“Alignment” is our theme for the week and the definition is: the correct position or positioning of different components with respect to each other or something else, so that they perform properly. When it comes to wellness, the concept applies to many things.
Consider eating and activity. When calorie intake equals calorie expenditure, there is alignment, and we maintain our weight. The Law of Thermodynamics, the only scientifically proven method for reducing weight, is all about getting out of alignment by expending more calories than are consumed. While most of us know this, the problem for most Americans is that they tend to overestimate how much they exercise and underestimate how much they eat – a sure formula for weight gain. The good news is that this issue is easily resolved through some simple measurement and tracking techniques.
We also need alignment in our rest. Too much sleep can make us sluggish (seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?), cause headaches, and exacerbate back pain. Increased risk of heart disease and death are also correlated with oversleep, according to WebMD. Getting too little sleep is far more common, however, and results in fatigue, inability to concentrate, impaired decision-making and delayed responses, and weight gain.
To really be well, we need alignment in other things too, such as work and play, strength training and aerobic exercise, and the composition of our diets. While it sounds overwhelming to achieve all this balance, our bodies have wonderful feedback mechanisms built in. We get numerous indications that we’re out of alignment. Sounds like a good topic for another time…