why is physical fitness important?

Good physical fitness goes hand in hand with good mental and emotional fitness. When you are getting a good cardiovascular workout and increase your circulation, you will become healthier. Your increase of good oxygen to throughout your body and clean new blood from your heart to all of your extremities helps your body to continue the cycle of bringing health in and removing toxins from your system. Circulation helps your body balance itself and heal itself in ways we don’t always understand. But the end result is better physical, mental, and emotional health.

You need to be responsible for yourself. Be mentally strong and do not play the victim. Your strength in your mind is up to you. If you put your mind to it, you will make it a reality.

If you say, “I can.” You are right. If you say, “I can’t.” Again, you are right. You decide the outcome.  Focus your mind in the direction of your goals.

You will achieve. Empower yourself with ‘Yes’. “Yes I can do it.” “Yes I am strong.” “Yes I can achieve.”

Your mind is stronger than your body. If your mind tells your body to perform, eventually it has to follow.

If you are a parent, you are also responsible for your children’s well-being. Not just health and education, but emotional health and safety from predators. If you are unfortunately faced with a situation where you are not able to defend yourself or your child because you are just too out of shape to run down the street to the nearest store for help you have no one but yourself to blame.

Who's the bad guy?

Physical fitness is also important for the countless medical benefits. My mother is a perfect example of someone who turned her life around. My step-father sadly passed away from cancer. It was his third bout and as tough as the old cowboy was, he was unfortunately not able to beat cancer the third time.

My mother was working impossible hours and trying to take care of ‘Pop’ at the same time. The stress of losing the love of her life, the stress of work, no exercise, and a bad diet eventually got to her. She suffered from a couple of mild heart attacks over a few months time. I finally got her to start taking walks. At the time she was not interested in dieting, I suggested she not change her diet, rather change the source of the food she was eating. Purchase and eat organic food only. If you still feel like you want to eat cup cakes, bread, pasta, or sweets of any sort, fine. Just make sure you are eating non-processed organic food.

Her energy increased and she started feeling better over a few short months. Thereafter, she increased her walks and I then suggested she start a limited fitness regime of some sort. She began working out at Curves where she felt comfortable with the other women and no men around. One year later she had lost 40 pounds, increased her energy, reduced her blood pressure to the point that her doctor greatly reduced her prescriptions, and – believe this or not – her eye-sight improved and she had to lighten her optical prescription as well!

Now take note that she approached all of this in baby steps. ‘Baby Steps’ is one of my favorite phrases. In life, you cannot expect results overnight, however, if you don’t take action, you will never see a positive change at all. In everything we do, success is found through taking baby steps. Whether you are getting into a fitness regime, dating, studying any subject, or trying to obtain any goal, take baby steps and chip away. You can do it. If you just don’t quit, put your mind to it and you will achieve.

As I told my own mother, be sure you consult with your doctor and attain your new life of health and energy in baby steps.

Get in shape and stay fit. It's your responsibility.