Make the most of your body

Many of us take our health for granted. It is not until we are at risk of losing it do we take action. It is so easy to make excuses and put your health on the back burner and few of us notice our gradual decline.

We only get one opportunity to go through life and you might as well treat the vehicle you're in -- your body -- the best that you can.

I was recently working out in a local gym and there was a fellow next to me in the weight room who was in a wheelchair. I don't know his story. Maybe he was born with a disability, maybe he was in an accident, maybe he has some medical illness that does not allow him to walk. Whatever the case, he was in the gym lifting weights. Here is someone who could easily make excuses as to why it was inconvenient to exercise. Yet, there he was challenging his arm muscles to get stronger.

I reflect now on one of my clients who over a year ago discovered he had brain cancer. For some, this diagnosis would be the cause to just curl up and feel sorry for themselves. Not this guy. He refused to accept that this was his fate and decided to rewrite the way his life should progress. He started exercising.

We have had ups and downs -- mostly due to the intensive drugs he has to take -- but he perseveres. The workouts have not gotten tremendously easier and frustration is often present. But he has the will to live, not only for himself but his family.

Another client I recently started working with is 91 years old. She has seen her ability to move around steadily decrease, as have her energy levels over the last couple of years. She says that her last birthday seemed to be especially tough. Again, most people at this point would say, "Why start exercising now?" However, she wants to maintain her quality of life.

It is no fun having to rely on others to get around, help you dress or assist you in showering. She would like to eventually be able to do these things on her own. I don't know if that will be possible, but I do see that she enjoys the exercise and feels that it gets her going in the morning. Imagine where she would be now if she had been doing something her whole life.

Looking at just a few personal cases, it should make an able-bodied person contemplate their own fitness and health. We all are busy, but taking care of your body should be a priority. How can you be a role model for your own children, your students or your employees if you neglect your body? I am not saying that you need to look like Mr. or Ms. Fitness, but maintaining a healthy weight is key to a positive appearance.

If you were given an important task and told you only had one chance to complete it to the best of your ability, you would formulate a plan of attack, prepare and then execute it the best you could. This is the body you were born with. Some of us have to fight genetic hindrances, but you can overcome these with hard work.

Look at your own reasons for not exercising. Some events are unavoidable, but other obstacles can be overcome. Neglecting your body might not be that important to you in your younger years but it becomes more evident as we age that maintaining strength, mobility and stamina are important.

Each day you are given is a gift, so make the most of it.