The Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Center (PLMC)

Believes that health is a measure of function rather than the absence of disease. In focusing on overall wellness, rather than only treating sickness, we take a different, more holistic approach. Experiencing optimal health requires a strong foundation of the 5 pillars of health: sleep, exercise/movement, nutrition, stress management and relationships/community. At the PLMC, these 5 pillars of health enhance our overall function. At the PLMC we have chosen to focus on the following 5 areas which we call the 5 functions of health.

Functions of Health

Evaluating and addressing suboptimal function in each of these five areas is just the starting point, as it not only helps to improve your overall health, but can be used as a framework for measuring our patients' chronic medical conditions.

Physical

Cognitive

Emotional

Metabolic

Behavioral

Physical Health

When we think of the physical function of health, we think about the ease of performing physical activities, our physical stature or body composition, and our strength and fitness level. A structurally sound body moves fluidly with ease and without pain. Some of the assessments that we utilize when assessing physical health include:

Body composition

This involves the InBody Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), which helps measure total body composition as a combination of muscle mass, body fat, and total body water. The analysis breaks down each component even further to assess fat-free mass (body mass that does not contain fat such as muscle and bone), total body water, body fat percentage, body cell mass, intracellular water, and extracellular water.

Bone density

This refers to the amount of calcium and phosphorus present in bones. Bone density is used as a measure of bone strength and can be assessed with X-ray bone density tests. The primary reason healthcare professionals conduct bone density scans is to rule out or diagnose osteoporosis (severe bone loss) and osteopenia (reduced bone mass before it becomes osteoporosis).

Fitness level

Although subjective based on circumstance, age, and several other factors, fitness level primarily refers to how quickly one recovers from physical activity. Physically fit individuals are typically able to execute daily activities related to performance, endurance, and strength with relative ease. Fitness levels can also be further analyzed to include cardiorespiratory endurance, aerobic recovery, muscular strength, and flexibility.

Strength & Balance

Muscular strength and the stabilizing muscles that are used for balance are integral to physical health. From infancy, we are taught to engage our several fundamental stabilizing muscles to perform simple movements such as sitting upright and walking across a room. Strength and balance tests determine the ease with which individuals can perform these and other related activities.

Why Physical Health Matters

Physical health is a core function of overall health and wellness. A body that operates from a physically sound place will be better able to engage with the outside world. This impacts all other functions of health, including cognition, emotional health, physiological components, and behavioural/social wellbeing. The PLMC believes that health is more than the absence of disease. We have broken it down into 5 measurable components. Work with us to see actual change, results, and improvement in your function of life.

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PLMC 5 Functions Of Health