Health is Wealth
We truly believe the saying that health is wealth - if you’re not healthy, you’re not performing, whether that’s to your highest standard or even performing at all. It’s so easy to take your health for granted during the good times; no sickness, no injuries, not even an ache.
However, all of that can take a 180 with just one thing going wrong. And while oftentimes this is out of your control there are plenty of things you can do to maximize your health and quality of life, because who doesn’t want to live long and well!
Priorities Change During Times of Trouble
Over the course of our everyday lives, we often focus on the trivial things; a pursuit of material goods, social media, entertainment, and much more. While all of these things may seem important in the moment, in the grand scheme of things, they are nothing.
Here’s a scenario to think about; and while it may be a little grim, it really makes you think. Imagine you’re in your 80s or 90s, knowing it’ll be your time to go soon. When you look back on your life; your accomplishments, your impact, your mistakes and successes; will any of the things previously mentioned even cross your mind? Will you regret not buying that piece of clothing or that car? Or will you regret not taking that risk, working on becoming the best version of yourself, reaching for the goals that seemed impossible? I can guarantee that 99% of you would say the latter.
When it comes down to it, your priorities are likely pretty simple: health, relationships, goals to work towards, and passions. Why did I list health as the first? Well, because if you’re not healthy, nothing else matters. You can’t live to your fullest, if you can even live at all. A poor quality of life is possibly the worst thing that could happen to you; what makes it even worse is if that’s by your own volition.
What Can You Do About It?
Thankfully, health and taking care of yourself is a double-edged sword. While it is pretty easy to let go completely, stuff yourself full of junk food, avoiding exercise, and not taking care of yourself or your body, it is also just as simple (although it won’t be easy; nothing worthwhile is) to work on yourself and pursue the highest level of physical fitness and health through diet, exercise, and self-care.
A big reason many people simply avoid even starting on a fitness journey is due to feeling overwhelmed. They think it’s something incredibly complicated, painful, and even expensive. Ultimately, all of these are just excuses. If THE MOST IMPORTANT aspect of your life isn’t worth the effort, time, or even money, then what is? There is no better investment, hobby, or passion to pursue, no matter how you approach it.
When it comes to exercise, find what you love; it’s really as easy as that. Don’t like lifting weights? Try biking or running. Not a fan of those? How about swimming, volleyball, soccer? The options are truly endless, and while the results may be different (building muscle won’t happen anywhere as efficiently with sports as with weights) you will still be working towards becoming a fit, healthy, and best of all, happy person.
The nutritional side of things doesn’t have to be complex either. Want the most basic method possible? Avoid processed foods, prioritize eating all colors of food (yes, even the crazy looking vegetables and fruits), and make sure you’re eating a balance of proteins, carbs and fats throughout the day. If a food didn’t exist 100 years ago, it likely isn’t great for you. A food with 20 ingredients isn’t as good for you as something like eggs, potatoes, or meat. Stick to the basics, get creative in the kitchen, and feel GREAT.
Financial aspect
If the idea of living a long and healthy life isn’t enough of an incentive to skip out on the snack-cake aisle, maybe this will.
The yearly medical cost in the U.S. alone for adult obesity related issues ranges $147 to nearly $210 billion.
We all know medical bills can be mind blowingly expensive. What would make it worse? If you’re spending thousands of dollars on things that could be preventable with some clean eating and movement every day. Of course not all injuries and illnesses are preventable, but you’re surely giving yourself a better shot at avoiding or minimizing them by taking care of yourself.
On the contrary, exercise is free. Sure, something like a gym membership or exercise equipment may increase your monthly expenses. But if you’re in a stage where the wallet is tight, that’s no excuse. Go to the playground and do some calisthenics, jog outside, use an old bike, borrow a ball; there can always be things to do and find.
In conclusion, your health is single-handedly the most valuable investment of your life. If you ignore it and don’t add to it, it will stagnate or even worse, tank. If you take care of yourself day in and day out, your body will reward you. Increased productivity, mood, confidence, brain power, are just a few of the countless benefits that come along with improved quality of life.
In addition, it can be a great booster to your social life; the amount of people that can be met and opportunities found in the fitness space grows by the day. So, let’s all make a commitment to putting ourselves and our health first; because without it, we’re nothing.
Thanks for reading! Continue Onward is all about helping you live your best life; both physically and mentally. That's why we created Sharpshooter and Onward. Try them today!
If you want to learn more about the Immune System and general health, check out our other blogs!
Sources:
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/health-related-quality-of-life-well-beinghttps://www.supermoney.com/health-is-wealth/
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/health-is-wealth-because-without-it-you-are-nothing/
https://powerforwardgroup.com/blog/health-is-wealth