The Price of Life Sedentarism

There are two things that I will never stop doing: working and exercising!

One time I saw a documentary  about this guy. He was like 80 years old and the interviewer was asking him why he wouldn”t stop working. The old man was an inventor. A good one! He had made very good money with patents of successful toys. At this point of his life, he doesn”t need to work and can easily live from royalties. Nevertheless, when asked about retirement, he replied: “Retire from what?”.

The interviewer couldn”t conceive the fact that being old and successful, the inventor wouldn”t stop.  Looks at the camera and keeps talking: “What he doesn”t understand is that I have never worked. For me this is fun, this is what I do”. Loving what you do equeals never working for the rest of your life. There might be a couple of times when the premise brakes but still goes along when it is lived.

I know not everybody has the chance to do what they love and make a living from it. I takes a lot of courage and risk to start an adventure to unknown lands. However, when executed with discipline and faith, results arise as blessings trough the night. Once you get there, you can work forever and never feel you are. Keeping your mind occupied, busy and constantly questioning and evolving keeps you alive and alert. That”s the first part of the equation.

The second one of my “I will never stop doing” list is exercise.

We have talked about it and will continue to do so. You are not a 100% your mind, not a 100% your body. A balance must exist between this two (plus the soul, but that is another discussion). Exercising keeps you healthy and strong. In the end, your body is your instrument whether you want to acknowledge it or not and exercise is the best way to keep it in good conditions (plus a balanced diet, yet another discussion).

Now, I see a lot of people that retire and they lose vitality right away to finally die. Why would a human being do that? I don”t understand it! Shifting your vision of life when you retire is normal, but that does not mean television, boreness and lack of activity. The way I see it, is a great opportunity to close a cycle and start a fresh one. If you happen to love what you do, you are way ahead of the curve. If that is not your case, then “retirement” is the time to start working on those things you have always wanted to do.

This is not a dreamy statement. I don”t know the exact number, but I would say that 80%-90% of the limitations you encounter to do what you want are mental, therefore, unreal. The point is to never stop “working”. I think that transcending, instead of dying, is the way we should leave our bodies. The difference? The first one is natural, the second is forced (normally by the result of your mind controlling your life).

This is obviously a personal point of view, but it comes from my heart and I hope it helps you to any extent. On the statistics/technical side, lets throw some numbers related to the price of sedentarism:

• Inactivity and poor diet causes at least 300,000 deaths a year in North America only.
• Adults who are less active are at great risk of dying of heart disease and developing diabetes, colon cancer and high blood pressure.

Statistics on behavior

• More than 60% of adults of United States do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity.
• Approximately 40% of adults are not active at all
• Physical inactivity is more common among women than men, African American and Hispanics adults than whites, older than younger adults, and the less affluent than more affluent individuals.
• Social support from family and friends is consistently and positively related to regular physical activity.
• Inactivity increases with age. By age 75, about one in three men and one in two women engage in no physical activity.
• People with disabilities are less likely to engage in regular moderate physical activity than people with no physical disabilities, yet they have similar needs to promote health and prevent lifestyle-related diseases.

Life sendetarism goes beyond a single point. It  involves every piece of it. Are you going to stop?

Surgeon’s Advice | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119