Cardio-vascular Fitness
These two illustrations show that at the same age people who have been able to maintain their physical capability, experience lives that hugely different, with much more enjoyment and the confidence to make the best of your life.
You need to make the effort to get into the above average group at least. How do you do that? First be interested in your health, you can make it better. Second begin to write down (We suggest you keep a journal.) some notes about your medical records (Do you know your numbers?) what exercise you have done and what you are eating. Become informed about how you are, and what roadblocks are holding you back.
George Vaillant, writing about the Grant Study Men, explains that a few people get seriously unwell before they turn 55. None of those people live until their 80th birthday. A much small number die before the age of 55, almost always by accident or misadventure that they had no control over.
The big danger in your life is between 55 and 80, because that’s when cardio-vascular diseases, lung diseases, cancer and type II diabetes begin to rob people of their healthy years. YOU can take steps to ensure that, as best you can, you get to 80 years of age in good shape. If you can do that, that’s added about 10, and maybe 15 years of good health to your life. But you have to use your own autonomy to put your own life in order, that’s your challenge.
Why Keep a Health Journal?
Our memories are all faulty, we “remember” what our minds re-create, usually what we want to see.
A journal over time keeps on exposing repeated aspects of our lives. If you look, they become obvious.
In Health Coaching we are interested in what you eat and drink. What people choose to drink is especially powerful. What has the doctor told you about his/her assessment of your health. Do you agree? Do you have access to laboratory test results. Do you understand them. How are you sleeping? If sleep is a problem, does it have a pattern? How do you exercise? What about your Social life?
Open Future Health asks every new client to keep a health journal for at least 14 days. These need not be consecutive days, they may be 14 random days over a month for instance’
