WELLNESS - What is the difference between “Fitness” and “Wellness”?

There's so much confusion with the definition of "fitness" and "wellness." 

So many individuals and companies use those words interchangeably to mean different things depending on the context, or the message they're trying to convey, or even the product or service they're trying to sell. And so it is that those words are often misused or get lost in translation or interpretation. So let's back track and clarify things... 

The word “fitness” means the ability to perform physical activities. This includes discussions on the strength of your muscles, joints and ligaments; the state of your endurance; and the power in which your body is capable of moving. This does NOT mean “health.”

A person who is fit may not necessarily be healthy, and a person who is healthy may not necessarily be fit. "Health" covers a wide array of components which are usually under the umbrella word, "wellness."

"Wellness," in essence, covers all areas of health: mental health, emotional health, physical health, spiritual health, social health, relationship health, and so on. Basically, these are all the different components in a person's life that can affect their overall "well-being."

So when it comes to "fitness"... a person may be fit — be active, participate in sports, be able to lift weights, change the shape of their body, run, jump, and increase their cardiovascular capacity — but this does NOT mean that the state of their body, or their overall "well-being," is in good health.

The movement and oxygen produced from "fitness-type" activities can hugely benefit the well-being of the body, BUT it is NOT the only factor that determines the overall health — the "wellness" — of the person. 

So for example: If a person is always in a state of negatives thoughts or feeling negative emotions (due to an unhealthy relationship with the Self or with others); or if a person regularly eats highly acidic foods, or doesn't eat balanced meals with proper nutrients; or even if he/she doesn’t learn how to breathe deeply, stretch properly or meditate to quiet the mind, this will all affect the overall "wellness" of that person. 

This is why "wellness," not just fitness, is so important. Wellness is the state of health, state of balance, if you will, in not just your physical body, but also your energy body (in other words, your spirit), your mind (the way you think and how it affects your life), and your emotions (the way you understand them, feel them and use them as guides).

So essentially, "wellness" covers the overall "well-being" or "health of a being" from mind, body to spirit. And this makes "fitness" only a component of wellness: it is only a part of the whole. 

So don't be only concern with fitness. If you want an overall healthy, happy, balanced life, you have to put your attention and appreciation towards all the other components of health in your life. Gift yourself all aspects of what "wellness" has to offer.

Posted by  Penny Phang 

Source: http://www.wellnesswithpenny.com/2011/09/what-is-difference-between-fitness-and.html