Blueprint to Unrestricted Living: Unveiling Tomorrow's Freedom Through Health

Have you ever felt torn between watching your new favorite Netflix series and hitting the gym? Or debated whether you should order deep-dish meat lovers' pizza instead of the grilled salmon with a vegetable side? Yeah, me neither- pizza and Netflix is an incredible combination… Seriously though, how does being healthy contribute to a healthier life?  

It's true that for most people, avoiding exercise, eating whatever they want, and only sleeping when they feel like it can all result in pleasure. On the surface level, we might feel that those pleasures result in making us happy. This is not a fault of any one person; it's just human nature. We like activities that have immediate, tangible rewards. I would be lying if I said I never skipped a workout just because I didn't want to or if I told you I've never devoured half a box of glazers in one sitting.

It is so easy to indulge in the pleasures that give us immediate gratification and bypass actions that don't. Going to the gym is an inconvenient stop on the way home from work, and Domino's weekly deal seems just too good to turn down. Eventually, we talk ourselves into, or out of, more and more. This leads us to question the outcome of these pleasures: do they lead to true long-term gratification? 

The truth is that most of the time, they don't. There's more merit than we may want to believe in doing the things that, at the moment, seem less attractive. When we look at activities that bring people happiness, they tend to have specific attributes. They have designated goals, require significant effort (physical or mental), and sometimes need some initial sacrifice. All the parents out there can attest that raising children has brought them insurmountable joy compared to the pleasure derived from a chocolate chip cookie. Suppose that seems like an exception to the rule. In that case, these commonalities appear in other activities including sports, reading a book or running a business.

So, how does all of this apply to your fitness and health goals? Making health-related sacrifices now enables us to be less restricted for the remainder of our lives. If you make health conscious choices for a year, you can transform your body into a well-oiled machine that can manage the occasional sweet treat. On the contrary, choosing to indulge every day could mean the gradual demise of your health. Before you continue reading further, ask yourself: What characteristics does a healthy person emulate?

When I imagine a healthy person, I imagine someone playing outside with their children, wrestling on the lawn, crawling with their children on their backs, or maybe running up a flight of stairs. The healthy person, I imagine, demonstrates discipline, is conscious of the fuel they put in their body, and views themselves and others in a positive light. When I imagine an unhealthy person, I see quite the opposite. I see someone who can't move well, struggles to smile throughout the day, and feels like seemingly insignificant tasks take up all their energy. This person probably portrays qualities very different from the healthy person you or I created. The hard reality is that when we indulge in temporary pleasures too frequently, we are far less likely to reflect the healthy person we envision.

To put this into perspective, let's consider a hypothetical: A 12-year-old who – from their poor lifestyle habits – gets type II diabetes and obesity by age 30. This person is extremely limited in what they can or can't do when compared to what a 30-year-old otherwise would be capable of. They likely can't run well in an emergency, they probably can't get up and down off the floor to play with their children, and they can't enjoy a sweet treat without significant consequences. All the activities that bring about immediate gratification are deteriorating the quality of life of this young adult. By recognizing the consequences of over-indulging in the immediate pleasures of life, we can prioritize activities that lead to a more fulfilling lifestyle.

The beautiful thing is that while we are leading a more freeing life, we can often find joy in the process of being healthy. As mentioned above, actions that lead to happiness tend to have set guidelines with a determined goal; they require concentration, just the right amount of hard work, and sometimes invite sacrifice for a greater purpose. Exercise can mean exactly that; it is a challenge with a determined goal that can be tracked by various metrics. The resulting impact of investing in a healthier you now is far more memorable and enjoyable than the alternative lifestyle. 

Stay tuned for my next article where I will be delving into how to act on your desires for change with some of my favorite fitness tips. 

-Jake Wippich-