IS YOUR LIFESTYLE AGEING YOU?
I believe you have to lose before you can win. To truly appreciate your health you have to lose it first. It’s something that you’ll abuse until you taste defeat. When poor health punches you in the mouth it can be a time of deep despair or your greatest opportunity for achievement.
We often act only when it’s too late.
Dr. Robert Butler, the founder of the National Institute on Aging, made a statement in the 1980s that still rings true today:
“If exercise could be packed into a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.” — Dr. Robert Butler
The benefits of exercise were firmly established over 30 years ago, yet exercise participation is on the way down. The age group that is displaying the most rapid decline are 25–34-year-olds.
Why? They are yet to feel enough pain.
You learn from your losses. Success often teaches you little. You will get by until you reach something of a breaking point forcing you into action.
Exercise is an easy sell. As soon as you lace up your shoes and get moving the net result is only positive. Other health behaviors are a little more complex. Dr. Butler offers these 8 behaviors to in his own longevity prescription:
MENTAL VITALITY
Learn new things; enjoy physical activity to drive blood flow to the brain.
NURTURE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
One of the reasons women live longer than men is that they have greater emotional resources.
SEEK ESSENTIAL SLEEP
As you get older you need more sleep, not less.
SET STRESS ASIDE
Make time in your life for pleasurable activities — make time in your life to play like a child.
CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY
Enjoy the bond of a group of people with similar interests, especially through volunteering.
LIVE THE ACTIVE LIFE
Live an active, purposeful life. Develop a plan on how you want to live, set realistic goals and try and achieve them one at a time, not all of them at the same time.
EAT YOUR WAY TO HEALTH
Value what you eat and how much you eat.
PRACTICE PREVENTION
By approaching and promoting a healthy routine. Avoiding negative thoughts, self-defeating practices, and unhealthy habits.
This prescription for longevity is nothing new.
Like anything, you read it is just an idea. The benefit doesn’t come from the idea, but its execution. If you were to analyze your life are you adhering to the 8 behaviors for longevity?
This prescription for longevity is also contained in The Compass contained in the Executive Athlete program. You can read more about the program by downloading a free chapter sampler of my book here or on the website www.executiveathlete.co
