I'm Not An Athlete, I Don't Need To Workout?

"Fit for what? I don't need to be an athlete, weight lifter, runner. I don't lift anything heavier than a pen. I just need to be able to do my work each day.

Why should I be interested in improving my physical fitness?" Most of us are not interested in becoming physically fit for athletics or sports, but all of us are interested in our health today and tomorrow and our capacity to enjoy our life. The body must be strong and fit for its own sake first, then it will be able to meet any demands that living throws at it, whether it is work, recreation, or emergencies.

The many benefits of being physically fit are important to everyone, here are just a few to consider:

Freedom From Illness, there never has been or never will be a person who wants to be sick. They might rather be sick than work, but they would rather be well and not have to work! Many people have said they were not interested in their physical fitness, yet they are concerned enough to recognize and follow some health factors. They pay some attention to their diet, they get enough sleep, they have medical checkups occasionally; but they are not interested in doing something specific to guard and maintain this "good health" they enjoy. They consider their physical condition they have a right to expect, with no effort required on their part.

High Resistance to Fatigue and Other Stresses, the ability to finish a day's work and still have enough energy to enjoy other activities is a great fitness goal and possible for anyone who cares to have it. Life offers little pleasure for most of us if we are only able to barely get through the demands of the day. How many people go home after a day's work completely exhausted eats dinner and head for the recliner to watch television all night. When they have improved their fitness, they commonly remark that now that the fatigue is gone, they feel like being active again.

Adequate Energy, to barely have the energy required to finish each task is a terrible way to live. Not being fit causes each task to be more difficult than it needs to be. With enough energy, the tasks and responsibilities of the business of living are much more enjoyable!

Increased Margins of Safety, by margins of safety, we mean the relative guarantee that we will be free from illness, pain, and major physical problems. Unfortunately there is no way we can guarantee you will live to be 100 years old and never be sick a day in your life. When anything interferes with the bodies physical capacities, whether it is mechanics or disease, the body is in trouble. When we increase the capacity of the vital organs to do their work through physical fitness, we increase our margins of safety.

The Simple Enjoyment of Living, this depends more on the physical condition than any other factor. Have you ever tried to enjoy yourself while having a severe headache? A slight amount of discomfort can be tolerated, but as the discomfort mounts, and turns to pain, all attention is focused to getting rid of the pain, no matter what inconvenience or cost is involved.

Everything that we have that is important to us gets some attention, at least to the basic requirements so that it will give us no trouble; everything that is, except the human body. Because the body has the ability to repair itself and make automatic adjustments to our environment, it is given very little help or consideration. There are many other reasons that could be listed for maintaining a high level of fitness.

Choose whichever reason you like best, but do not tell yourself that you are not interested in or that you do not need any degree of physical fitness! No one is perfect, nor can they be perfect, but they can and must maintain a high enough level of physical fitness so that they may live a life reasonably free of discomforts and limitations.