If Not Now, Then When?
By Mikko Cain
It is hardly an exaggeration to say that we’re living in one of the unhealthiest periods of human history. Poisonous junk food is plentiful, and the sedentary lifestyle is the dominant way of life for most people. And the results of these factors are profound: 70% of our population are overweight or obese, over 30% are pre-diabetic or diabetic, and heart disease accounts for 1 out of every 4 deaths. Unfortunately, the trends indicate that these numbers will only worsen. The vast majority of the population let themselves succumb to their fate with an attitude of indifferent malaise.
How could anyone let this happen to themselves? Most people understand the value of taking care of the things they possess, as it is not terribly hard to convince most people that their cars need routine service in order to function. But when it comes to themselves, excuses cover a broad range of reasons that if I were to list them here the webpage scroll bar would look like a grain of rice. But to analyze and dissect a common excuse, I would first fixate on “being too busy” or “not having the time” to take care of myself. How could anyone come to the conclusion that they don’t have the time to take care of the most precious possession of all, their physical self? You’ll start worrying about your health when “things clear up”? When will that be? If not now, then when will you do something about it?
Many people only start to care when it’s too late, such as the diagnosis of diabetes or suffering a heart attack. But should you really wait until you’re on death’s doorstep to start taking action? Most think that if nothing bad has happened yet, then everything will be fine for the near future. That’s quite the dangerous gamble, as no one schedules a heart attack on their calendar. But I implore you, dear reader, to take matters into your own hands and make changes for the better.
“The best day to start working out was yesterday” is a quotation I often state to those who inquire about strength training, and yet it doesn’t only apply to picking heavy things up. Dietary intervention has a far more profound effect on your health than training alone, as you cannot out-train a bad diet. If the things you’re eating aren’t directly from a plant or an animal, then you probably shouldn’t be eating it. Sodas and Starbucks desserts-pretending-to-be-coffees are filled with so much sugar it should be illegal. The fact of the matter is that you need to do both, and maybe you don’t do barbell strength training, maybe you ride a bike or swim at the community center pool. Anything is better than the nothing that most of you have been doing, and the sooner you start the sooner you can take charge of your health and your future. No one will care more about your own health than you will.
