In America, too many people view exercise as medicine for an ailment. When you get fat, take exercise until you’re not fat. Exercise is not medicine. You take medicine for a brief period of time until you are no longer sick. Exercise is merely using our body the way it was designed to be used. It’s a lifestyle we were created to lead, not some trendy novelty.

Years ago, we didn’t have to think about creating opportunities to be physical. Very few things in our lives were automated, so our daily activities were enough to keep everything going. Right now, we have very little, if any daily activity requirements. We have to create them. If you don’t use it, you will lose it. You’re body runs a tight ship. It frequently goes through a “spring cleaning” process to get rid of anything it doesn’t need. If we don’t create daily reasons for our body to keep moving, it will stop. When your body stops, it hurts. It’s debilitating and you begin to suffer.

How do you plan to live your later years? You want to be able to walk? You better be walking quite a bit right now. You want to be able to pick up your grandchildren? You better be picking up heavy stuff on a daily basis right now. You want your heart to beat? You better be giving it good reason to beat hard every day! You don’t have to go to aerobics class, lift weights, or play a sport. You don’t have to strive to look like a model. You do, however, need to do something that gives your mind, body, and soul a reason to show up to work.