During the month of July, St. Andrew's Family Fitness Plus! is recognizing Social Wellness Awareness Month through our campaign, Exercise Your Social Wellness! Being socially well has never been more important, and as our center continues to open up and offer more services, now is a great time to start focusing on your social wellness!
What is social wellness and why is it so important? Simply put, social wellness refers to our relationships with others and ourselves. Being socially well means you cultivate and maintain healthy, nurturing relationships and that you take good care of yourself. This past year it was especially difficult for any of us to maintain a healthy level of social wellness, which is why this Social Wellness month is especially important- we're finally able to celebrate those positive relationships in our lives that we had to go without during months of lockdowns, distancing, and isolation.
As many of us have realized, socializing and being part of relationships make us happier, healthier people. This is even backed up by science, as multiple studies have shown that the health risks of isolation are comparable with smoking, high blood pressure, and obesity. In addition:
People who have positive relationships respond better to stress and are more resilient.
A strong social network is associated with a healthier endocrine system and healthier cardiovascular functioning.
A healthy social life can enhance the immune system’s ability to fight off infectious diseases.
Thankfully, improving your social wellness isn't difficult and can even be fun! Here are 6 things you can do to improve your social wellness:
Make connections.
Take care of yourself while you're taking care of others.
Get active by joining some group fitness classes.
Bond with your children.
Build healthy relationships.
Shape your family's health habits.
For more information about each of the 6 ways to improve your social wellness, please visit the National Institutes of Health website.
Social wellness doesn't just refer to our relationships with others, it also refers to our relationship with ourselves. Since the relationship you have the longest is the one with yourself, it's important to strive to make it a healthy one! Regularly practicing self-care and love are the best ways to improve your relationship with yourself however, self-care can sadly go overlooked in our overstretched lives or is greatly misunderstood (it's not all about bubble baths and candles!). To get a better idea of where you currently stand with your personal relationship, take this quick quiz through Love is Respect and then start finding ways to improve your score!
Ultimately, during this month of July, SAFFP wants to remind everyone that prioritizing your social wellness is a vital piece of your overall health and that we are here to help you every step of the way with an individualized Starting Point Session to set you up for success and over 450+ group fitness options to choose from, you have multiple ways to start cultivating relationships with others and with yourself! Get started today by filling out this quick questionnaire.
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