I've been going through some routine medical procedures lately, some of them kind of painful.
When I talk to my cohorts and fellow workers, they'll make some kind of remark such as that's why they don't go to the doctor because they don't want have any pain or "to get any bad news." And my response is always the same: one way or the other we'll all get bad news about our health. And the only thing we can really do about it is take care of ourselves to mitigate problems as we walk our path through life. And that's not me being negative. This is one of the realities of life. Sooner or later we end up paying the price for years of drug and alcohol abuse or just having a poor diet and fitness regimen.
One of the realities I deal with today is that I'm in my 84th year on the planet. I can no longer lift the heavy weights I once did. I don't recover from injuries and ailments as fast.
So what I do to accommodate my present reality is that I switched from weights to calisthenics and walking. I no longer have the goal of being a bodybuilder. My goal today is to stay functional and able to keep my balance when I'm walking or going up and down stairs. It's surprising that a person can stay strong and healthy by just doing push-ups and squats along with sit-ups and taking long walks. Maybe once in a while throwing in a few chin-ups.
But for me the ultimate goal is to stay functional and enjoy life.
When I decided to get sober over 32 years ago I made a commitment to myself to stay healthy. I didn't build a business and develop relationships and make friends when I got sober only to throw that away with poor living habits. For most of my life I've been quite healthy and that's because when I'm not using drugs or alcohol I try to feel good in other ways, like eating right and getting exercise.
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