Your Body, Your Temple

Most of us care for a lot of things, take care of people close to us, and some with passion and hobbies that require a lot of time, effort and money but forget and take for granted one important thing we have and got no spare -- our bodies. Like a car engine that needs periodic check up and maintenance to function efficiently, the body also has to be kept in tip top shape to last you a longer life because once it expires, that's it, you're over and done with. Cars are more fortunate because if it busts a tire, there is always a spare, but when a person busts an artery due to hypertension, he might still have a chance with immediate medical intervention, but is that the life we want to live?

Doctors often tell us that "Health is wealth." Indeed, it is. If you are not well or is currently suffering from a debilitating illness, you will either lose all your wealth on hospitalization and medical care expenses or unable to work a living because of it. Even if one is lucky enough to have medical insurance, a person's quality of life will be adversely affected if he is ill or someone in the family is not well.

It is appalling how many people take their bodies for granted as if there is spare one can instantly buy once the body expires. By 2010 estimates, current world average for life expectancy is 67.2 years based on the CIA World Fact Book. A car which is more or less made up of more durable materials than a human body depreciates value after three years and could well serve the owner 10 to 15 more years, or depending on the mileage, with proper maintenance. With the modern sedentary life style, many who live in cities no longer have the time to care about maintaining their bodies in top condition to enable them to live fuller and disease-free lives.

Loving our bodies becomes of great importance when another person or a family depend on you for survival. In this case, risk-taking behaviors and activities are often avoided to minimize the risk of harming the body. But sometimes, something as innocent as an unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle can be the root of most of our body problems and illnesses. Once the excesses of unhealthy eating habits pile up, expect the onset of problems related to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer.

A lot of information on the ill-effects of alcoholic drinking and smoking to the important organs of the body such as the liver and the lungs but still, many disregard the risks associated with these habits. We all want to live a stress-free and disease-free life and yet we have been unkind to our bodies. It's time to take a changed attitude towards the body, because no one ain't got a spare.

Much has been written about the benefits of exercise to a healthier body and total well-being but still, obesity remains an increasing concern in some of the world's developed countries, and also creeping up in other developing nations. Doing regular exercise is akin to making your body like a well-oiled machine. It keeps away the rusts and bogging down of essential body processes by improving blood circulation and making the different muscles and organ work efficiently. Through exercise, the body is forced to replace worn out and broken tissues and cells faster. Ever wonder why people who are active physically have a wonderful glow in them? Precisely, that's the magic of exercise doing it's work. Instead of spending your an hour to sit in the couch and channel-surf, go out and take a walk, sweat out, just do any physical activity. If you do that four or five times a week, you will notice gradual improvement in the way you breathe, in your alertness and in how easily your body moves. Now is the time to take that first step. Don't waste time anymore.

We may not think much about it since we are in our prime but the fact is, everyone will eventually grow old. By then, it will already be too late since the body has already been abused much and has already taken its toll. As early as now, start taking care of your body. Always remember, your body is not like car tire which has a spare. It is the only one you got and it is your call to take care of it while you can and make it last.