Last year my very own blood pressure started to climb. Usual story of abuse and a lack of exercise along with a history of smoking and drinking hadn’t helped matters. You, of course may have had a similar past – we both know that some things have to end. Either the thing gives us up or we do the deed first.
A few of these things are hard, smoking or other recreational drugs are a problem for our health – those sensitive and highly complex lungs were never designed to process the chemicals from smoke and your liver, like mine was never made to cope with alcohol and the fat in our modern diet.
The compound effect becomes an issue, smoking one cigarette or one bottle of wine over the weekend doesn’t change much – in fact a few glasses of red wine are said to be good for you and I. Should we decided to do that every day, then problems start to occur. Most heavy drinkers don’t have any adverse symptoms until an internal organ swells to press on another organ and we feel pain – at this point off we got to the GP and wherever she presses on our stomach there is a nag. In fact most people with a drink problem don’t end up going to the GP directly because of it, it’s the symptom that takes us there first.
I digress from my main point, but felt you’d benefit from the rest of the story. I have a skin condition [psoriasis] and at times has been so bad I ended up on a biologic treatment in order to provide a solution. Consequently ended up having loads of tests including having my liver monitored along with very regular blood pressure testing. Nutshell – bloods were ish – mainly due to alcohol and blood pressure was not good. At fifty something there was work to be done in order to reverse both of these, or we both know what’s around the corner.
As an aside – my mother had a devastating stroke at 55 and lives to this day with serious disabilities.
For me exercise was a bore, dieting was not going to happen. That said most of the time I prepare and cook meals and don’t eat much takeaway food – so the processed side of things was well under control – the gym was out – just makes my neck fat. Jogging and running – please. As an old acquaintance of mine Mick Jones (Commonwealth Gold Medalist – Hammer) told me once “running is for animals not humans”. I’ve always been able to sprint, but even as teenage – more than four hundred metres and that was it.
With these limited options I knew I had to do something. So this is what I did.
For the last eighteen months I’ve got up an hour earlier. Pulled on pair of trainers, come rain or shine, winter or summer and gone out over my local park Sometimes its a slow jog, other days a fast walk – often it’s a amble. Chewing over life with the dog walkers and others doing the same as me. Only do it Monday – Friday – weekends are a lie in. Distances range from 3k to 5k depending on my mood – and often use it to meditate or just to mull over the day ahead and think about what needs to be done, action that needs to be taken.
Will it make you feel better? I have no idea, but let me tell what it’s done to me.
I feel fitter. Less hassled in my head. I’ve lost weight – about 8kg. My blood pressure is down by over a third (lower reading is still a bit high) and I have a thigh gap. More importantly I’ve done that without drugs, without thrashing weights in the gym or going to classes. I’ve enjoyed my own company and the morning community – some funny stories to tell there. And still don’t take any prescribed medication other than the one for my skin. No antidepressants, no beta blockers – no heart tablets.
All because I get a little exercise in first thing.
Your take away from this is a simple one. If your business is not giving you the income you need, not providing you with the results you should be getting then you should try doing things more consistently, finding something that works for you and then doing it every day. Honestly, it works.
When you’re ready to have your backside kicked on this matter you can ask for a ‘borrow my brain’ where I outline all things you could be doing but aren’t at the moment. It’s probably worth about £10k to you over the coming months. Link below.