Physical Health: Optimizing our bodies for a Resolute Life
- Elmen Lamprecht
- 1 day ago
- 9 min read
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” — Jim Rohn
The more we learn about the human body, the more we discover its astounding qualities. The evolution of the human body played a significant role in making humans the dominant species on the planet. Our bodies are strong yet dexterous, durable yet adaptable. We can train our bodies to achieve amazing feats, teach them incredible skills, and push them to endure extreme circumstances. Consider Budimir Šobat, who holds the record for holding his breath for 24 minutes and 37.36 seconds, or Alex Barron, who successfully juggled 14 beanbags simultaneously and Dean Karnazes, who ran 350 miles non-stop in 80 hours and 44 minutes.
Yet, our bodies are also fragile and sensitive, requiring care, sustenance, and maintenance to function optimally. As the vehicle we inhabit and the instrument we use to engage with the outside world, our bodies are the primary manifestation of us as humans. Without our bodies, we do not exist as humans.
Nourishment and Care
“The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.” — Tony Robbins
Preserving daily physical health requires sustaining your body by providing the nourishment and care it needs and allowing it to repair and recuperate from the daily stresses it endures. Understanding what your body needs to function optimally and developing a daily lifestyle to meet these needs consistently is the first step toward maintaining physical health.
The first aspect of physical health is understanding what your body needs to function optimally and developing the daily lifestyle to provide these needs consistently. Attention should be given to the interaction between health and other elements such as goal setting and time management. When stuck in destructive health patterns, your health might need a boost that requires you to set goals for improvement to acceptable levels. Whether the goal is to lose weight, increase fitness, or manage stress more successfully, setting formal goals can help focus on health matters.
Once you have reached your health goals, maintaining your levels of health requires consistent time management to uphold the healthy habits you have established. When done right, the nourishment and care your body needs would not require much effort other than maintaining the healthy lifestyle developed through goal setting.
Stress and Our Body
“To keep the body in good health is a duty; otherwise, we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” — Buddha
Managing stress is probably one of the most important skills the modern human can acquire. The demands of a modern lifestyle places a huge amount of stress on the human body. Drew Westen fines stress as “a challenge to a person’s capacity to adapt to inner and outer demands, which may be physiologically arousing and emotionally taxing and call for cognitive or behavioural responses.” According to research, stress occurs in three phases:
Phase 1: Alarm: The body reacts in a fight-flight-or-freeze response by releasing adrenaline and cortisol, and activating our nervous system designed for stressful situations. Blood pressure rises, as do heart rate, respiration, and blood sugar levels.
Phase 2: Resistance: Although it seems as if all bodily systems have returned to normal, blood sugar levels are still higher than normal, hormone levels remain elevated, and the body continues to use its resources at an accelerated rate. In essence, we are still functioning on ‘red alert,’ and our bodies start showing the effects.
Phase 3: Exhaustion: The body weakens dramatically, becoming vulnerable to common illnesses in the short term, such as colds and flu, and to life-threatening diseases in the long term, such as stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and nervous breakdowns.
Our bodies often give us the first clues when we are overworked or not coping with stress: A cold that just don’t want to go away, that stiffness in your neck or lower back, that recurring headache or disrupted sleep patterns. Although our bodies are amazing and can adapt to almost any circumstances, it cannot work at overdrive level for an indefinite period, or we will enter stage 3 of the stress cycle. We are given only one body with which we will work with for our entire lifespan, and we need to look after it.
Habits to Maintain Physical Health
“Health is not valued till sickness comes.” — Thomas Fuller
Too many of us take our bodies for granted, expecting them to perform at optimal levels even when filled with toxins and deprived of rest and sustenance. This is especially true when we are young and our bodies can seemingly withstand almost anything. Only when faced with our mortality, due to aging or sudden traumatic events, do we recognize the importance of physical health.
The great news is that living healthily is not much more than a combination of a few healthy habits. While it is not difficult to understand, maintaining healthy habits is hard because it requires discipline. This blog is not attempting to provide a comprehensive overview of physical health. There are vast volumes of work available in books and online that provide guidance of healthy physical living. We will simply go over a few basics.
Healthy Eating
There are so many controversies regarding dieting, so let me throw my weight (pun intended) into the debate: I don’t believe dieting has decent long-term effects. And by dieting I’m not referring to regular eating habits (which I simply call ‘diet’). I’m referring to short-term, intense disruptions in eating habits with the purpose of losing as much weight as quickly as possible. Dieting fads are not sustainable and cannot from part of a healthy lifestyle. All it does is make you drop weight and gain weight like a yo-yo. Rather commit to eating regular portions of healthy food and in the long term will reach and maintain your ideal weight, especially if you include some exercise in your weekly routine (see below).
Healthy Foods Include
Foods low in trans fats, saturated fats, and artificial sugar.
Foods containing complex carbohydrates and unprocessed foods.
Appropriate balance of calories, protein, fats, and carbohydrates based on your sex, age, and body weight.
To reach and maintain a healthy body weight, develop the following eating habits:
Eat smaller portions 5 to 6 times per day rather than large portions 2 or 3 times per day.
Always make time for breakfast to give your metabolism a kick start.
Avoid late-night snacking.
Eat healthy snacks when blood sugar gets low during the day.
Exercise Regularly
Modern comforts have reduced the physical exertion needed for survival, leading to physical inactivity with serious consequences:
Cardiovascular Diseases Hypertension, elevated levels of bad cholesterol, and reduced levels of good cholesterol.
Musculoskeletal Issues: Weakened muscles, reduced bone density, joint problems, and osteoporosis.
Metabolic Dysfunction: Higher likelihood of weight gain, obesity, and impaired glucose metabolism, contributing to type 2 diabetes.
Respiratory Problems: Reduced lung capacity and efficiency.
Weakened Immune Response: Increased susceptibility to illnesses.
Mental Health Issues: Disrupted sleep patterns, increased risk of anxiety and depression.
If the effects of not exercising sounds serious, it is because they are! It’s humanly impossible to stay healthy without exercise, especially once you get older. Just ask any person in their 40’s. When we are 20, it seemed like our bodies can withstand anything with little to no attention given to it. By the time we reach 40, our bodies start showing the years of neglect, and health issues start having a real impact on your quality of life. Whether we are talking about chronic aches and pains in your back, necks and joints or more serious issues like diabetes or cardiovascular disease – not exercising directly limits your ability to live the Daily Life of Resolute Beings.
Now compare the consequences of not exercising with the benefits of staying active. Visualize yourself regaining these benefits from a change in lifestyle:
Better sleep and increased energy levels, resulting in higher productivity.
Reduced aches and pains, leading to a more enjoyable body.
Elevated mood due to the release of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine.
Higher levels of self-confidence and self-esteem.
Boosted immune system, reducing the likelihood of acute illnesses.
Strengthened overall health, reducing the chance and effects of serious diseases.
Balancing regular exercise with daily responsibilities can be challenging, but creating a daily/weekly planner to include exercise is essential. Find an exercise program that suits you and gives attention to strength, endurance, and agility.
Maintain Good Hygiene
Most of us thought we are hygienic and knew how to prevent germs and diseases from spreading – and then COVID-19 happened. Suddenly, we got educated on how to wash our hands properly, how easy it is to spread diseases from touch surfaces to our nose and mouth, and how to develop and maintain great hygiene. While we do not need to maintain obsessive habits, high levels of hygiene make it difficult for germs to foster and diseases to spread. Wash your hands before every meal, avoid contact with others when sick, and clean frequently-touched surfaces (like your laptop keyboard) regularly.
Rest Thoroughly
Your body needs rest to recuperate from its daily physical exertion. Sleeping is the primary way your body rests and rebuilds in preparation for the next day’s work. Therefore, the amount of sleep that you need depends on your age and your lifestyle. When you are young and your body still need to grow a lot, you need more sleep than an adult that is fully grown. If you live a frantic lifestyle where you carry a lot of stress (e.g. business executive) or where you rely on intense physical exertion (e.g. professional sportsperson), your body will require more sleep to rebuild and prepare for the next day.
Getting enough sleep is also not just about quantity but also about quality. Consider developing the following healthy sleeping habits:
Sleep Schedule: Maintain a consistent schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
Relaxing Bedtime Rituals: Engage in calming activities before bedtime.
Manage Stress: Use stress-reducing techniques like meditation or deep breathing to reduce stress before you go to sleep.
Conducive Sleep Environment: Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool, with a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Limit Screen Time: Avoid screens at least an hour before bedtime.
Mind Your Diet: Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and nicotine close to bedtime.
Stay Active: Regular physical activity during the day promotes better sleep at night.
Limit Naps: Keep naps short and avoid them close to bedtime.
Manage Use of Recreational Drugs
This is a controversial topic but it is something that must be discussed more. While avoiding all recreational drugs are most certainly the best for your physical health, I would argue that the moderate use of recreational drugs can promote a more balanced overall health (all 5 Dimensions). For example, hallucinogenic drugs (chemicals such as LSD or plants like peyote) has a proven positive effect on spiritual connection and is used in this context by several cultures. Also, drugs such as marijuana can assist with emotional conditions such as anxiety while alcohol is used to facilitate social interactions all across the world.
Naturally, all drugs have a negative impact on physical health and the big challenge (perhaps ‘huge problem’ is a better phrase to use) is to moderate the use of recreational drugs. Due to the pleasurable effects of these drugs, it encourages use due to positive reinforcement which often leads to drug abuse. I’m yet to meet any individual who partake in regular recreational drug use (e.g. drinking a beer with friends while watching sport on weekends) who have not been guilty of partaking too enthusiastically. Yet, despite the negative aftereffects, the pleasures of alcohol and/or drug use incentivize us to maintain its use, and even increase it use – which can lead to devastating consequences.
According to the Principles of the Daily Life of Resolute Beings, it is up to the individual to determine if recreational drug use will facilitate holistic individual health. Therefore, this blog (and the book it is based upon) is not advocating abstinence nor is it advocating extensive recreational drug use. It is advocating the individualistic expression of the 3 Principles. Whether you partake in recreational drug use or not, your choice must support you to Live with Intent, Be Resourceful and Focus on Others. And doing this requires holistic health, which includes physical health. Whatever your choice, ensure that you maintain good physical health because without a healthy body, you will be unable to live a Resolute Live.
Conclusion
Maintaining good physical health is essential for living a Resolute Life. By understanding the needs of your body and developing healthy habits, you can sustain your physical health and enhance your overall well-being. Remember, your body is a very valuable asset—take care of it.
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