Watching the Olympics could make even the most dedicated sofa
surfer stand up and start moving. Even if it’s only to give your favorite
athlete or Olympic team a standing ovation.
I got off my duff this afternoon to ride my bike for about
45 minutes as I do most every day. But
the international athletic theater that is the Olympiad sets a great personal
health example for all of us.
The sculpted physiques and exceptional endurance and
flexibility demonstrate what the human body can achieve through relentless
effort. General Electric has a riveting Olympic ad campaign called “GE Works”
that graphically depicts how these
gold-medal anatomies actually perform and function.
As for me, my body would be classified fat and fit.
I’ve been exercising daily for over 15 years. Working from
home has afforded me the luxury of speed walking and bicycling at lunch most
days. In the winter, I add some bike or elliptical time at the gym most evenings.
All that to hold the line on the battle of the bulge. I’ll never win the war,
but the more I exercise the more battles I win.
Living and working in American communities that encourage
driving doesn’t help. My neighbors, Hassan and Souha Jaber, of Dearborn,
Michigan just returned from a vacation where they got a little more exercise
than expected. They spent an enchanting week in Amalfi, Italy. The historic
fishing town featured unforgettable vistas off the incredibly blue
Mediterranean Sea and lots of climbing and walking. The Jabers rented a villa
that was more affordable than the local hotel. It came with a 265-foot stone
stairway.
“I was wheezing the first time I climbed the stairs up to
the villa,” Hassan said. “I saw 85-year-old locals climbing the same stairs
with no trouble and smiling at us as we struggled up the steps.”
Hassan came home looking slim, tanned and refreshed. He said
the food in Italy was simple, delicious and natural. Herbs grew everywhere.
Much is made of the Mediterranean diet and heart health. Perhaps we’re not
talking enough about the role of exercise in the equation.
This week, August 1st, marks my 25th anniversary
as a self-employed entrepreneur. I’ve paid my own health insurance for all
those years, with the highest premiums reaching $2,000 per month, plus
deductibles and copays. I’ve always understood that I’m responsible for my well
being in every way. Last year, I sailed through a routine heart stress test. I
scorched the treadmill without working up a sweat.
Although I know I won’t get even a bronze medal for my
efforts, I’m earning the ultimate reward. No matter how long I live, every day
I exercise is a little better than it would be otherwise. And I won’t feel
quite so guilty while I’m savoring my wife’s homemade chocolate ice cream and
watching the gymnastics competition in London on TV.
Enjoy the Olympics, and to honor the athletes, give the couch a 30-minute break each
day.
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