It's funny... any time the subject of physical fitness comes up, what comes to mind is the multitude of programs that can be bought from an even greater multitude of companies that make the claim that a person can attain peak fitness in "X" number of days, weeks, or months. Does anyone else think that this is a little far-fetched?
What I've come to realize in the 30-some-odd years that I've been striving to find that "magic formula" and become the perfect physical specimen of the virile man--just kidding (sort of), one thing has become abundantly clear. There is no "magic" anything when it comes to being fit and healthy.
Here is the underlying truth as I see it. Fitness, health and general wellness all take a lifetime of effort and dedication. Now, I know, especially to the internet generation of today that statement is going to ruffle some feathers. I apologize for that and I apologize, in advance, for the rest of this article... the remainder of the things that I have to say probably won't be any easier to swallow. But, if you stick with me through the rest of what I have to say and really think about it, you will realize that everything that I say here is nothing more than an average guy telling it like it is.
Many things go into being a healthy person... and let me clear this up right now... "healthy" does not necessarily equate to lean, trim or muscular. Granted, that physical appearance is definitely an outward expression of a person who is healthy but, isn't a prerequisite for a state of well-being. A healthy person can take on most any form. The exception to that statement is that: 1) Obesity is not healthy... in fact being over your optimum weight (and that differs for everybody!) taxes every system in your body; 2) On the opposite end of the spectrum... being emaciated... as my dad used to say "looking like a worm with the $#!* slung out of it"... is just as bad. This means that your body is not getting the nutrients that it needs to thrive and perform at its maximum potential. So, the bottom line is that everyone has a perfect weight for them and that, most times, is not what the media tells us it is.
Now that that is out of the way, let's talk about the number-one ingredient that must be present in order to live a healthy lifestyle and, if it is your desire, to have the body of a Greek god or goddess... MINDSET! So often, the programs that we see in advertisements ultimately forget or omit this crucial element. One of my favorite sayings of all time is... "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you are right"-Henry Ford. You must have a steely determination that you can and will be healthy and much of that begins with finding a reason to be so. These reasons have as wide a range as the people who create them but, they are all correct if they produce the desired result.
I have a great deal more to say on this subject but, in the interest of making this article something that people will read, I will save that for another time. I will get deeper into each subject that I touched on in later article submissions. Until then, here's to your health...
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