Healthy Living

June 8th, 2006

Healthy living, for long, has remained an abstract concept. When I was a kid, the concept of staying healthy was drummed into my head by all and sundry - dad, granny, physical education teacher (the equivalent of gym instructor). I am sure this is the experience of all of us - we knew we should live healthy, what came of living healthy, but we only had a very basic idea of the ‘how’ aspect.

This is in stark contrast to kids today. In a world of evolving technology, sensibilities, lifestyles, and mindsets, living healthy is no longer a concept. It is a mantra. You have girls barely in their teens working out. You have young boys enrolling for gym class in a bid to stay fit and look impressive. Middle-aged people throng the sidewalks in the early morning hours, some walking, some jogging, in their frantic efforts at joining the ’staying fit’ club. Narcissus is in. The lean and ‘beautiful people’ look is everywhere - from the advertisements on television to high school classrooms.

All this is good. It would be almost hypocritical, in a sense, to claim we care for others when we don’t really make the effort to care for ourselves. However, there is a limit to this. Being healthy is one thing. Being obsessed with staying healthy is another. And both are not the same.

There is, therefore, the need to strike a fine balance between the two. It is true that we can enjoy our lives much better when the basic framework, i.e. the body, is healthy and fit. However, it doesn’t make sense to direct all our energies to the act of keeping ourselves healthy and fit, and thereby not having the time to enjoy much else.

Balancing is the key, as it always is!

Entry Filed under: Healthy Lifestyles