If you have been thinking about taking steps toward better health, there is no time like the present. It should come as no surprise that your health is important, and you should make it a priority. It is easy to continually let things slide and make up excuses, but excuses do not get you to your goal.
Why is Health Important?
Your health is not guaranteed and as you age more issues are going to appear. It starts with one ailment and then they start to build on one another. High blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, heart problems, whatever the issue, these are all things that can affect your life. If you must limit activities because you are in pain or you are worried about what might happen if you do these activities, then you are not living your life. When you have a serious health condition, it can have long term affects on your life and that is not what anyone wants.
Why Should I Care About Fitness?
Fitness is more than just building muscle. Fitness is about using your body for what it was meant for, to move and to move often in different ways so that your muscles are used, and your heart is worked as well. If you have ever disliked the way that you look in the mirror, the truth is that exercise is the poor man’s plastic surgery. In fact, no plastic surgery will ever look as good or as natural as you will look when you exercise on a regular basis.
Health and Fitness are Important for Mental Health
If you do not feel well and do not have good health and not being able to move well is added into the mix, you are going to become depressed over time. It is a known side effect of eating well and exercising regularly that you will feel elevated in your mood also. It truly does make a big difference. Exercise releases endorphins which are manufactured in the brain and spinal cord and are a way to naturally diminish pain perception. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that is released by the brain and makes you “feel good.” When your brain is constantly being elevated with the feel-good chemicals from the body, it raises your mood and helps you to have a better outlook on life.
Aging and Health
As we age health issues can start to arise. All the poor habits from your entire life begin to catch up to you. If you have spent a lot of time sitting around instead of exercising, you might be at risk for high blood cholesterol, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. A sedentary lifestyle can also lead to a reduction in bone mineral density. All these problems can compound as we age, and this is when we start to lose mobility and experience the consequences of our unhealthy lifestyle in the past.
It is Never too Late
It is not too late to make important changes to your routine including eating healthier foods and moving your body more. Limiting screen time and taking breaks throughout the day is another important way to ensure that you can enjoy your life for many years into the future. You can also:
- Eliminate processed foods from your diet.
- Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.
- Park further from your destination and walk the final distance.
- Go for walks on your lunch hour from work.
- Take the stairs instead of the lift.
- Do meal preparation ahead of time to create proper portions and have meals ready when you are in a hurry (the time when you are most likely to reach for unhealthy and processed foods).
- Plan more activities either on your own or with friends and family. Groups can help you to stay involved in activities when you might want to pass them up.
Mobility and health are not something that many people think about until they no longer have it. It is important to consider your future self and health as you are living your life today and make the necessary changes to your lifestyle so that you can enjoy life far into your future. By making small changes over time, you can make bigger changes that have positive long-term effects on your life. Remember that too many changes at once can be overwhelming and will not stick, so work on the small changes one at a time.
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