The Well-Run Body

Sleep restores physical and mental health, cycling through several distinct stages each night.

Exercise improves health over time by strengthening the heart, muscles, and bones.

Nutrition supplies the body with food for growth, balancing protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

Stress management copes with mental and physical stress, since chronic stress can affect overall health.

Meditation focuses attention to promote calm and has been practiced across cultures for thousands of years.

The circadian rhythm regulates sleep on a roughly 24-hour internal clock influenced by light.

The immune system defends against infection and remembers past invaders to respond faster next time.

Metabolism includes both breaking down molecules and building new ones. It covers much more than how quickly someone burns calories.

Blood pressure measures blood's force on artery walls, expressed as two numbers per heartbeat phase.

Cholesterol is a lipid used in membranes and hormones. LDL and HDL transport it in blood; the familiar good and bad labels refer to those…

Skin, the body's largest organ, regulates temperature and forms a protective barrier against infection.

Mental health covers emotional and psychological well-being, just as important as physical health.

Vitamins support health in small amounts, and most must come from food rather than the body itself.

Body temperature regulation keeps internal heat stable using mechanisms like sweating and shivering.

The placebo effect concerns changes associated with expectations and treatment context. Feeling better does not by itself prove that an…

Muscle memory lets a learned task run with little conscious thought, built through repeated practice.