Living the Optimal
Lifestyle
If you knew you
were going to live to 100, what lifestyle changes would
you make? Would you exercise more? Eat healthier? Get preventative
check-ups? The fastest growing age group in the US today
are Centenarians (people over age 100); and research is
showing that close to 1 in 3 people are living to age 100.
Did you ever imagine that you may be living to that age?
Probably not!
When I lecture
on this topic, I always ask the question “Do you want
to live to 100?” The most common answer as you may
have guessed, is “No way!” A person born in
1940 had a life expectancy of less than 70 years old. Health
clubs, organic foods, health promotion plans and health
savings accounts were barely even introduced, while now
it would difficult to find a person who doesn’t belong
to some form of fitness facility than a person who does.
A patient once told me that he had planned his financial
savings plan (retirement) with the intent that he would
live to age 75. He is now 82 and living with his daughter
in town.
Living An
Optimal Lifestyle requires not only education,
but significant planning with goal setting. Simply saying
“I am going to lose 30 pounds this year” or
“I will have that pain in the lower back finally checked
out” are not specific enough for raising your quality
of life. The first step in improving your quality of life
is becoming educated. Wellness Coaches are now taking over
where Doctors did not take the time become educated in.
A person with substantial knowledge in improving health
will take the time to determine your primary and then long
term goals. Once a plan is designed for reaching these goals,
a maintenance plan must be established. Books on living
well and with health prevention are all over bookstores
alike.
I constantly
hear in my practice, “My Doctor never called me to
come in for that check-up,” and “I’ll
just wait for my next check-up to get that problem checked.”
The truth is: YOU are the only one in charge of your health!
If you choose not to be proactive on staying healthy, nobody
else will do it for you. Set the tone for healthy habits
that you will continue into 2012. If you need support, call.
Only you can make the first step towards living the The
Optimal Lifestyle!
