Why is it that when antibiotics are prescribed we all know the importance of taking a dose every six to eight hours? We set our alarms, wake up in the middle of the night if we have to and all in all, most people complete a course of antibiotics following the prescription to the tee 90% of the time.
When it comes to exercise however, we either do not see the detriment of its absence or are not aware of its myriad healing effects. Or, we’ve got a case of the“I’ll start tomorrow” syndrome and unfortunately tomorrow is always just around the corner!
Those in the first category should know that lack of physical activity is the number one cause of suffering today! From chronic fatigue and depression to arthritis and alzheimer’s, to high blood pressure and bad cholesterol, to digestive complaints and skin issues, to non-alcoholic fatty liver and low bone density, there isn’t an organ system in our body that is left unharmed by the lack of physical activity.
For those of you belonging to the second category, exercise is medicine and there’s no better medicine for the chronic health conditions plaguing society today! From heart disease to fibromyalgia, diabetes and all obesity related conditions, to mental/emotional conditions like depression, anxiety and insomnia, to menopause and osteoporosis, there isn’t a single condition that exercise will not benefit!
Those of you aware of the above but still sitting in contemplation and waiting for
motivation to magically appear should keep in mind this one key concept: ACTION PRECEDES MOTIVATION and not the other way around. Sitting down and living life as you had been will not bring you any closer to your goals. It is not until you’ve taken a step and gone beyond planning that motivation actually kicks in. Instead of waiting for inspiration to act on your goals, you need to take action first and inspiration will follow. Just by putting on your sneakers and jumping on the treadmill for 10 minutes you will create that energy you had been “waiting for” to materialize! Once action is initiated and inertia is overcome, you begin to pick up momentum by even the smallest of actions and will soon realize that it gradually becomes a lot easier to keep moving forward and to stay motivated!
So put on your sneakers, pack your gym bags, upload your work-out songs to your music player, set your alarm, take a step! Get moving and be well 🙂