Thursday, March 03, 2016

Ten Techniques to Be Happier in 2016 (Part 3 of 10)

Technique #3: Get Fit

If you think about it, there really is nothing more important in life than to feel good.  If we feel good, we can accomplish anything, our outlook is brighter, and our energy higher.  (Which is why those who suffer from chronic pain or persistent health conditions tend to become defeated and hopeless.)
 
In this country, we spend billions every year on feeling good.  But take away the ice cream, spas, golf courses, and anti-depressant medications, and what we’re left with is the simple truth that the path to feeling good begins with a healthy diet and exercise.
 
We are what we eat, which is why eating healthy just makes sense.  People who avoid junk food look better, feel better, and even smell better.  It is a commonly held belief among medical professionals that just about every human illness is based on some form of nutritional deficiency.  Expanding upon Hippocrates contention that the food we consume is our medicine, Dr. Vijaya Sathe, founder of London’s Commonwealth Institute of Acupressure and Natural Medicine, states “give the body what it needs, and the body heals itself.” 
 
Ah – exercise.  Unless you’ve been living under a rock, everyone knows regular exercise translates into a more positive physical, mental, and emotional state, while simultaneously boosting the immune system and preventing a host of stress related illnesses.  And exercise produces Seratonin, a brain chemical responsible for maintaining mood balance and contributing to happiness and wellbeing. Yet according to Fitnesshealth101.com, studies have shown that while 75% of American adults are overweight or obese, only 26% participate in physical exercise three or more times per week.
 
So why don’t we exercise more?  Maybe it’s because we’re so tired! 

American workers are putting in more hours nowadays than any time in history, which makes prying oneself from the couch a monumental effort, especially with the 24/7 must-see programming streaming at us on all two thousand channels of our various devices.  Nor does it help that most people view exercise as an intrinsically unpleasant pursuit reserved for professional athletes, masochists, and other proponents of self-inflicted torture.   
 
Fact: we are each given only one body.  Suppose for a moment that you only get to own one car during your entire lifetime.  How would you care for your one and only car?  I suspect you’d want to keep it running as long as possible.  If it breaks down, you’re stranded at home, unable to work, and left to collect welfare and eat fast food delivery until your cash runs out.  Your world shrinks to the distance you can walk, and traveling beyond that radius is dependent on the charity of others or mass transportation – assuming you can afford bus fare.  Doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?
 
Flipping this concept on end, if your car was your body, would you want your back seat filled to the door handles with fast foot wrappers and empty coffee cups, your windows fogged and greasy, an inch of grime encrusting the exterior?  Of course not!  Because you need your car to last the rest of your days, you would do everything within your power to see that it serves you until your cataracts get so bad the DMV refuses to renew your license. 
 
So why not start today?  Contrary to what you’re thinking, getting fit isn’t some distant mountain peak miles beyond your reach.  All journeys begin with the first step, and that step can be a baby step.  Do something small at first – say eliminate sugar from your diet – or at least unnecessary refined sugar.  (Would it kill you to cut out the soda and dessert?)  Inches eventually turn into miles.  And even if it takes the rest of your life to get there, at least you’ll be around to cross the finish line.