Here’s One Absolutely Necessary Resolution

Thought for the Week: Here’s One Absolutely Necessary Resolution

Why So Many New Year’s Resolutions Are Doomed

Because they’re pie-in-the-sky (for diet resolution-ists, make that celery-sticks-in-the-sky); they’re not perceived as absolutely necessary. In other words, they’re a nicety, not a necessity.

But health, the number one resolution subject, is a necessity. We’re complex creatures, and deteriorating physical health can decimate everything we have: Our emotions, our ability to think clearly and make good decisions; our careers and financial stability; our relationships; our spiritual well-being; and eventually our lives.

I Once Saw a Doctor for Back Pain

Amazingly, the very old-school M.D. told me, between heavy smoker’s hacks, to “avoid using it.” “How do I avoid using my back?” I asked. “Well, then, just live with it,” he replied. So I dropped him (he probably didn’t have long to live, anyway). And in his place, I found an exercise-friendly doctor who advised me to tak a lifelong zero-tolerance policy toward health issues. And I’ve never forgotten that advice.

And Now?

Last year, I was succesfully tested and treated for near-record-level tachycardia (extra heartbeats). But keeping the condition at bay requires an active schedule. Don’t “just live with it,” I remind myself. Zero tolerance, remember? So I take a daily exercise break. But it’s not enough.

Problem: I’m a writer, and my heart doesn’t like me sitting at a desk all day. It wants me to stay constantly active (in its heart-of-hearts, it really wants me to be a construction worker). And my whiny tailbone agrees. So I’ve started taking 10-minute “think walks” every hour. In other words, I keep writing in my head while I walk. I also do a few on-the-hoof therapy stretches. I’ve come to love those breaks. And the results are palpable.