The odds say that your overall vitality will begin to decline with every decade of your life and, at some point, fall off the edge of the table. For instance, strength, balance, and endurance can start to decline in the 50s and become more evident in the 60s and 70s. Muscle mass and strength naturally decrease starting around age 30, with a more noticeable drop-off after 60. Some cognitive declines, like slower processing speed and difficulties with multitasking, may start to appear in the late 30s or 40s. Hearing and vision may start to decline in the 50s or later and metabolism starts to slow down gradually from around age 20. And when your vitality tanks, only the wonder of modern medicine will keep you going, albeit with a basement-scraping level of energy and passion.
Sorry not sorry for the bad news because, largely, these health issues are well within your power to modify. Do you have the will power to begin addressing them and thus control your destiny? Caveat: genetics and disease can thwart even our best efforts for wellness.
In my last two posts I’ve addressed the questions “How well can we live and for how long?” and “Can I live a consistently extraordinary life, one of vitality, passion and joy?” Part of my motivation to go after these topics is personal. I turn age 70 in just a few weeks, and I’ve been in deep contemplation mode about who I am and where I am headed. In addition, I keep hearing consistent themes from the friends and clients of Destinyworks. So many people want to discover their purpose and find a way to live at a very high level for the rest of their lives. All this has agitated and animated me to both write about vitality and work to create a coaching system that guides folks in that direction. Stay tuned for more posts like this, an announcement about enhanced coaching programs we’ll be offering and…drumroll! … my second book: “This Extraordinary Life: A Framework for Living with Purpose and Vitality”. Stay tuned!
Back to the bad news. Things have got to change in your life. Right? That is, if you want to keep a high level of vitality for much longer than the typical human being. Throughout this summer, and perhaps beyond, I will be introducing a personal strategy you can adopt to take vitality matters into your own hands. We’ll focus on the 6 health factors that determine your purpose and vitality: Physical health, emotional health, behavioral health, relational health, financial health, and vocational health.
The strategy is simple…but not easy. I’ll show you how to (1) assess the condition of that health factor (2) dream about what you want (3) set a few clear goals and (4) establish a small handful of habits that can lead to big changes. In this post I will address your physical health, beginning with some deep honesty.
“The most effective pill we can swallow for overall health and vitality is self-honesty.”
Dr. Charles F. Glassman
Here are 23 questions to help you do a truthful assessment of your physical condition.
Do I feel generally well most days?
Have I experienced any recent or unexplained weight changes?
Am I living at a healthy weight?
Do I sleep 7–9 hours per night and wake feeling rested?
Do I eat a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein?
Do I drink enough water daily (approx. 2–3 liters)?
Do I limit processed foods, sugar, and alcohol?
Do I engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week (e.g., brisk walking)?
Do I include strength or resistance training 2+ times per week?
Am I physically active throughout the day (not sedentary for long periods)?
Can I walk, bend, and move without pain or stiffness?
Do I have good posture and balance?
Do I stretch or practice flexibility exercises regularly?
Am I happy with my sex life?
Is my blood pressure within a normal range (typically <120/80 mmHg)?
Is my resting heart rate within 60–100 bpm?
Are my cholesterol and blood sugar levels healthy?
Have I had a recent physical exam?
Am I up to date on vaccinations and screenings (e.g., cholesterol, blood glucose, cancer)?
Do I take medications or supplements as prescribed?
Do I have steady energy throughout the day?
Do I experience frequent or chronic pain?
Can I manage physical stress without fatigue?
What do you think? My advice, after you do some serious consideration of those questions, is to draw up a paragraph or two describing your physical health in a bit of a story. Next, turn your contemplation upside down, and instead of critiquing your physical health, dream about it…what could be? Use your imagination to visualize yourself cranking on all cylinders physically. Then, again, write a paragraph or two imagining your dream scenario. Let that dream dominate your thoughts for a while, and in my next post I’ll show you how to turn that dream into reality.
In the meantime, I wish for you a healthy, happy dream-filled summer! Now, go have another glass of water and take a walk!
