The Road Less Traveled

Two years ago my father passed away one day before my mother’s birthday. Dad was 73 years old and had for a number of years remained very sedentary. I remember as the years went by talking to him about his aches and pains and telling him that if he didn’t get up and get moving one day he wouldn’t be able to. As I watched him grow old before my eyes in the last years of his life I couldn’t help reflect on my own habits.
In my 20’s I was extremely active and in great physical health even though I ate like the cookie monster on crack. As I entered my third decade of life my activity slowed way down; I began driving my couch and computer a lot and stopped working out so much. Throughout my 30’s my pace slowed to a crawl until I became the king of the couch potatoes. During this time my weight sky-rocketed as did my blood pressure and my BMI. I tried several times to “stop the madness” and get back into the gym. I discovered that when I worked out I felt really good which then made me want to work out more, but when I sat on the couch I found 190 different reasons why I shouldn’t go to the gym or even walk around the block. The couch was easier and so, in the end, won me over.
It is very easy to remain sedentary and the larger one becomes the harder it is to break the cycle of lethargy. The good news is that through personal discipline (That’s right! I said it! Discipline) one can break this cycle and begin down a different road. Now don’t get me wrong – This may (and often does) take help from others (whether in the form of a support group or a physician/surgeon) but ultimately it takes the will to change.
The more I exercise the easier it gets and the better I feel. The better I feel the more I want to exercise and so on and so on. The key for me was to begin and then NOT stop. Keep going. Stay the course. When I fall off the proverbial wagon I run after it and jump back on.
As is referenced by the title I have personally found that if I sacrifice today I might realize a greater reward later in life. Additionally, I accept my unhealthy condition is no one’s fault by my own. I must be honest with myself and others regarding my health and wellness and only then will I be able to truly change my behaviors and strive for better health. Finally, I must focus on balancing life so that I have the personal fortitude to choose the difficult path (movement and exercise) so I may reap the rewards of health (being able to know my grand children).