health, or in this case, physical health, is all too often oriented towards the future goal of longevity. But maybe there is more to being physically healthy than the future reward of longevity. A reward not of the future, but one of today. This is the reward of present health.

Delayed Gratification

Before discussing present health, we first have to understand why physical health is so often aimed towards longevity. The fact is, we do many hard things for the sake of some reward in the future, not only activities for our physical health. This process is frequently referred to as “delayed gratification”. Suffer now, and reap the reward later.

This idea serves us well in many ways. When we work, we often do not like the work itself, but we do it anyway because of the money we earn and can use later on things we do like. Again, suffer now, and reap the rewards later.

Whether or how to beneficially integrate this practice into one’s life is another topic for another day. However, in the realm of health, it is clear that delayed gratification is not always a guaranteed benefit. In the case of the hypothetical woman, she was unable to reap the reward of future longevity because of an unforeseeable circumstance. In this instance, she delayed for a gratification that never came to fruition.

Thus, the only way to justify why anyone should pursue physical health is if one can reap the rewards immediately. This is only possible if the aim of physical health is not solely for future longevity but for present health too. Only then can the pursuit of physical health be justified.

Present Health

How can the aim of physical health be rooted in the present? Anyone that has done hard physical exercise can affirm: it’s not easy. The same goes for maintaining a healthy diet or losing weight. In the moment, saying “no” to dessert and “yes” to a run seems like suffering.

According to delayed gratification, we suffer now for a reward later. But if there is no guarantee of the future reward of longevity, then the reward must be more immediate to the pursuit itself. How is this possible?

The answer is twofold. The first is that there is a subtle and often unrecognized reward in the midst of a physically healthy act. The second is that the reward of a physically healthy act is not only future longevity but the smaller rewards that immediately follow the act itself. This is what present health means.

Reward One: In the Act of Physical Health

In the most subtle way, a physically healthy act is actually rewarding in itself. It is subtle because it is often masked by the pain of the act. But underneath that pain, there is even deeper fulfillment and pleasure. It’s the “good feeling” that comes with doing the right action. It’s the feeling of being alive.

Moreover, the suffering often associated with physically healthy acts is not actually in the moment of the act itself. Instead, suffering simply lies in the thought of committing a physically health act.

Speaking from personal experience, the hardest part of any workout is from the moment I decide to do the workout to the second I actually begin. The same can be said with eating a certain food or refusing another. The act itself is not suffering. It is the thoughts, contemplation, and choice preceding the act that is the suffering.

Of course, I cannot refuse to address that even amidst a physically healthy act there is sometimes a substantial degree of suffering. We may feel sheer agony during exercise. Or maybe we feel an intense craving for sugar and disgust with consuming a new diet. And maybe there is no deep satisfaction in these acts at all.

This frequently occurs to many people when they take their first step in the pursuit of physical health. And this is also what frequently deters them from continuing. In this case, where can someone find the reward in present health?

Reward Two: The Immediate Rewards

Present health does not always mean feeling the rewards in the midst of a physically healthy act. It is certainly an aspect, but what is more convincing are all the rewards felt immediately after a physically healthy act.

I’m talking about having a clear head after a hard run. Or the freedom to pursue activities that one could not do without being physically healthy. Or the pure and lasting energy that comes after opting for oatmeal instead of donuts for breakfast. These are the rewards of being physically healthy; these are the reasons that make physical health worth pursuing.

The fact is, we never know when the unexpected can strike and life will end. But longevity is not the only reason why we pursue physical health. We pursue physical health for each day that we are alive. To be able to play with our kids today, to feel energetic today, to have the capability to live physically free today. This is what present health means, and this is what the pursuit of physical health is really about.

Beyond Physical Health

Physical health can be viewed through the lens of longevity or through present health. While there is nothing wrong with being physically healthy for the sake of longevity, it cannot be the sole purpose to pursue physical health. Physical health needs to pay off in rewards today. And in subtle yet fulfilling ways, it does.

Although, there is a major gap in this perspective of health. So far, we have only discussed the pursuit of physical health. But what about all the other forms of health? Can we consider someone healthy if they are a physically healthy person but constantly tormented mentally? Where does mental health fit into the overall picture of health? And how does mental health, if at all, relate to physical health?

To answer this and more, stay tuned for part 2…

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Originally published at https://kylecreech.com on October 1, 2021.