"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver." Mohandas Gandhi
People who are engaged in 9-5 jobs; people who have tight schedule and people who spend a large portion of their time in sitting and watching TV are prone to unhealthy lifestyle. Are you living a healthy lifestyle? How can you define your health and wellness?
A study done by Michigan State University defined healthy lifestyle on the basis of four criteria and of the 153,000 subjects only 3% responded in all four characteristics. It is a sad phenomena today as people are living a very sophisticated lifestyle. Let's discuss the four healthy lifestyle characteristics.
1. Not Smoking
These days due to the availability of cigarettes in every street corner and disposable pocket money in the hands of children are the causes of widespread smoking. I have witnessed children as old as 8 years smoking cigarettes and eating marijuana. And those who don't smoke cigarettes are few to find today. I am a non-smoker by choice because I love my life and I want to be healthy. The percentage of those who smoke is 96% than the non-smokers 4%. This is the lifestyle people are living today. Make a wise choice today to live a healthy life later.
2. Reducing the weight
If you hold your weight down, you have a golden chance of living a healthy lifestyle. But there is a rapid rise of obesity among people of all age groups. The modern world is progressing and developing but it has its own disadvantages. People don't do anything to reduce their weight. They don't walk instead they use their cars to go to the next corner. The mobility of people is less and less day by day. Technology is good but it has broken down the normal healthy lifestyle of people. You must maintain your healthy weight.
3. Eating right
People must eat with their brain rather than eating with their mouth for taste. People are craving and dying to eat and taste some various delicacies and cuisine forgetting about their health and wellness. I think people must eat enough to survive rather than to eat for taste. The availability of fast food is the main cause of not eating right. In some parts of the world people are dying of hunger but at the same time there are people in the world who are dying to eat for the taste.
4. Exercising daily
People have time for their office, job, restaurant, friends, clubs and party but they don't have time for daily exercise. People neglect to do the daily exercise and when they don't do the exercise, they can't easily hold their weight down. Their obesity begins to control their movement. People make unnecessary excuses for not exercising. Practically everybody is a victim and avoids doing daily exercise.
If you do ten minutes exercise daily, eat right, control your body weight and avoid smoking or drinking you can lead a healthy lifestyle and enjoy a greater degree of satisfaction and happiness. These four characteristics alone can provide you with a lifestyle that you should be proud of. If you love yourself and love your life then it won't be hard to practice these disciplines.
"Without health life is not life; it is only a state of langour and suffering - an image of death." Buddha
Alwed Ekka
Guide Coach Mentor
