Having a fitness plan is not optional, it is mandatory, and in today’s environment, more important than ever. Our lifestyle has become sedentary as we spend more time sitting, either behind a desk, in a meeting, in a car, or for extended periods while traveling, resulting in less physical activity. This is compounded by the fact that as you age you will lose 3% to 5% of your muscle mass per decade, in addition to losing flexibility and stamina.
Regular physical exercise offers myriad benefits. You decrease the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes as nearly ten percent of the world’s non-communicable diseases are directly attributable to physical inactivity. It affects you mentally by helping you better manage stress, tension, and reduces the chance of being depressed. Regular exercise boosts your energy levels so that you can get more done, and are better able to cope with the rigors of everyday life. It promotes a positive attitude, improves your self-image, and projects a better you to your family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. And lastly, the discipline, planning, and commitment required to maintain this regimen are skills which carry over to other areas.
If you do not have an established exercise regimen the time is now. Drop the excuses, put together a plan, schedule the time to do it just as you would for a meeting, and do it. Keep your goals reasonable. If you need help talk to a friend or a professional who can help design a program for you, taking into account which types of exercise would be most beneficial and what venue works best for you. Establish realistic goals so that you don’t set yourself up for disappointment. Share these goals with someone, keep them front and center, and have the discipline and willpower to adhere to this regimen. Remember, at the end of the day, you are accountable to you, so start that exercise program now. You will look back and be glad you did.