Ever since the U.S. Surgeon General announced in 1976 that half of all illness is behavioral, wellness became for sale. Today, 50 years later, reports indicate that Americans spend about $2 trillion a year on wellness, approximately 33% of the entire world’s global expense. By all accounts, this practice will continue and increase. The cost of wellness differs from normal healthcare cost. Rather than illness-focused, wellness spending is preventative and includes things like nutrition counseling, bodywork, herbal consultations, whole body MRIs, biological age predictions, meditation, life coaches, and personal trainers. I have been a proponent of wellness my entire professional life, but I have to wonder if all this money is necessary.
Lately, books and articles have revisited the concept of longevity. Sure, everyone wants to live longer. Ponce de Leon searched for the Fountain of Youth in 1513; sadly, he didn’t find it. Perhaps more popular is the idea of adding life to years, rather than years to life. This isn’t new either as people in my profession have been encouraging this for 50 years. Moreover, this is the premise of wellness, an optimization of life. Marcus Aurelius was famous for suggesting that we not fear death, but having never lived. Steve Jobs reworked this to suggest that we live each day as if it is our last. I’ve heard this for years and still have a problem with this saying. To me, life is a marathon, not a sprint. If I lived each day according to Jobs, I think I would be exhausted in about a week.
In his book, “Blue Zones,” Dan Buettner identifies five areas of the world where people live longer. I strongly suspect that people in these zones do not spend much money, if any, on wellness. Eating well, being physically active, and having a sense of community are common to people in these zones. I doubt if many people in these areas count their daily steps, wear watches and rings to tell them if they slept well, use heart watches to monitor their exercise, or go to clinics to have a whole body MRI. They don’t have life coaches; their ancestors advise them.
Wellness is a conscious pursuit, a decision to control your life. Some go too far, presuming that one can control everything. Bad things can happen. We can choose to eat well, it’s not that hard. There’s certainly no dearth of information on this subject. The recent push to reduce ultraprocessed food is one good step. Want to avoid ultraprocessed foods? Cook. We can choose to exercise. The fitness revolution is still here. Today, both aerobic and strength training are regularly promoted and many activities are not expensive. Taking a walk, jogging, and swimming are cheap. Biking is great but you need to buy a bike. Gym memberships cost but are only worth it if you actually go. Find a friend and play something. Mowing, gardening, and raking are free.
Socialization is regularly touted as important, but socializing is not passive. Some years back I was watching television where a poker game was being played. I told my wife that I wished someone would ask me to play poker. She said, “No one is going to ask you, find your own game.” I started a game that lasted 30 years, every alternate Wednesday. Today, that same group has breakfast together every week. Make good friends and keep them. Be a reliable friend, make it a priority.
Studies show that meditation has positive effects on stress reduction and blood pressure. Meditation has zero cost. For example, MBSR (mindful based stress reduction) developed by Dr. Kabat-Zinn at UMASS medical school is free to the public. This is a great program. Meditation takes time, but it works.
I’m not a fan of whole body MRIs and biological age predictions. Predicting biological age really only works for groups, not individuals. Whole body MRIs can result in false positives. Such a result can throw one into a very negative state, ever worrying about what’s next. Before long, you’re bidding for burial plots.
There are no quick fixes to wellness, just a constant maintenance of moderate good behavior. Gimmicks don’t work. We need to learn to trust ourselves as to what is good. We are naturally intuitive, so use it. I know when I’ve slept well; I don’t need a ring. When I’m hungry, I eat. When I’m thirsty, I drink. When I’m tired, I rest.
Jim Johnson is a retired professor of exercise and sport science after teaching 52 years at Smith College and Washington University in St. Louis. He comments about sport, exercise, and sports medicine. He can be reached at jjohnson@smith.edu.