Ancient scripture says, “Treat your body like a temple.” That is excellent advice. Treat your body like a temple, like something you’d take extremely good care of. Not a woodshed, a temple. And here’s why.
The mind and the body work together. You’ve got to have both functioning well. Here’s one of the best ways I (Jim Rohn) have come to look at the connection between the two. Your body needs to be a good support system for the mind and the spirit. Your body must support you with the strength, energy, power, and vitality to take you wherever you want to go.
Here’s a major part of success: vitality. Some people don’t do well simply because they don’t feel well. Feeling well is a personal responsibility. You need to take care of the temple. Cherish it!
Ancient scripture says, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” That’s a sad combination. It’s hard to think of a much more pitiful combination than a willing spirit and a weak body. You wake up in the morning and the mind says, “Let’s go get ’em.” And the body says, “I can’t even get out of bed!” So you have a conversation with yourself, and the mind says, “That’s the last time you’re going to fail me. Don’t give me the excuse that you can’t get out of bed. I’ll drive you to your knees to do push-ups until you’re exhausted. I’ve got these plans for fortune and enterprise. And there’s one thing that I’m going to demand: a strong, unbelievably powerful support system. And from now on, I’m going to have a support system that will take me wherever I want to go. It will support me with power, vitality, strength, and zest. Anything less than that, I will not settle for.”
I’m telling you, it’s so important to take care of your physical self. Be conscious of your support system. Be conscious of yourself. But don’t be self-conscious. Don’t work on it too much. You don’t have to spend six hours a day to have a good support system. Thirty minutes to an hour a day, and you can have a strong, healthy body.
What is adequate exercise? You can do just a few simple things. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. When you’re looking for a parking space, don’t look for one that’s right by the front door; park a block away and get in a little bit of exercise. Pick the exercise program that will work for you, one that you’ll perform, one that won’t bore you or hurt you.
If you don’t like to jog, if your joints can’t handle it, go for a walk. If you don’t like to walk, take up swimming half a mile a few times a week. If you don’t like exercise that seems like exercise, get into a sport like tennis, racquetball, basketball, or softball. You don’t have to do too much, just enough to give your body a good workout.
Here’s what else happens when you participate in a regular exercise program: you just plain feel better in both body and mind. It’s kind of a paradox, but the more physical activity you do, the less sleep you need, and the better your mind works.
We’ve all heard of the runner’s high. Well, it’s not just a myth. Twenty to thirty minutes of sustained activity starts releasing endorphins into your bloodstream. And endorphins are your body’s natural version of morphine! No wonder they call it a runner’s high!
Take care of your physical health so you can achieve your goals. You will then have the muscle, strength, and vitality to take you wherever you want to go and accomplish whatever you want. Develop a good exercise program, and you can make all your dreams come true.
* Source: Leading an Inspired Life by Jim Rohn