Last month, I talked about Gibson’s mission “To Protect What Matters Most” and submitted that health, and more importantly vitality, is what matters most. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to hear the acting U.S. Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Boris D. Lushniak, M.D., M.P.H., speak at the headquarters for the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis. At one point during his talk, Dr. Lushniak said “People get elected or not elected based on the economy…but I’ll submit to you today, that economy is doing nothing unless we have healthy people who are able to be part of that economy. So where does health lie on the priority of things?” Good observation. Even better question.
His message is simple: as a nation, we have to move away from a focus on sickness and disease to one based on health, prevention, and wellness. In particular, Dr. Lushniak made the case that physical inactivity is a public health issue, as many of the nation’s health problems can be prevented and exercise is akin to medicine in preventing disease. Although an avid long-distance cyclist, runner, and hiker, Dr. Lushniak is practical in his message for including physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. He encouraged all in attendance to promote walking as something that the majority of people can do and all that’s needed is a comfortable pair of shoes and a safe place to get moving.
That brings me back to his question. Where does health lie on the priority of things? Does your personal health make the list? Demands on our time never seem to decrease. We are asked to do more with less. There’s always something to do, whether at work or at home. So, knowing that those external forces aren’t likely to change, what are you going to do to make your health a priority? It doesn’t have to be time-consuming, but it does take time. It has to be a priority. You have to allow yourself the time to care for you. As the U.S. Surgeon General pointed out, this focus on health, wellness, and prevention begins and ends with the individual. That’s you. That’s me.
