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.
