Exercise is vital for heath!

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” ~ Plato

The human body was made to move. Our bodies actually need exercise in order to function properly and efficiently. Many of us take our bodies for granted. In today's world there are machines, appliances and technology that can do most of the hard work for us; leaving people today to live a more sedentary lifestyle. This lack of movement in our country is the reason about 28% of our adult population is obese and about 15% of our children are obese. Obesity is not only due to a fact that many people here in the US are over eating and eating food that is not healthy, but it is also due to a lack of activity.

There are many health benefits to living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I know it seems obvious, but many people are oblivious or ignore the facts, and still chose not to exercise, eat fast food, and go to bed on a full stomach. It is important that we begin to truly understand what it means to live a healthy lifestyle and how we can achieve this lifestyle. Many people think you have to go to the gym for hours on-end, or only eat food that tastes bad, but this couldn't be farther from the truth! Living a healthy lifestyle is learning how to make healthy choices all day long and figuring out what works best for you. The benefits are then endless!

One benefit of living a healthy lifestyle is you are playing a part in preventing diseases. Regular exercise or physical activity can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It also been proven that exercise can reverse and eliminate many of these diseases. It can also improve your appearance and delay the aging process.

There are many other benefits of exercise. It can increase the stamina of the heart, lungs and the mind. It strengthen and tones your muscles. It is good for your bones and can help prevent osteoporosis. Exercise improves your flexibility and balance, which can also help in preventing injuries. And of course exercise helps lose and maintain a healthy weight.

The biggest benefit to exercise and living a healthy lifestyle is it improves your quality of life. When we live a healthy lifestyle we are ultimately taking care of ourselves. It reduces stress, can lift your mood and will help you sleep better. You will feel satisfied, strong, and accomplished when you set goals and accomplish them.

It amazes me that Plato hundreds of years ago wrote this quote, and it probably pertains to today's world more than in his time. Yet his insight is still valuable! We must move, exercise, get outside, go for a walk, go to the beach, do yoga, run, play sports, jump rope, and play with our children, we must take care of ourselves now to prevent injury and illness in the future! We can help change the staggering statistics of obesity in the future, especially for our children, by being the example today.

Attitude is a choice, not a defense!

"Charles Swindoll said it best: The longer I live, the more I realize the impact with attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change the past... We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge with our attitudes. "

This quote is from my mom's friend Lisa's blog. Her teenage son what shot in the head a year and half ago, was given only 3 hours to live, and now a week ago he just graduated high school! It is an amazing and inspiring story, but mostly because of the ATTITUDE that Lisa and her son took on.

When Lisa heard her son only had 3 hours left to live I can only imagine what thoughts went through her head, the devastation of possibly losing her son, and the anxiety of it all could of been enough to send her into a depressing spiral. But Lisa realized, even in her moment of despair, she had a choice of how she would react to this tragic event in her life. She chose to take on a positive attitude. She chose to not give up, to stay strong, support her son, and have faith that everything would turn out how it was meant to.

Her attitude not only changed her life, but it helped her save her son's life. By being that inspiration to him she has helped him overcome many obstacles that the doctors said would be impossible. But nothing really is impossible, is it? If we take on that attitude that anything can be accomplished and that the only thing that will hold us back is ourselves, we realize that we hold all the power we need within ourselves.

I know for a fact Lisa had hard days, I know for a fact that someday choosing the positive attitude was the hardest solution. But as she stuck it out and maintained she has now had the privilege to see her son graduate high school.

As you go through your weight loss journey, or really this journey we call life, you will have hard days. You will have days where all you want is chocolate, and your legs feel so heavy you can't even think about going to the gym. This is normal and is to be expected! We all have those days. What you now have though, is the ability to make a choice on these days: a choice of ATTITUDE! Take charge of your attitude today, in this moment! Choose to love your life and be grateful for all you have! Remember how strong you are, how far you have come and what great things lie ahead! Everyday is a choice, choose to love your life and love yourself!