Fitness and Fatness
There is increasing evidence that it's all right to be a bit fat but it's not all right to be unfit.
People who are fit live longer than unfit people.
If living longer is not enough of a reason to persuade you to get fit, here is another one.
Fit people enjoy a better quality of life than unfit people do.
A healthy, fit 70-year-old walks erect, can play tennis and golf, enjoy swimming and even take part in senior athletics events if they choose to.
Compare this with an unhealthy 70-year-old who shuffles along, stooped and capable of little more than sitting in front of the television all day.
Keeping yourself fit and eating right when you are younger gives you the potential to enjoy your life fully as you get older.
Too little calcium in your diet and too little physical activity - necessary to build your bone-mass - leads to weakened bones. If your bones are weak, you end up unable to support your body properly and you may need artificial aids to help you to get around.
Think about cars. Compare a well-maintained car with one that never gets the necessary maintenance work. They both run well in their early years. When they're older, however, the poorly-maintained car falls to bits while the well-maintained one continues to eat the miles.
Keeping yourself fit keeps you from falling apart. It conditions your body and improves your strength, endurance and cardiovascular health.
You can get fit and stay fit in about half an hour to an hour per week. You won't be fit enough to compete in the Olympics but you will be fit enough to enjoy a better quality of life for every year of your life.
One hour out of 168 hours in a week isn't too high an investment is it? And the returns are better than money can buy - good health and a high quality of life - even in your advanced years.
People who are fit live longer than unfit people.
If living longer is not enough of a reason to persuade you to get fit, here is another one.
Fit people enjoy a better quality of life than unfit people do.
A healthy, fit 70-year-old walks erect, can play tennis and golf, enjoy swimming and even take part in senior athletics events if they choose to.
Compare this with an unhealthy 70-year-old who shuffles along, stooped and capable of little more than sitting in front of the television all day.
Keeping yourself fit and eating right when you are younger gives you the potential to enjoy your life fully as you get older.
Too little calcium in your diet and too little physical activity - necessary to build your bone-mass - leads to weakened bones. If your bones are weak, you end up unable to support your body properly and you may need artificial aids to help you to get around.
Think about cars. Compare a well-maintained car with one that never gets the necessary maintenance work. They both run well in their early years. When they're older, however, the poorly-maintained car falls to bits while the well-maintained one continues to eat the miles.
Keeping yourself fit keeps you from falling apart. It conditions your body and improves your strength, endurance and cardiovascular health.
You can get fit and stay fit in about half an hour to an hour per week. You won't be fit enough to compete in the Olympics but you will be fit enough to enjoy a better quality of life for every year of your life.
One hour out of 168 hours in a week isn't too high an investment is it? And the returns are better than money can buy - good health and a high quality of life - even in your advanced years.