Here it is the final step of my preliminary guide to health for the boomer generations. Remember to send any questions to our email at info@alliancehealthcare.ca or visit our webpage
thanks in advance….
The time comes in every person’s life when inner reflection and self assessment can lead to some less than flattering conclusions.
As a doctor and health practitioner I know the tenants and principles of health and wellness. I know what needs to be done to maintain ones health and wellness. The trap comes in execution.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Gone to health in a hand basket so to speak.
The week following the May long weekend I looked at myself in the mirror and I realized I was not following what I have devoted my life and career to. I had a gut, a belly, a spare tire, I was beached, instead of the six pack it was more like 24…. You know the various metaphors and descriptions.
I realized that for the first time in my life I was overweight and I didn’t like what I saw. My entire life I have not had to watch my diet as I was more of a beanpole than leaning to the other side of the spectrum.
Four years ago I broke my left ankle in what is referred to as a tri-maleolar fracture. It caused me to be in a wheel chair for two months before I could begin with the walking cast. Up to that point I played hockey a couple of times a week, grudgingly jogged, played tennis with my wife, rode a bike, walked my golf games etc. In other words I was active enough to maintain a level of health and wellness without consciously following a regimen. At 6’3” I hovered around 200 lbs. and I guess I could of lost 10 lbs or so but I felt good, had lots of energy and could cash the cheques that physical demands required.
Since the break my physical activity other than day to day routines virtually ceased. I had residual pain in my ankle whenever I attempted activity so I postponed my activity in the short term. Well the short term ended up four years later and as I witnessed the whale looking back at me in the mirror I realized that I now weighed 226lbs. Ouch!
I further realized that my energy was waning and sense of well being was not as it should be. I refuse to accept that my activity and energy and well being had anything to do with the fact that like all boomers I am aging.
As our family and their boyfriends, girlfriends sat around the table sharing food and swapping stories I had a realization. I knew that this was potentially the core, the parents of the next generation and if I wanted not only see grandchildren but to be able to interact with them I had better take some action steps.
This can turn our essentially only two ways. I could follow the steps that I have talked about for almost thirty years specifically paying attention to nutrition, exercise, rest, attitude and a properly functioning nervous system or carry on status quo. Well the graveyard is full of people that were too busy to take time and work on their lives.
I need to be using the sixties vernacular “get my shit together”.
Can you relate? Is your health what it should be? Are you struggling with a weight issue? Do you want to make changes but just don’t’ have the energy or the drive?
Well maybe we can do it together. Now I don’t want you to equate me to some health guru you see on TV ripped and preaching. It always amused me that when an ad came on for bow flex or some other fitness equipment the former Mr. America or Queen Fitness would be demonstrating it. Hell if we looked like them why would we need the equipment because they obviously have the drive to pursue these things at the gym or whatever.
If you are the average boomer that needs a little push or support to come out of a few years of tailspin then hang in. If you currently run 5k day work out at the gym 4 times per week then keep it up. It sounds like you do not need the push to health.
So if we are going to work on our health together we need to do a little mirror gazing and find our starting point. We are all different and health is a journey not the destination!
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