Health and being healthy, therefore, is a topic that I think we should be working on more than ever in the last 2 years. But I have the feeling that somehow this doesn't quite happen. The more I read and learn about the human body and the deeper I delve into science, the more I am amazed at how our society in general is structured with bad “food” and sedentary behavior that are too easily available.
Shouldn't health always be number 1? If we are not healthy, or if a (large) part of society is not healthy, we can all do very little, something that has become painfully clear in recent years. And yet in newspapers, the news, talk shows and in schools, it is often about everything but really the core of health. Because how do you strengthen your immune system? Which building materials does your body really need and what else can you do to make and keep your body as healthy and strong as possible? Is it ignorance or disinterest not to actively work on this?
Worldwide, people, young and old, exercise less and less over the entire life cycle. The causes for this include the availability of the car, which means that people walk and cycle less, and social media, which means that people have to go out less, everything happens online. Obesity (in the Netherlands 1 in 2 adults is overweight) is also becoming increasingly common and this also leads to less exercise. The growing inactivity is alarming because physical activity is important for body and mind. By exercising you reduce the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, but also type 2 diabetes. This in turn reduces your risk of developing dementia.
Perhaps this is partly due to how we have organized our healthcare system. A visit to the doctor usually costs us nothing and if we become seriously ill or break something, we are insured. Being ill never really costs us so much financially that we have to worry. Perhaps that is why many people are not so concerned with it. What if a visit to the doctor would cost € 150.00 as standard and an operation or long-term use of medication could mean your personal bankruptcy. Wouldn't we all be a lot more active in ensuring that we get the right nutrients in the right proportions and that we get enough exercise and rest? I am almost certain that many more people would want to test their blood and physical condition annually, even if it might cost them €250.00. That is now also possible, but it is still rarely used.
Now I certainly do not believe that money would be the right motivation to be actively involved with your health and I certainly do not want to argue for such a system. Far from it, I really think that we are all basically doing well here in the Netherlands, but I do think that this is one of the reasons why many people have become passive when it comes to health and that we are still We should live with the thought that we could go bankrupt if we get sick. Or at least that we are aware of how important health is and what it can mean for you in a positive way.
In fact, I see it a bit that way too. With an optimal lifestyle from a fit and powerful body, you can live your full potential in terms of energy levels, mindset, in sports performance, in your business or at work and so on. You feel good about yourself and can enjoy life while actively keeping your body healthy. With a sub-optimal lifestyle you have less energy, you are less productive, you have difficulty concentrating, you perform worse in your business or at work, with sports and so on.
It certainly doesn't have to be perfect every day, but basically you have to give your body what it needs. If you don't give your body what it needs, you will slowly go bankrupt, often without noticing it immediately. On the one hand, because it happens gradually and you may never have felt how it could be done and therefore don't know what you are missing. On the other hand, because the signals from your body only come when it is actually too late. And you can figuratively go bankrupt if you live with the thought 'I'm not sick, so I'm healthy'.
Working on your health will certainly cost you an apology!
Richard Suijkerbuijk
Owner | Master trainer Enforce Zeeland
richard@enforce.nl
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