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Inspirational Musings on Health and Fitness

Imagine! It is actually possible that you were never meant to be a size 6. Next time you’re at a family gathering, take a good look at those you are most closely related to. Are all of them perfectly built and shaped? Do all of them fit the image of the ideal human? On the scale of health and fitness are they all a ten, or are they like you, a perfect six and a half? Perhaps they are exactly as they were meant to be. Perhaps you also turned out just like the rest of the family, a perfect almost seven.The first consideration in any fitness program must be an honest evaluation of your health and fitness level coupled with realistic expectations for change. Would it not be wonderful if the media broadcast those ideas daily and everywhere, instead of trying to make us all the same?. What’s right for one person is not necessarily so for all. We do not all fit the same mold, and neither should we be expected to do so.The second consideration in your efforts to lose weight and increase fitness is patience with yourself.If that honest look in the mirror did say that a little less weight might not be a bad idea, then make it truly an honest evaluation, and make your expectations ‘fit the crime.’ Don’t fall for the unrealistic and quite frankly unhealthy quick weight loss diet trap. Depending on what you decide, realize that any extra weight took a while to grow on you. Similarly, it is going to take a while to take leave of it.The third consideration is a realistic evaluation of the advertising which bombards us on a daily basis.Are you tempted to buy every magazine that promises to reveal the latest diet secrets? Do you stop dead in your tracks when you see a new ‘fat burning’ supplement being advertised? Do you give the media generally far more credibility than they deserve? Ask yourself how often you have come across a seemingly informative article that was really an advertisement.You have always known, of course, that the advertisers pay the media’s bills. Has it occurred to you, though, that those same media may not at the same time be prepared to report truthfully any damaging or contradicting information which may have come to light about an advertiser’s product? Occasionally we do hear sentences like, ‘the opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of the broadcaster,’ but it never hurts to do your own due diligence. There is good information out there. You just need to look for it.

Health Anxiety and Solutions

It’s always important to take care of oneself using all the principles of good health. Regular check-ups, proper nutrition and healthful living all enable one to keep on top of their health in a careful yet reasonable way. Often one becomes overly concerned with health issues and caught up in a cycle of health worries. One health issue is reconciled when another immediately pops up to take its place. These worries become all encompassing and exhausting after a while.Eventually, the individual realizes that this cycle of health anxieties has intruded upon the quality of their life. A dark cloud, always hovering over daily living, this intrusive form of anxiety has to be addressed. One begins by determining why this is occurring, what purpose does it serve and how to interrupt this behavior.Reason for Health AnxietyHealth worries actually serve a purpose and this purpose is not difficult to detect if one looks deep enough into this pattern of behavior. Often this pattern involves the brain distracting from specific emotions which the individual finds difficult to address.Many emotions are so overwhelming, such as anger, grief or fear, that the brain looks for ways to distract. Health worries fit the bill because when one worries intensely about their health, there is little room to address an upsetting emotion.Health worries blanket every other thought and this WORKS. This is the perfect distraction from unsettling emotions. When one worry is reconciled, another takes it place to veil the unaddressed emotion. Each health worry has a strong purpose, as it masks the true upsetting emotion, which is much more difficult to face in the long run.Solution- Recognition and acknowledgment of the Health Anxiety habit, one worry quickly following another in a noticeable loop that never ends. Awareness of this cycle is always the first step to reconciliation of the issue.- Determining if this health worry is a true physical problem by visiting one’s primary physician and ruling out a definite physical cause for the difficulty. Always rule out a physical cause before assuming it is merely health anxiety.- Noticing that these health worries settle down when you become intensely interested in another topic or swept into a new relationship, job or cause.- Identify your patterns. Do you experience twinges of symptoms that often jump from one area of the body to another? Do you find yourself overestimating physical intrusions and instantly jump to the conclusion that they signify danger or warrant the attention of an alert?- Find interests that involve your entire being. Lose yourself in things that allow you little time for inward thinking. True illness does not surface through boredom as do these behaviors. True health problems do not generally follow the same time table as health anxieties do. Health worries are stronger during times of boredom and when one lacks interests. An intelligent mind requires challenges and goals.- Activity is an important therapeutic tool against health worries. Exercise and movement invigorate and stimulate the mind and body in a positive way. Endorphins are released and Serotonin levels are boosted naturally when activity is a part of a daily routine. Moderate walking, jogging, tennis, swimming and dancing are all helpful activities that bring forth positive results.- Nutrition is also essential to good health which in itself helps eliminate the strong habit of negative thinking, often concerning health worries. When eating properly, Serotonin levels are naturally boosted and blood sugar levels remain stable. This helps settle down an over-reactive mind, leading to a lessening in health anxieties.- Talk back to the brain by firmly telling it to stop when health worries enter the mind. Shift into a more positive mode of thinking because you always have a choice in what you think about.The mind will respond by quieting down as negative thoughts subside. The brain, caught red handed in this behavior is instantly embarrassed causing it to suspend this cycle of negative thought. This is comparative to a child being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Embarrassment at being caught, stops this intrusive behavior.- Be aware of “what if” thinking. If the majority of sentences you think begin with “what if” then this is proof of a strong health anxiety habit. Change “what if” thinking to “so what” and watch the cycle break.Most of all, understand that worry solves nothing. Health worries, in particular will only serve to exhaust and deplete both mind and body. Consciously make a concerted effort to change the way you think and you will succeed in changing your life. You will go from self victimization to freedom from the intrusive habit of fearful worry.You always have a choice. Life can be wonderful and fulfilling when you learn to alter your perspective and chose a more positive point of view. You always have a choice. Never define yourself by your habit of worried thinking. Do not be victimized by health anxiety and fear. With a few simple corrections, especially in thinking, you will find your life changes from being difficult and upsetting to becoming easier and much more fulfilling on a daily basis.