It takes a special connection with our bodies to make health and fitness a priority. When you look at the population while walking down any city or small-town street, you can see this is not a majority opinion.
Recent statistics show that the U.S. is lowest among Western countries in longevity and that our longevity is decreasing. What happened to us? When you consider the U.S. projects by the year 2030 half the population will be obese. It is no surprise our health system is overtaxed and the cost of Medicare for the government keeps rising every year.
I don’t believe it is the government’s responsibility to make us healthy. This has to be an individual effort. Health and fitness is not a great puzzle. Adopting certain habits and a good routine can make and keep us healthy and fit. It is totally a matter of priorities.
The first question is whether health, vitality, and longevity without disease is important to us. As a lifelong health fanatic, I have many friends with the same values. One of the main things that drives us is fear. Yes fear. We don’t want to be sick. We don’t want disease. We don’t want to lose the quality of life that health and fitness provide. We don’t want to live a life as seniors that is plagued with illness and pain.
Health and fitness are at the top of my list with a few other things. The welfare of my kids is a high priority and I would do anything for them. My career is a high priority and I engage in the activities that help it progress. Learning is a constant and I am always engaged in learning either in my craft or through reading.
My drive to continue improving is my drive for self-actualization. Self-actualization is in Maslow’s terms, a state above surviving, but also the realm of finding out who I am and my capabilities or potential. Is there any way to reach my potential without feeling maximum health and fitness?
Health and fitness allow me to pursue mental, physical, and emotional, and spiritual goals at my highest level of awareness. The love of my vessel, body, connects me to Nature and appreciation of how we evolved since we were a single cell on earth. I feel connected to everything that helps me stay healthy which is natural food and the exercise intended for all species.
I love the outdoor life and treasure living at the beach and visiting the mountains. I feel a connection to these environments. Being healthy and fit, I can engage in activities that give me greater connection to these environments. I surf, bike ride, hike, camp, and snowboard. I enjoy using Nature as a backdrop to breathe fresh air and exercise my body.
If I didn’t work on a career, I could thrive on these outdoor activities and the constant improvement of my ability to enjoy these activities which is weight management, strength building, improving stamina, good sleep, and lots of relaxation. My friends are of the same mind and values and we frequently revel in our blessings to engage in these activities and know that our commitment to health and fitness is the reason we can.
Health and fitness on their own is thriving. If you want to begin improving your quality of life, start with improving health and fitness on a daily basis, Improve nutrition, water consumption, exercise, relaxation periods or meditation, sleep, and connection to Nature.
Life moves quickly and before you know it you are past 50 years old, a time when the average body will start to deteriorate. As Chris Crowley says in his book Younger Next Year, we can be vital until we are 85 and his prescription is an hour of exercise 6 days a week.
Step up your game and increase your thriving.
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As a Thriving Worker Consultant, I can engage in conversations with employers on how to begin the process of helping workers thrive and reach peak performance. It begins with a conversation to see how far an organization is willing to go to change the culture for workers.
Great practices for daily living can be learned with the Markap Series of Books. If your organization would like live presentations or Zoom meetings, they can be arranged for small to large groups.
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