Why Health Matters
Here’s a metaphor to ponder …
It seems silly to write an article with such an obvious title: why health matters. One would think that health, and especially later-life health when poor health can dramatically affect the quality of our lives, is a priority for most people. Good health is the basic condition that most affects our quality of life. Most people would say, “Of course, my health matters to me.” In many cases, though, their actions don’t follow their words.
When I look around me, the reverse seems to be true. This was reinforced by a recent research study I came across on life expectancy and health expectancy. The study reported that there is an epidemic of poor health, lack of mobility and strength, and overuse of prescription drugs. Instead of relying on diet, movement, and inner dynamics to stay in optimal health and combat any symptoms that might appear, too many people seem more comfortable relying on the comforts of modern life and seeking treatment medicine as opposed to preventive medicine. For the most part, that road leads to an earlier-than-necessary slide into dependency and illness. I still see people smoking cigarettes, for god’s sake! I can’t imagine a bigger disconnect between recognized health advice and health practice than that.
What’s worse, to me, is that the overall quality of later life—the potential for a new, extended, and revelatory chapter in life—is held hostage by this earlier than necessary onset of health issues. Throughout our lives we all want to live our lives more fully, to increase the quality of our lives, in whatever way that presents itself to each of us. I know I do, and that’s what keeps me at work on the practice I’ve developed for myself. I’m now 75, prescription free, as fit or fitter than I was in my 50’s, and not yet compromised by health or age in almost any way. I know I’m getting older, but I don’t feel that way inside.
The poignancy of later life is that there is less time left to live life fully. As we get older, we are literally running out of time, like the sand in a lifespan hourglass, to do the things we still want to do or be the people we want to be or spend time with the people we want to spend time with. Why would anyone want to risk having even less time to focus on those wonderful and enjoyable things by neglecting their health and their ability to live them? As a very wise person once said to me, “If you are healthy, you want many things. If you are sick, you want only one thing.”
So, back to the original question: Why does health matter? Health matters, because it increases your freedom and options to do what you still want to do in life, whatever that is. Not being healthy can dramatically reduce that freedom, not to mention increase pain, discomfort, and dependency. And while it definitely takes more effort to change your usual habits to improve your health (at least until you start to feel the benefits and start enjoying those changes), the alternative is much worse.
The evidence of the decline in our health is all around us everywhere, especially as we age. It is often thought of as the disempowering drone of “that’s life, I’m getting old and there is nothing I can do about it.” That message, to me, is what my lazy, pessimistic, comfort seeking self would say. But I can assure you, having put in the effort and experienced the results, healing has no age limit. There is plenty of information, evidence and research (including people like me who pursue the healthy practices I write about) to support the case that energy, mobility, vitality, healthspan, and lifespan can be extended well beyond the “averages”.
Which message you choose to incorporate into your life becomes a very personal issue. But whatever your reasons for wanting more quality time on this planet, your health is the pathway to getting there. What could possibly matter more than being healthy and alive? I know which message keeps me going every day. What about you?
