Definition of Health:
World Health Organization (WHO), defines Health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not simply just the absence of disease.
Introduction
American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in 1860 “The first wealth is health ”. In this statement, he expressed his thoughts. Money plays an important role in our lives, but it is second to the fitness and wellbeing of a person.
A number of phrases have been written to outline the importance of health. The popular saying is so much appreciated because it specifies a universal truth. In absence of it, one cannot prosper and attain his desired goals in life.
The importance of good or sound health is unquestionable. A person who is in the full bloom of health is free from ailments and worries which may prove to be an impediment in building a sound structure for his future plans.
Health should not be considered to physical fitness only. It is a combination of physical and mental fitness. It also matters how he or she is socially connected.
Health as a concept
A person is considered to be healthy if he scores well on the three parameters i.e physical, mental and social. A physically fit but depressed and socially isolated person cannot be a welcome guest. A genius but prone to several kinds of physical ailments is also considered to be unhealthy and he misses many pleasures of life.
One has to be physically fit, mentally sound and socially active to achieve the concept of fitness.
So many people crave for a healthy body. Without a healthy body it is difficult to achieve our goals.
A great amount of emphasis is given to health since old times when there were gurukuls and students had to follow a very strict fitness regime.
A person fails to enjoy the pleasures of life, if he is not healthy. It doesn’t matter how much wealth he has accumulated.
It is health that is real wealth, and not piece of gold and silver
-Mahatma gandhi
Importance of health in the present scenario
The importance of health has increased over time. Today’s fast paced life has taken a toll on our health. People are giving priority to their careers and students are under a constant pressure to perform. Health has taken a back seat.
But the truth is something else. If we don’t take care of our body, our body will not take care of our mind. Only with a healthy body, one can perform their tasks successfully. Certainly, It applies to all whether they are students, employees or entrepreneurs. Therefore, it is very important for everyone to take care of their health so that they can perform their duties efficiently.
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How technology is helping us in getting fit
With the advent of social media the communication process has got a new dimension. According to Statista, with over 2.7 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2020, Facebook is the biggest social network worldwide.
Instagram and twitter also have a big fan following. Smart TV has replaced the cable and Direct to Home (DTH) format. We can see a lot of health apps being introduced these days. These apps have been introduced by fitness experts and with the help of the app a person can take fitness lessons. These apps are very intuitive and provide fitness lessons with the help of videos and chats. They also have a section for healthy diet where they provide innumerable recipes for health enthusiasts.
People have become more health conscious now. They have the facility to get the exact information they want because of the technology boom we have had in the last one decade. We have lots of fitness trackers available in the market which keep tracking of our everyday schedule. We can keep a record of our fitness programme and plan goals to achieve.
If somebody wanted to take yoga lessons some time back, it was very difficult for him because he has to take leave from his office or his business. Now with the help of apps and YouTube, it is possible to take yoga lessons, aerobic lessons while being at the comfort of home.
Health is a combination of our habits and the diet we take. Apart from maintaining a healthy lifestyle, one has to adhere to a healthy diet also. Exercise, yoga, gym, meditation will be effective only when we have inducted a healthy diet in our lifestyle.
Green vegetables, fruits, and whole grain foods are considered to be good for health. One should abstain from oily and junk food.
Government’s Initiatives
The government of India has introduced many health related initiatives on different occasions for the betterment of citizens of India.
1. Swach Bahart Abhiyan-
To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage, the Prime Minister of India had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October 2014. Under the mission, all villages, Gram Panchayats, Districts, States and Union Territories in India declared themselves “open-defecation free” (ODF) by 2 October 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, by constructing over 100 million toilets in rural India.
2. International Yoga Day-
Our honorable Prime Minister has also inspired many to follow a healthy regime. During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014, PM Modi had proposed to adopt an International Yoga Day to celebrate the “invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition,” Yoga. June 21 was chosen as the International day of Yoga.
3. Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission-
In August 2018, the Government of India approved Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission as a centrally Sponsored Scheme contributed by both center and state govt. It aims at covering over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) providing coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
4. Mission Indradhanush-
Another important mission undertaken in full throttle is Mission Indradhanush (launched in December 2014) which aims to achieve at least 90% full immunization coverage of India and sustain the same by the year 2020.
Conclusion
We see that the real wealth in our life is good health. One has to take care of his /her health first only then he/she will be able to help others. In our fast paced lives, where everyone is running from pillar to post to achieve their goals, we should be careful about our health and give proper attention to it. We should indulge ourselves in physical activities and also encourage others to participate. We should encourage our children for sports and physical activities, which is necessary for their inclusive growth. Technology has given us so many good things but at the same time it has some drawbacks. A number of video games and mobile games are available which distract children. They prefer to spend their time in playing mobile games rather than indulging in some physical activities. Therefore, we should try to inculcate good habits among children and encourage them to participate in sports.
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