Exercise your way to longevity

IT IS a modern malaise that individuals don't exercise until they hear Death's knocking at the door. Now why do they do that at such a late hour in their lives.
Yes, there are all kinds of modern fitness centres that are equipped to exercise every part of the human anatomy. These centres have personal trainers, doctors on their panels, dieticians and physical educationists.
In the "old" days, your mother and mine used to walk for miles to the grocery shop or visit relatives. Adults in those days think nothing of walking miles to get what they want.
These days, people find it hard even to walk quarter of a kilometre to buy a newspaper. On top of that, most middle class families now travel everywhere in aircon vehicles. Society has become so affluent that modern conveniences are taken for granted.
The end result is people built up big, fat bank accounts and feeble bodies. Physical bodies gradually retrogress and illnesses cropped up earlier in individuals' lives.
The sad fact is that personal good health can no longer be taken for granted. Teenagers are getting heart attacks. Young adults are victims of sudden death syndrome. Young women suffering from illnesses that are foreign to their mothers and grandmothers.
Why is all this happening? The answer lies in our lifestyle. Gone are the ways of the yesterday when sweating was considered normal at any time of the day. These days sweating is only reserved for gyms.
Yes, there is a discernible surge in applications to join health clubs but most of the membership numbers are not sustainable. People drop out faster than the recruitment of new members.
Are we becoming a society of weaklings? The choice of food is also another contributory factor. Many of the processed food items found in supermarket are deemed unhealthy for long term consumption.
Scientists are beginning to find out more and more about the hazards of consuming too much processed food. This is partly due to the preservatives put into the cans and packages of edible items.
If our forefathers thought nothing of walking miles everyday, today our lives are focused on getting from point A to point B without breaking into a sweat. Some of us think it is unbecoming to be caught in a sweaty state.
The sweat stains will tarnish our image and spoil our clothes. In the end, it simply means we try our best to sweat as little as possible. This of course means we hardly exercise our bodies.
The human body is built for daily workouts. If we don't exercise our body, it will atrophy. It will begin by atrophying in parts and in the end, it will be the sum of the total. By that time, it would be time to check out of Planet Earth.
So to make a long story short, we all must exercise. We should make it our daily routine. It should not be considered a chore. It must be as essential as breathing, taking a bath or simply lifting our hands.
Exercise is the panacea for a lot of ills. A brain that does not exercise will be of little use to its owner. A pair of legs which see little movement will soon be a liability to its owner.
Therefore, exercise for the good health and long life. We must do it beginning today or else we are doing ourselves a great disservice. If our earthly existence is cut short unnecessarily, we are being unfair to our loved ones. They need us to make their lives fuller, and vice versa.
Longevity is balanced on the pole of good thoughts and strong body. It is not something new. It is not a big secret. It is simply common sense.