We often overlook the importance of good health until we face illness or injury.
Good health is something many of us take for granted until we experience sickness or injury. Moreover, the elements contributing to good physical health such as adequate sleep, clean and safe surroundings, nutritious food, and leisure are not always readily accessible.
Health equity is the notion that some individuals can achieve better health due to their greater financial and material resources, while others may struggle due to lack thereof. While this holds true in some cases, especially concerning tangible resources like health insurance, taking a holistic approach to health can help level the playing field.
Strategies to promote health in challenging circumstances can be as simple as reflecting on how health impacts your life. Educating yourself about your health, identifying barriers, and leveraging positive aspects of your life can help overcome obstacles to well-being.
When Life's Realities Hinder Health
If I were to survey a group of my patients about their daily physical activity, I would find that some frequent the gym or work with a personal trainer. Others engage in group sports or exercise at home following online videos. However, some lack the time or space to exercise. They may work long hours, reside in cramped spaces, or hold physically demanding jobs that make prioritizing exercise for health difficult. While some members of the group may be in good shape, others struggle to prioritize that aspect of health.
Barriers to exercise, or any health practice, may be financial or linked to one's postal code. For instance, if a patient is struggling to make ends meet, paying gym dues may not be feasible.
Geographical barriers may also exist if people live in isolated or unsafe areas where outdoor exercise is impractical. There may also be cultural barriers; carving out time for personal health and exercise may be perceived as self-indulgent, vain, or a waste of time.
What Promotes Health to Flourish?
As a physician, I've learned to ask questions like: "What do you need to be healthy?" I encourage other healthcare providers to do the same. We learn how we can support people by first understanding their needs and desires because achieving health doesn't look the same for everyone.
Elena Rosenbaum, MD, the clinical director of a New York-based organization, shares the story of a patient whose blood pressure remained high despite four different medications. It turned out that his concerns ran much deeper than the physical level.
The patient had been the primary caregiver for his son, who recently passed away after a prolonged illness. This father (the patient) was now juggling multiple jobs and had little time or energy to grieve or attend to his physical health.
"We asked him what was positive in his life," says Rosenbaum. "His church and faith were sources of strength and support. We encouraged him to find healing through spiritual practice and being with members of his community." They also helped him find a counselor to support his mental and emotional well-being.
Communities as Catalysts for Flourishing Health
"Our patient's high blood pressure was not just a medical issue," Rosenbaum says. To achieve better physical health, he first needed help dealing with stress and grief. And he had access to a significant source of strength: his church community.
Building strong relationships and feeling connected is crucial for overall mental and physical well-being. Does your neighborhood have a community center? A community garden? Your local library can be a great place to discover arts and crafts groups, and most librarians are happy to connect you with a book club or anything else you'd like to find in your area. Like Rosenbaum's patient, places of worship offer a supportive community and can connect you with valuable resources. All of these places can also serve as sites for physical and mental health care, including exercise classes, blood pressure screenings, and group therapy.
The building blocks of whole-person health are much more diverse than simply having money for organic food or a gym membership. Viewing community and social assets as building blocks of health opens up additional avenues for healing, even in communities with few tangible resources.
Tap into Your Culturally Relevant Healing
It's been said many times: There are cultural pathways to healing beyond Western medicine. Holistic therapies like acupuncture stem from ancient Eastern medicine traditions. Prayer, meditation, and ritual play central healing roles in many Indigenous cultures.
Instead of assuming any one treatment is best, your health providers should have open conversations with you about how healing resonates with you. Yoga might work for some, while others might connect more deeply with their cultural or religious practices.
Starting Where You Are
Instead of assuming you don't have the time or money for healthy practices, consider what your lifestyle and community have to offer. Could you ask a friend to teach you a few cooking skills so you can reduce the amount of processed food your family eats? What about swapping childcare duties so each of you can take a stress-relieving solo walk a few times a week? If your community has a tradition of weekly family gatherings, think about how these can be stress-relieving opportunities and how you can share nutritious foods there.
Small changes that fit with your lifestyle and community have a better chance of sticking. A strong community is better equipped to advocate for improved sidewalks and more streetlights, which in turn can make it safer to play and exercise outdoors. The benefits of outdoor play for children and time spent outside for adults are well documented. A community garden can promote healthy eating as well as stronger social ties.
Good health should never be a privilege for the fortunate few. By starting from your own lived experience, you can find ways for health to flourish mind, body, and community.