We have all heard a story or two about the guy who ate really well, jogged every day, got to bed at a decent time every night, and maintained a healthy body weight, yet still dropped dead at fifty years old from a heart attack. Many people use stories like this to argue against healthy lifestyle choices and to justify eating whatever they want, to avoid exercise, and to treat their body however they want.
There are certain absolutes when it comes to human physiology and performance. We know, without question, that the human body requires certain nutrients to function properly. If we are deficient in a specific nutrient for long enough, our bodies will eventually show the effects of that deficiency. For example, rickets, now very rare, is a softening of the bones that can occur if a child does not get enough vitamin D. Therefore, we know children must get vitamin D to be well.
The human body requires a certain amount of movement daily to express optimal function. We know this to be true. The average American sits for a staggering thirteen hours a day. Studies confirm that sitting just four hours a day in front of the television increases your risk of death from all causes by 46%, compared to those sitting for just two hours.
While I could load this article with study after study proving that a wellness lifestyle will improve the quality and length of your life, it shouldn’t take that type of information to convince you to make healthier decisions. Common sense alone should do it. You may argue against eating well, regularly exercising, getting a full night’s rest, and you may site examples like the one at the beginning of this article to support your position, but wellness lifestyle choices always improve the quality of your life.
When you settle into a bathtub full of water, what happens to the water level? It rises, right? Based on the Law of Displacement, the volume of displaced water is equivalent to the volume of your body immersed in that water. Take a bucket of water, put a rock in the bucket, measure the amount the water that is displaced, and you know the exact volume of that rock. This measurement works because the Law of Displacement is just that… a law. Because it is a law, we know that water gets displaced the exact amount of the volume of the object that is submersed in that water, no matter how large or small the object, or how large or small the body of water. Because of this law, I know that if I throw a rock into Lake Erie, the level of Lake Erie must rise. Someone may say “prove it.” We cannot prove it through measurements, because it is simply impossible to measure. But just because it cannot be measured, does not mean it is not true. The Law of Displacement is proof that the level of Lake Erie absolutely must rise the exact amount of the volume of that rock.
What’s my point? My point is that you can think of wellness in terms of being a law. Every healthy action you take raises your level of wellness. You may not be able to measure it in terms of pounds lost, cholesterol number changes, or amount of energy you feel, but there is a benefit. There is no argument against living a healthier lifestyle.
And while there is so much confusion around what exactly is the healthiest way to live, (i.e., which foods are the healthiest, which exercise program is best, how much sleep is ideal), you can certainly start with some simple steps. You know the broccoli is better than the French fries. You know that taking the stairs is better than taking the elevator. You know that being kind to others is better than being cruel. And you know that carrying a few less pounds is better than carrying a few more.
It can be frustrating when making healthier choices and not seeing changes for your efforts, but wellness initiatives are not always measurable. Every single positive act you make comes with a benefit, whether you know it, feel it, or can measure it, or not.
One more thing about that guy who dropped dead of the heart attack despite doing everything right… the quality of his life was certainly better while he was alive due to his healthy lifestyle choices, and had he not lived as healthy as he had, he would have likely died much sooner. The truth is that you can do everything right and still get sick. Stop thinking of wellness in terms of the quantity of life it might guarantee, and start thinking of wellness in terms of the quality of the life it absolutely guarantees. And know that every healthier choice you make moves the needle in a positive direction, whether you can measure it or not. Start making better lifestyle choices today knowing that it absolutely makes a difference.
