Reasons for motivation

Okay, so you've had a couple of days to try to find the motivation needed to make positive changes in your life. However, in the event you are still having trouble finding the willpower you need, I thought today I would offer just a few reasons that fitness is so important to our lives. Hopefully, you will find something below to give you the mental and emotional fuel you are going to need.

You are probably in worse shape that you realize. Statistics show that most adults are now either overweight or obese. And it's easy to add those extra pounds before you even realize it. In my case, I went from thinking I was thin to thinking I was "average." And, unfortunately, that probably was the case, considering that the average today is skewing toward the overweight. It took being confronted with reality over and over to finally realize I had a problem.

Want to find out where you stand? Here's one easy trick. Grab a measuring tape and wrap in around your midsection, at the belly button. Just go straight around, not dipping anywhere like you might for a belt. And feel free to suck in your stomach.

Now, what's the verdict? If your measurement is higher than 35 inches for a male or 32 inches for a female, you need to lose weight. But don't fret -- at least you now have a target to aim at.

Fat around the middle is one of the best indicators of future medical problems. Being overweight anywhere isn't good, but having that "beer gut" is not only not very sexy, it's a pretty clear sign that you are headed toward an early grave. That's because belly fat is different from fat in other parts of your body.

While fat in your hips, thighs and butts is just sort of hanging there, belly fat is far more pernicious. That's because it is invading your internal organs, and making it more difficult for your body to function properly. High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers (including breast and prostate) all become more likely as that belly grows.

So fellas, if you're suffering from Dunlop disease (your belly has "dunlopped" over your belt), you need to realize that, without intervention, you're not just more likely to suffer health problems in the future. It is certain. You WILL have health problems, your life WILL be shorter, and your remaining years WILL grow more and more unpleasant. Is that double bacon cheeseburger with super-size fries and pop really worth it?

Clean out your medicine cabinet. Fill up your wallet. What prescriptions are you taking? Since Americans are the most medicated people on earth, chances are you're taking some pill for some malady, and probably more than one.

But anyone who goes to the doctor knows that there's a nasty secret they never tell you about: Every time you're prescribed a pill for one condition, you are certain to suffer side-effects, some of which will require more medication.

But there's also another secret: With proper diet and exercise, you could very possibly stop taking all of them. Just by simply eating right and getting an hour of exercise most days of the week, you can not only lose weight, you can also improve your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol, improve the health of your heart and arteries, maintain proper blood sugar, eliminate asthma, even improve your mood. Simply losing 5 percent of your body weight (10 pounds for a 200-pound adult) can have a sudden and dramatic effect on all of these problems. And getting rid of some or all of those prescriptions could have a sudden and dramatic effect on your wallet.

This gets to the whole heart of our blog: There are no shortcuts. Choosing to take a pill instead of eating right and exercising might temporarily relieve one problem, but it will probably invite a host of others down the road.

Just remember this caution: If you are currently taking a prescription for any condition, DO NOT STOP without first consulting with your doctor. Even the simplest medications can cause you all sorts of problems if you suddenly stop taking them. It may take longer than you expect for your body to respond to healthier living, and your doctor may want to gradually decrease your dosage to ease you off your medication to prevent complications. KEEP TAKING THE MEDICINE YOU NEED, UNTIL A DOCTOR TELLS YOU YOU NO LONGER NEED IT.

Get some sleep. Do you suffer from insomnia? Instead of taking a sleeping pill and feeling groggy the next day, or taking one of these new prescription sleeping medicines with all their side-effects, why not try working out?

Get more done. This might seem contradictory, but doing more can actually make you feel like doing more. There might be someone in your life you regularly jogs, cycles or works out, and still finds a way to balance the demands of work and family with ease, and you wonder how they are able to do everything they have to do and still exercise. But the trick is that they are able to get these things done because they exericise. Regular exercise improves your energy level and increases your strength, resulting in you feeling like you can get more done, both physically and mentally.

But if you're currently a couch potato, don't expect to become a dynamo overnight, just because you went to the gym once. Your body will need time to get stronger before you start seeing the effects. So, when you first start out, you can expect to be more tired and in more pain, until your body adjusts. Just remember that the aches you feel today are actually your body becoming stronger.

It's never too late until you're dead. You are never too out-of-shape, too unhealthy or too old to make changes in your life. In extreme situations, you might need to start slower, but there is no reason why you cannot embrace a healthy life. If you have health problems, just be sure you consult with a doctor to develop a diet and exercise plan that is right for you.

Well, as we can see, I could write endlessly about reasons to diet and exercise. But hopefully, in the few I've listed above, you can find something that will help you make that decision to live a healthier life.