The Importance of Staying Fit
We have all read the plethora of news articles and have seen the evening news reports that blast our televisions. They all proclaim that the health of today’s global population is worse than any population thus far. Blaming junk food, lack of exercise and a variety of other factors, we are told on a nearly daily basis that our health is in dire condition. Part of the reason for the panic behind our collectively worsening health is due to the fact that overall, we have placed less of a premium on good health and more of an emphasis on work productivity over the years. Now, don’t get me wrong, work productivity is all around a good thing both for us, and for the economy. However, there is perhaps nothing more important than securing good health for ourselves and our loved ones. In this article I will be exploring why “staying fit” is of the utmost importance, even in today’s mostly sedentary world.
The majority of people in the world have long forsaken efforts to maintain their physical health. Although there has been a return to “healthy living” in the past decade seen through a rise in the popularity of health blogs and trend diets, the majority of people still have little to no interest in such things. The mass ignorance of health in the West is one of the greatest tragedies of our time. For a society that places so much emphasis on productivity and workplace efficiency, we have forgotten that health is what makes us effective in the first place. So, one of the first reasons that it is important to stay fit in the modern era is that it makes us more productive. Going to the gym regularly and eating good, healthy foods has been shown to increase our ability to stay focused over longer periods of time. When we work on improving our health and physical capacity, we are able to be less distracted when it comes down to getting things done. We no longer have to worry about stomach aches and pains, muscle pain, or headaches. Fatigue is diminished when we exercise more and eat right. In my own personal journey of becoming more fit, I have discovered that I can now do much more than I once thought possible. Sitting for a couple hours at a time to write articles like this one is now no longer the challenge that it once was. Distractions are limited, and the personal discipline derived from eating right and performing difficult workouts helps to limit procrastination. Taking care of our bodies is the first step we can take to make improvements in other areas of our life.
Whether it’s family or work, we owe it to those around us to offer the best version of ourselves when it comes to our day to day responsibilities. Physical fitness is an important step in doing this. Taking care of our own health gives us more energy and fewer distractions in order to focus on what really matters. When we aren’t worried about aches and pains, and when we aren’t plagued by unending fatigue, the possibilities are seemingly endless. We have more time and more energy to devote to our family, our careers, and our loved ones. Being in good physical condition allows us to play with kids for longer, give more attention to our partners or significant others, and increase our focus in the simplest of day to day conversations. The discipline that is needed to become physically fit is greatly beneficial to personal relationships. It helps us to not get caught up in moments of anger and frustration, and assists us in being able to apply some mindfulness and outlook on each and every situation. Our conversations and relationships to others become more measured and less likely to devolve into harmful fighting.
To state the obvious, being in good physical condition may even be a matter of life and death in worst case scenarios. Apart from owing it those around us to be in good physical shape, we may even need to be fit in order to defend ourselves and our loved ones from those who wish to do us harm. Crimes like burglary have been an issue since humans started to live in homes. While it is unlikely, in the event of a home burglary or a similar crime, we may be called upon to defend our homes and our loved ones. Being in good physical condition is an obvious benefit in situations such as these and could even mean the difference between a home invasion, and far worse outcomes.
One of the greatest challenges of being physically fit is staying motivated. Going to the gym on a regular basis and not eating that extra slice of pizza requires a certain level of motivation and a vision of what you want to accomplish. You must be able to sacrifice current gratification for long term satisfaction in order to get and stay fit. Each and every person has their own methods of doing this. For me, this is where tea plays an important role. When I feel myself lacking the motivation to go to the gym, I find that making a cup of my favourite tea is a way for me to stay focused on my goals. Tea has the magical ability of allowing us to focus on what matters in life as we center our minds on the cup in front of us. The warming and energizing effect that tea has on the body helps to maintain motivation even when it may seem impossible to build that motivation up. In simple terms, staying motivated to lead a healthy lifestyle may only be a matter of brewing up your favourite tea before and after workouts and meals.
Staying fit is of the utmost importance even in today’s hectic and sedentary world. We owe it to our careers and to our loved ones to be in good physical shape. Unfortunately, staying motivated is often a challenge in reaching our fitness goals. Tea can help us to relax and to become more engaged with our goals by energizing our bodies and minds for the workout ahead. It calms the body while alerting our mind so we can see the big picture more clearly and remember in the moment why we want to be fit in the first place. Next time you are lacking the drive to eat that salad instead of the pizza, or would rather binge watch T.V. shows than go to the gym; brew a cup of your favourite tea. You may be surprised at how that will change your outlook.