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Why should I lead a healthy and active lifestyle?

By on May 23, 2018
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By Antonietta Mannarino

If we went back a few thousands of years, when large animals roamed the earth and humans lived their lives running away from them, the question of being active or not wouldn’t even be a thought. We’d have enough exercise running away from predators while chasing smaller animals for food. Talk about getting in a day’s worth of steps on your Fitbit!

Today’s food needs can be quickly met and sometimes with a simple click of a button or by taking a few small steps to grab a go-to snack. Many of us have gotten used to eating meals that have already been prepared or packaged and have traded quality food for quick-and-easy. As a consequence, less effort and time to prepare meals is an indication of a lifestyle we adhere to. We’ve gone from putting in more time at work to advance our careers and allowing less time for food preparation, exercise and “me time”.

It’s no surprise that fad diets don’t work because that’s what they are; simply a fad. People want a quick fix to everything, including when it comes to being and looking healthy. If results are not fast, the fad diet, the gimmick, the “challenge of the month’ will dwindle. In fact, they do gradually fade and consumers are left either to latch onto the next best “magic formula” or “pill” to get the results they desperately desire when it comes to their bodies or to a feeling of discouragement and hopelessness.

The truth is, there is no “magic pill” or “formula”. And even if a plan or diet works for a period of time, none of them are sustainable except for having a change in mindset and lifestyle. These two key factors are what will determine your quality of life.

Being healthy and fit is not about rocking a six-pack or sipping your vitamins through a straw throughout the day. It’s a lifestyle that caters around an intrinsic motivation to house a body that will serve you well throughout your life. This means feeding your body with good, wholesome food, moving your body daily, drinking enough water, eliminating processed and chemically-tainted foods out of your diet and listening to your body’s signals for its needs. Your body has several signals that alert you to when you are full from eating, when you need to slow down during the day and re-centre or ground yourself, and also when to push yourself to go out for that walk, for a run or simply to move your body rather than stay inert in front of a screen.

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Your health revolves around your lifestyle and choosing to be active on a daily basis is determined on how strong your “why” is. Why should you be active every day? This is a personal question and is worth your attention; in fact as much attention as you would give to a child’s needs so that they may grow up strong and healthy. Or for pet owners, as much attention you would give your fur baby the minute you adopt them; you want to make sure they are on the right track to grow strong and healthy so they may have a long life alongside you. Having a strong “why” will determine if you can sustain your active lifestyle throughout your life.

Staying active because you want your abs to show, or you want to fit into that cute little black dress,  or you want to rock that bikini this summer are all great goals to keep you on track. However, when we want to establish a long-lasting, healthy style of living, we need to dig in deeper and find what will give us reason to make healthy decisions every day, including to move our bodies. These include days where you may be feeling blue, lethargic, moody or even super busy around the clock.

Here are some great examples of  “why’s” that will nudge you and keep your lifestyle on the right track to health and freedom:

“I want to spend more time doing physical activities with my children and be able to keep up with them.”

“I am tired of feeling sick and tired all of the time.”

“I want to be around longer for my grandchildren.”

“I want to prevent osteoporosis or reduce my levels of it.”

“I want to exercise my physical independence as I get older like carrying my own grocery bags, or walking without assistance of a cane.”

“I want to be able to walk up and down the stairs without feeling like I’ll pass out.”

“I want to manage my chronic illness better and take more control of my own health without depending entirely on medication.”

“I want to manage my anxiety better.”

These are only a few suggestions but you get the idea. These are legitimate reasons that will get you to start moving, get you up early to hit the gym or go for a walk, get you to start making home-cooked meals instead of going to the drive-thru.

On a personal note, being active for me is of paramount importance because I was born with a blood disorder that requires me to get blood transfusions every three weeks. Having been born with thalassemia beta major, I encountered other problems growing up such as lower bone density, being at-risk for heart and liver problems, and hormone imbalances to name a few. I knew at a young age that I could be proactive towards my own condition by keeping active and nourishing my body with wholesome foods. It didn’t happen overnight but I gradually made little changes as I got older that has now developed into a normalized lifestyle. I can’t see any other way of living because I feel the difference in my body. My “why” carries me through days where I’m too lazy to work out and to prepare my meals rather than relying on take-out or processed and packaged foods.

My “why” has also improved my bone density, has kept my heart strong to undergo chronic transfusions and it has prevented me from developing other life-threatening illnesses such as diabetes and a heart condition. In addition, not to say the least, my “why” has helped me manage my anxiety.

If you want long-lasting change to your health, take the time to think of a good “why” for you because one thing is for sure; living a long life doesn’t come with wishing for it and although we don’t know what tomorrow brings we have the choice to respect our body today in the hopes for a healthy tomorrow. Leading a healthy lifestyle adds quality  to the years of your life.

 

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antoAntonietta is an author, teacher and personal trainer. She holds two Bachelors and is an avid lifelong learner. As a co-author to the new best-selling book “Simply Woman: Stories from 30 magnificent women who have risen against the odds”, Antonietta reveals her unwavering independence from a young age and how her resilience broke through the odds of living with a chronic medical condition despite her doctors’ prognosis at birth. Her life has been an active journey from studying in a Police program to embarking on a 6 day solo-hike trip in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. She lives in beautiful Vaudreuil with her two cats. Antonietta can be reached on Facebook at Anto Health & Fitness and at https://antomannarino.wixsite.com/antoniettamannarino

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