Stacking the odds in your favour

Last week, a close friends father passed away at aged 58 having been diagnosed with cancer only 3 months ago. While we all know the aggressive nature of the disease and have all had too many people close to us impacted by it, it really does jolt you back to reality very quickly every time someone else suffers. When it comes to health, fitness and wellness, we so often get caught up in the surface level bullsh*t and noise. We become more interested in how we look, and quickly disregard that it should be about how we feel. I try to help every one of my clients to focus on the “feeling good” element of exercise and balanced nutrition, as this will last far longer than just chasing a particular look or indeed a 6-pack! But even more compelling than feeling good, when you strip it right back: Do everything you can to stack the odds in your favour 🎲 While I am not saying that by eating well and exercising regularly you will avoid all illness or disease, I am saying you can massively improve your odds. You have to be confident that you have done everything you can to be strong enough, physically and mentally, to fight if the time comes - whether that is a common cold, or god forbid something more serious. If you love your life (which I hope you do), if you love spending time with your family and friends, if you love your job, your home, the adventures that the world has to offer, why wouldn’t you want to stay around to enjoy all of that for as long as possible?! Equally, while I can appreciate the philosophy that you wouldn’t lie on your death bed regretting that extra glass of wine or burger that you enjoyed - you might; if it has contributed to your ill health, if it has cut you time short, or has left you less able to enjoy your later years. I know I sound like a broken record. But it's about finding balance! It's about loving your life, or the potential of what life has to offer, enough to not want it to end. Do what you can to stay healthy, stay mobile so you can still sit down and get up from the toilet when you’re 85 without help, eat a varied diet full of lots of fruits and veggies, stay hydrated, get 7-8 hours sleep a night, and most of all - enjoy spending time with the people you love! Time is precious and we need to make the most of every moment we have, by living our best lives. The healthier and more active you can be, the more you can continue to enjoy your life! I am here to support you every step of the way, so reach out if you need to chat!