Would you treat your car this way?

You like to use your car and you do whatever’s needed to keep it in pretty decent shape, right? Sure you do, otherwise one day you’ll get in, turn the key, and, instead of the satisfied purr of a well-tended engine, all you’ll hear is the sound of a machine in a state of neglect. It’s not a sound anyone likes to hear; it tells of damage, undue friction, and wear. And it foretells disaster!

And yet we sometimes neglect to take care of the most important machine we own … our own body. You’d think we’d take pride in it. It’s magnificent! It’s the product of millions of years of evolution, and it can perform virtual miracles, and it does, on a daily basis. But there comes a time when we start to take it for granted. And that’s when the rot sets it!

We let it go to seed. We lose interest. It’s like leaving the car in the garage, untended, and you know that’s no good for any vehicle. We drive everywhere these days, or take the bus, or the train, when it would be so much easier to walk at least part of the way. We even use escalators and elevators, as though we’re physically unable to use the stairs! What the hell is happening to us??

Remember when you were younger and you used to run everywhere? Remember how good it felt to do that? Remember the sheer exuberance of running? How it was never a strain? Hey, it was fun! We lose that as we get older, and it’s a shame.

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training.
It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength
of which his body is capable.” ~ Socrates

We don’t have to strive to be in perfect shape permanently, but what’s stopping us doing a bit of exercise from time to time? Once you start on a training regime it feels great. But you knew that already, right? It’s just that life gets in the way! There always seems to be something more important to do. But ask yourself, what’s more important than doing a little exercise … what’s more important than giving your body the attention it craves … and how come we see it as a chore?

Make time for exercise, even if it’s only a few minutes a day. And don’t tell me you can’t do it, we can all do something. Even if the thought of doing twenty press ups gives you palpitations, what’s stopping you doing three or four? And with your knees on the floor to make it easier if that’s the only way you can manage it. Don’t worry, no-one’s watching! It might be the ‘girlie’ way of doing press ups, but if that’s what it takes to get back into the swing of it, so what? Who cares?

C’mon, think of the car analogy. Would you really treat your car like this? Leaving it to stand idle, the engine slowly deteriorating, the oil thickening, the cylinders virtually gluing in place, the tyres flattening at the bottom. You know you’d be storing up trouble for yourself if you did this to your car, but at the end of the day, it’s only a car. If you ruin it, so what? But if you ruin your most precious possession, your personal, lifelong vehicle, you’re storing up some really bad trouble for yourself, the kind that could put you in hospital. Or an early grave.

I know you know this. I’m not imparting some secret information that’s usually only granted to a select few. We all know only too well that neglecting our health is the height of foolishness. So do yourself a favour – if you haven’t been looking after yourself recently, make a start. Do it today!

Begin an exercise regime. It doesn’t matter in the slightest if it’s the simplest and shortest routine imaginable. Just make a start! And once you’ve done that, keep it up. Three times a week, every day, whatever suits you. Hell, even once a week is better than nothing! But do something … and keep doing it, regularly.

Remember, the way you’ve been neglecting your body … well, you wouldn’t do it to a car, would you?