A friend of mine from the gym I go to suggested I write an article about Attitude. “Good idea”, I said. But I have written about attitude before. So I found an old post from a couple of years ago, edited it, and low and behold, an article about Attitude. I don’t like to re-post old articles or even old articles that are newly edited. But he’s right, your attitude is critical. In fact . . .
It all starts with the way you’re thinking. I’ll say it again: “It all starts with the way you’re thinking.” Your health, fitness and personal energy begin with your attitude.
What is your attitude about your own health and fitness? Do you have the personal energy you want or need to get you through each day with vim and vigor? Do you have plenty of energy for more at the end of the day? Or are you just worn out from whatever it is you do during the day? Do you feel the stress of the day as if it were a burden, or do you let the stress of the day flow over your back like water? Do you plop down in front of the TV and watch . . . , or are you doing something positive and productive (at least in your mind), even after the dishes are done, or the empty, processed dinner box has been tossed in the trash?
Are you a participant in life, or are you a watcher of life? Do you like to do things or watch things, or both. Do you enjoy exercise, do you enjoy the feeling you get when you exercise? Do you dislike exercise? If you don’t like exercise, why don’t you? In short, what is your attitude about health and fitness?
It’s really your attitude that counts. Do you like feeling really good as you mature? Is it worth it to follow the principles of good health so you can feel really good? Or is it too much of a hassle, and besides, you enjoy Dancing with the Stars too much to take the time to move yourself – you would rather watch someone else do it.
Exercise and Fitness means different things to different people. Some like Yoga. Some like Pilates. Some like bodybuilding. Some like running. Some like calisthenics. Some like attending formal “boot camp” style programs. Some like classes at the gym. Some like to exercise in their living room. Some like to plop on the couch and watch TV. Some like to exercise with weights. Some like to exercise by lifting their forks and spoons. We are all different. We all have different preferences. One size does not fit all.
Except . . . that if we don’t move our bodies the way nature intended, we will deteriorate. Our muscles will soften and atrophy. Our blood will pool and stagnate. Our breathing will get shallow. Our joints and hinges will get rusty and creak and weaken, our bones will get brittle and break, and all sorts of other bad things will happen to our bodies. We will get old before our time. Hmm, I think I’ve said that before.
Our insides won’t function well and our systems will clog up. If we don’t fuel our bodies with the high octane fuel that nature intended for our bodies, such as air, water, good food and sunshine, we will become more susceptible to chronic illness, long lingering disease, pain and lack of the material needed to regenerate our basic cellular structure, let alone our major body systems. If we don’t get the kind of rest and sleep that nature intended for our bodies, we will reduce our mental capacities and will not recover as well as we should from not only exercise, but from the normal stresses of daily life.
And if we don’t have a good mind-set or attitude about our own health and fitness, nothing on earth will move us to move.
Remember what I said at the beginning: “It all starts with the way you’re thinking.” So give some real thought to your own attitude about your Health, Fitness and Personal Energy.
Thank you for reading.