Staying well
Posted on 11. Jul, 2010 by catherine in Blog, Random Thoughts, Wellness
How I like to stay healthy is easy to describe, hard to follow. But I keep the rules uncomplicated since I’m a simple girl myself. 
1. Exercise. I have always like to stay active. Over the years this meant becoming certified as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I enjoy helping others in their fitness goals. I have found my body functions best when I engage in regular exercise. If I do not, I feel “off.” Do not lose hope if you fall short in this part. Just find something you like to do, then do it! Make a commitment first to find that mode of exercise that works for you. Then decide on a plan to make this a bigger part of your life. You owe it to yourself!
2. Diet. When you eat well, your body responds well. I’m sure you have heard the car/gasoline analogy: you would not want to put cheapie gasoline in a high performance racing car. I have to admit this part is the hardest for me since I loooove all kinds of food. That’s okay, I’ve owned this part, do my best, and refuse to beat myself up when I fall off the wagon. Moderation, y’all. This part also includes having enough water in your system. 
3. Sleep. I put this one last, but has the greatest importance. In college I averaged 6 hours of sleep a night and could barely function most of the time. I also carried around an additional 30 pounds. While I do not regret school itself, I do regret the health choices I made while there. These days I average 8 to 8-1/2 hours and I feel great when I do. The extra time I spend sleeping makes those waking hours much more productive. Do you find it hard to get that kind of sleep? Evaluate your lifestyle. Maybe you have some activities that do not reflect your priorities that you need to drop. Search for time management books that can help you carve out the extra hour.
Here’s how this health trifecta works for me: I can fall short in one area, but if I make it up in the other two then I usually feel balanced. If two or more areas get slighted, then these things happen: illness, weight gain, irritability. You get the idea.
Why am I writing this diatribe? I broke my rules and now I’m paying for it. I felt a cold coming on earlier this week, and was fine until I got a couple nights’ poor sleep and ate pretty horribly. So today, I needed the reminder. Nothing like feeling unwell for a moment to remind you how much good health matters.
Happy exercising, eating, and sleeping!
