I recently spent 3 days in Whistler, British Columbia with 183 CrossFit affiliates from 18 countries to celebrates those businesses that have been open for 10+ years.
It was a celebration more than anything, however we spent a lot of time discussing the poor state of affairs with health, worldwide.
We broke down causes of death into 5 “buckets”;
- Chronic Disease: obesity, cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, heart disease), Type 2 diabetes, etc.
- Kinetic: physical trauma, car crash, hit on a bike
- Toxic: environmental toxins, drugs (prescription, illegal)
- Genetic: You picked the wrong parents.
- Microbic: virus, bacteria, prions
Chronic disease accounts for 75-85% of deaths in the U.S. depending on your source. The American healthcare system is set up to treat symptoms only.
The most upsetting and frustrating part of such a statistic is that much of what falls into this category (chronic disease) of disease and death is considered “preventable” by many experts in healthcare.
Facilities like ours are the first line of defense against chronic disease and early death.
The prescription is simple, not easy;
-High intensity exercise at least 3x/wk (sorry walking your dog, taking the stairs at the office, parking in the furthest parking spot don’t count). That’s a start, not a long term solution.
-Eat like we tell you
-Have fun
-Do those consistently
-Be patient and give yourself some grace. You didn’t get to your current health and fitness status overnight; it’s not going to change overnight.
Proper exercise and nutrition can protect you from upwards of 80% of your risks for early death.
The great news? That’s all under your control.
The really, really sad news? Most will still opt for the beer, candy, pizza buffet and Netflix binges.
Think about it this way….
If you’re only 30, you may have only lived one-third of your life.
If you’re 40, you can live another entire lifetime if you die at 80.
That is a lot of time. And an important decision. Do you want to live it on your own terms? Or need a team of doctors to fill your prescriptions and family to burden with your poor health as you age?
What are you going to do?