Health Matters
There are many factors that determine whether or not we will enjoy good health and longevity or an existence plagued with chronic sickness.
Surprisingly, most of these factors are within our control, for example we can choose to refrain from smoking, which is known to be a cause of heart disease, lung cancer, thrombosis, impaired vision and mental function etc. etc.
When you think of the amount of money that someone spends on tobacco, assuming they have a forty a day habit, and do a projected calculation of the cost over a 20 year period - O.K. maybe I’m being a bit optimistic - we are looking at a staggering £35,000.00. And that is not taking into account the cost to the NHS incurred in the treatment of tobacco related sickness.
Another factor is our attitude. These days we hear -all too frequently- the expression ‘stressed out’ or the vernacular ‘ it’s doing my head in’. Actually, individuals who thus choose to air their frustrations are stating their choice. When it comes down to it, we have the choice, we really do. We can allow ourselves to become heated up and angry and justify it by saying, ‘’Oh! I was only letting off steam’’. However, a really mature person does not allow such negative emotions to get the better of them.
Anger is a choice, and a poor one at that, when we consider how damaging it is to our mental and emotional stability. Habitual anger invariably leads to disease. And – believe it or not – since one actually creates more of what one focuses on, the sufferer actually perpetuates his own evil.
In one study on the effects of anger, several subjects had their heart rate and blood pressures monitored, and were asked to recall an incident in their lives that really infuriated them. In most cases, the mere recollection of such an event caused a significant increase in blood pressure and an accelerated heart rate. Now, imagine the accumulative effect of brooding over some real or imaginary affront and you will realize what I am getting at.
One famous life coach said that if we want to change our lives we must change our attitude. If we have an attitude problem then any time we have to expend in correcting it should be viewed as an investment.
Where we are right now, our financial situation, our job, our life style virtually everything is a consequence of choice. We may resort to blaming it all on our circumstances – or even bad luck - but if we are willing to examine ourselves objectively, then in the final analysis if we are having to cope with financial and health problems we have to admit that few of these ever arrive of their own accord, somewhere along the line we have been making poor choices.
Regardless of how old we are, we can all enjoy a measure of health and strength even people in there sixties have been able to increase their strength through weight resistance training. I personally was able to curl a weight of 110lbs for 5 repetitions – a feat that was beyond me when I was in my thirties. However, a physically strong man is not necessarily a physically fit or healthy individual.
Good health, has to be founded on a balanced approach to life
Ideally, our life style should include appropriate measures of physical, mental and spiritual activity
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Bill Price
