Our personal health is intrinsically linked to that of the people around us. Looking at our individual health in isolation doesn’t make sense from a common sense, evolutionary or scientific point of view. Unless you live alone in a lighthouse.
The common sense
- When your flat mate has a cold – you’ll probably get it too. It is in our interest to keep the immune system of those around us high as well as our own. In fact you can look at our immune systems as one continuous interconnected web. I went to Ibiza last year with 17 friends and talked late into the night about how, fundamentally we were all one… 11 of us came back with swine-flu.
- Frank Forencich comments in his blog (No Body Is An Island – Dec 09) that so-called ‘life-style’ diseases have been classified as non-contagious but that the facts speak differently. (Unless you do live alone in a lighthouse). People catch habits and life-style from each other. If you hang out with unhealthy people – you are more likely to imbue their unhealthy lifestyle, and the same for healthy people. I have a friend who always makes me smoke – I feel I’d be letting him down if I didn’t. And I have friends with whom I bond over salad and herbal tea. My tribe instinct means I become a chameleon rather than get too body precious. But I have also been responsible for infecting others with early morning swimming and the savouring of custard apples.
The evolutionary logic
A major factor for our survival in the past (and still today) are the interactions within our tribe. Competing and co-operating with others are ancient behaviours that drive us physically more than any heart-rate monitor. Chris McDougall (author of ‘Born to Run’) in his talk in London last month spoke about how both competition and compassion motivate us to physical heights. He told a goose-bumping story of the Ethiopean marathon runner Tula who both helped, but then beat, Paula Radcliffe in the most critical race of her career. Competition and compassion meet in playfulness, an ancient human behaviour that has all sorts of translations to health (click here for blog on Play ).
Crack a joke at brekkie
The science
Studies show that the people around us have potent mood-changing effects on us. Emotions are highly contagious – they can affect your cortisol (stress) and oxytocin (feel good) hormone levels – both of which have significant effects on our resilience to disease. Data suggests that cracking jokes at breakfast (as long as they are funny) makes more of a difference to your health than your choice of food. Try this one: ‘good morning darling – what did the chicken say when it’s eggs got scrambled? That’s one mixed up kid’’.
Studies have also shown that training with other people gets better results than training alone. I live with my mum and I often train with her in the mornings in return for her letting me have boys back.
Is it relevant to us?
Other people powerfully affect our bodies. Who we spend time with and how we interact with the people around us is a major factor in our health. At Wildfitness a real sense of tribe forms as we both help each other and sometimes compete against each other throughout the course.
What to do
- Hang out with people whose healthy attitude and lifestyle you want to catch (you can meet them at health food shops, at early morning yoga classes and on Wildfitness courses).
- Infect the people around you with good vibes and habits (feel free to use joke above).
- Use the power of training with other people (even if it’s your mum).
Tara Wood – July 2010
