Wellness is not fitness
Sometimes people are confused by the term “measured wellness.”
To measure fitness we consider biometric data available from, say, wearable devices or perform some test of physical function — physical fitness test, activities of daily living (ADL), or independence in activities of daily living (IADL). These are indirect or direct measures of fitness. They do not measure whole-person wellness (“wellness”).
The 8 dimensions of wellness
Wellness consists of 8 dimensions, and measured wellness measures performance in all of them. What are the 8 dimensions of wellness?
Social: Developing a sense of connection, belonging, and a well-developed social support system
Physical: Caring for your body and recognizing the need for physical activity, choosing a healthy diet and getting adequate sleep
Emotional: Managing your emotions in a constructive way; understanding and respecting your own feelings, values and attitudes; appreciating the feelings of others.
Spiritual: Discovering and expanding your sense of purpose and meaning in life Intellectual: Maintaining a curiosity for learning; recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills
Environmental: Discovering awareness of how your behavior impacts the earth and how the physical world impacts you; a commitment to a healthy and sustainable environment
Vocational: Developing a sense of your strengths, skills, values and interests for your career, mentoring or volunteer work
Financial: Understanding and planning for financial prosperity and legal security
Measured wellness
To measure wellness, we begin by classifying all wellness events according to the International Classification of Wellness (ICW-1) taxonomy (http://bioportal.bioontology.org/ontologies/ICW). Events are represented by cards. Wellness icons on the cards indicate the wellness dimensions associated with an event.
Users register for events.
After the event concludes we ask a simple question, “Did you participate?” If your answer is “yes” you get wellness points in the dimensions associated with the event. Your personal wellness score is your accumulated points in each of the 8 dimensions of wellness.
In Wellzesta Life, users set monthly goals in each of the 8 dimensions of wellness, and follow their progress towards those goals.
