I was at a leadership course about 5 years ago and was given a piece of paper and pencil and asked to simply write down the 5 most important things in my life. #1 being the most important and then #2 etc. After about 5 minutes we were asked to share our answers with the group – simple right? You would think so until the exercise was complete. Most people wrote a version of the below…
#1 Family/their kids/Spouse/parents
#2 Faith/God
#3 Friends
#4 Financial Success/Career/Dream Job
#5 Health/Happiness
Then the leader of the course said that you can’t have the other things, relationships or people if you don’t put Health #1.
If you aren’t healthy you won’t be able to live a fulfilling life and be the best mom, wife, person, friend…. if you aren’t healthy you won’t be around for your friends and family…. if you aren’t keeping a healthy mind, body and spirit you won’t be successful at your job. Now, of course there are health issues that are not controllable and are genetic. Of course, our faith overrides our health. But for the masses, especially this past year; being active, eating clean, adding extra vitamin C, you had a better chance of not getting sick if you were taking care of your HEALTH.
So put your health #1 on your list. I love to get outside and walk and hike in the sunshine… I am obsessed with my Peloton app right now and all the inspiring instructors that push me every day… I love to practice yoga with the fireplace on and candles lit before the sun comes up. Humans are meant to MOVE. Not to sit at our computers all day, not to be glued to our phones, not binge-watching Netflix every day, although I am guilty of all of that, but I also make sure to move more than I sit.
I try to work out 45-75 minutes every morning. Sometimes all I have is 15 minutes to do MelissaWoodHealth, 30 Minutes of Pilates with Kristen @onepeloton, or a Saturday sixty with Jess Sims @jesssimsfit, but then throughout the day, I am running errands, I park in the furthest spot from the grocery store (yes, I am THAT person), I take a walk in the evening with my dog, I walk up and down the stairs during commercials of my guilty pleasure TV show.
But remember to physically MOVE in any way you can, whenever you can. Make YOUR Health your #1.
Teri xo
