Physical Health - Self Improvement Bootcamp - Day 11

In Day 10, we learned about the importance of Vision, Visualization, and Beginning with the End in Mind. Today, we are going to cover a very important area, Health.

As you’ve probably figured out by now, I’m a big fan of using inspirational quotes to illustrate my points. I’ve done it before, and guess what? I’m going to do it again, right now, with one of my favorite Denis Waitley quotations. Denis once said that “Time and health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” I couldn’t agree more, though for the purposes of this lesson, I’m only going to focus on one aspect of his quote, that being HEALTH.

For the purposes of this Boot Camp series, I am going to divide the topic of health into two separate -- but equally important -- areas. First and foremost, we’re going to talk about the overall condition of your body, which I refer to as your physical health. In the next boot camp, I’ll be focusing on Mental or Emotional Health

Physical health deals with exactly what the term implies -- the overall physical condition of your body. What you eat, your general level of physical fitness, and a number of other factors all play into your level of physical health. In today’s short session, I don’t have the time or the expertise to provide a complete health program. I’m not a trained health professional. What I can do is share with you some ideas to get started on improving your health. You’ll be familiar with most if not all of these ideas. The challenge for you is to identify which ones you aren’t doing and pick and choose which ones you want to get started with.

If you haven’t been to the doctor for a checkup recently, it’s time to go. Setup an appointment and get in. A complete checkup can tell you things about your health that you won’t learn from any book.

Here goes the rest of my simple tips:

1) Eat Less. Most of us just eat too much. If you fit into that category, make a conscious decision to eat less.

2) Eat Better. You already know what I mean, Eat More Fruit, more vegetables, watch your carbohydrates and your fats, drink enough water.

3) Exercise More. Most of us don’t exercise. Stretching, cardiovascular exercise, weights. Do something and start doing it now.

4) Get enough sleep. You know if you need it.

5) Stop destructive behavior. Stop Smoking cigarettes. Stop abusing alcohol and drugs and any other poor behaviors.

Countless books have been written about these 5 subjects. Find the ones that work for you, but do something. Get some help if you need it. Experts are everywhere. Doctors, personal trainers, dieticians. You can also look online – there’s a wealth of information about physical fitness and exercise to discover on the Internet.

And if you don’t have all that much free time, you don’t have to develop a strict exercise plan – just start by taking small steps. Instead of going to the drive-through, walk inside. Instead of trying to find a parking spot as close to the store as you possibly can, find a parking space far away from the entrance and walk.

Let’s think about the benefits of being physical fit for a minute. It’ll help you feel better, and it will undoubtedly make you look better. It’s proven to reduce stress, and – if you have a good exercise plan and eat healthy – you’ll live longer, too.

Now, my guess is that most of us know all of the things that I just went through, but many of us aren’t doing them. This leads to me to a couple of questions. Which ones of these aren’t people doing right now? Why Not and what can we do to start doing them?

Please comment below.