As I grow older, more and more I realize the importance of keeping my mind as active as possible and my body as fit as I can. Without both of these, it would be difficult and maybe even impossible to achieve all of the things that I am doing now and plan to do in the future. Thus, like everything in my life, I schedule time each day to maintain both my mental and physical health.
My body is definitely not the same as it was in my younger years, so it takes much more effort to keep things in good working shape. As a teenager, I had a serious left knee injury and had difficulty walking for almost five years. Learning to walk again was a major accomplishment in my life. Therefore, constant attention is given to my legs so that I will not lose the use of them again. I exercise at my local gym five times a week incorporating both cardio and weights into my program. I push myself to my maximum capacity to burn as many calories as possible and to build muscle mass and lose as much body fat as I can. I must admit that working out is not one of my favorite activities, but I know it is something I must do so I get up early in the morning before I change my mind and stay home. I am also a “family room” dancer so I try to find time each week simply to turn on some of my favorite music and “rock out” to some of my favorite fast, rock-n-roll or hip hop songs. It is great fun for me but also a good way to burn more calories and work out more body parts.
Randi with her trainer Mark Daniel
Since I am also a teacher, I strive daily to keep my mind and thinking sharp and alert. To do this, I write or create something every day—a poem, a blog, a new video, a new photo quote page for my book Facebook page, or a new inspirational t-shirt design. I often do research online on some topic of interest to me or read a book or do some kind of word puzzle. When asked by students on Facebook, I do some online tutoring when time permits me to do this. I love learning about computer technology now and spend much time on Facebook, Skype, Yahoo, or Twitter—either to work on my book publicity or to share interesting cultural experiences with my American or international friends online. To relax during my down times, I listen to quiet music and try to meditate and clear my mind of all thoughts. This is difficult for me though because at times I do believe I have forgotten how truly to relax. My mind always seems to be “buzzing” with new ideas or new dreams I decide might be fun to pursue one day.
Eating healthy food is another necessity to maintain health both physically and mentally. I must admit I have a sweet tooth and adore yummy chocolate, delicious cakes and pies and other pastries, and frozen yogurt, and must fight the constant battle to avoid these foods. I do treat myself to some of these luxury foods occasionally, but generally speaking I try to eat lean meat, chicken, turkey, and lots of vegetables daily and make sure I get the proper amount of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals the body needs to function properly. I even take a multiple vitamin each and every day just for added ensurance.
The idea of growing old and not being able to do all of the things I long to do worries me so much. Thus, keeping healthy is one of my full time passions and jobs. I look around at other people my age and even younger than I am and sadly see the results of some people who overeat, who do not exercise, and who do not keep their minds active, and I feel very concerned about them. Many Americans are not as healthy as they should be in my opinion.
I did some research and found this in a USA News Report article posted on January 9, 2013. The USA now ranks 17th in the world for life expectancy age with an average age of 75.54. Women tend to live a little longer, but over the past few years their numbers have been decreasing as well as the men’s. The top five countries are currently Switzerland, Australia, Japan, Sweden, and Italy. In a country like the USA, those numbers mentioned above should be so much higher. We did rank 6th in being one of the happiest countries with Australia being number one on that list and Sweden, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland following behind Australia+. Thus, our lifestyle based on jobs, housing, and health care brings us happiness, but we are not taking care of ourselves now as we should. This report disturbed me very much.
This motivates me to do better, and I now feel I am doing what is best for me. I jokingly tell family and friends that I hope to live to be 100. I am not sure if I will achieve this goal, but I am certainly giving this my best effort.
Randi D. Ward
June 14, 2013
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