Tom

‘Defining health is difficult, it is so entwined with our culture and society, having a truly independent approach to health can be limited. It’s something I think we absorb in our daily lives, healthy eating and exercise, but it isn’t something that is problematised enough. Whilst people promulgate approaches to healthy living, they don’t consider how culturally defined these are. By pushing blueberry porridge and spin class, people are creating standards and values for health by which other people are measured.

I think health is a personal process. It really describes someone’s attitude and perspective to their life, to their body, and most importantly, to their ‘past’. The past is constructed, it is a personal story we tell ourselves about ourselves. It is the autobiographical tale of our lives, and health trickles through it. We establish, make and break rules around our health, and they become part of our self-definition.

Personally, my narrative of health has been graciously lucky. I have never experience serious ill health. I wonder what health would mean to me if I had? I have worked for and prided myself on my physical attributes, and being fit has become a barometer by which I judge my health by. However, maintaining a standard I find satisfying is a battle that simply does not end. This probably comes form martial arts. You are constantly correcting yourself, and perfecting your physical performance. However, true perfection is impossible, there are always flaws.

So, how would I define healthy? I’m not sure that question can be answered. I suppose the important aspect is that I define health. Me. Undeniably, there are actions which harm our physical and mental health, I know this from experience. However, one’s perspective of health is so entwined with their personal narrative, with their lives, I feel uncomfortable defining it for them.

For me, I feel healthiest when I exercise 6 days a week. But, I think being healthy is balance, it is not defined by health bloggers, it describes an inner tranquillity with one’s life style, a peace with our personal narrative and a contentedness with our life style being ‘good enough’, not being pushed by other people’s opinions. Sadly, like martial arts, self-acceptance can be an inherently unachievable ideal but health is part of our self-definition, and therefore it is one we should strive to be happy with.’