Almost Thirty, pt. 4

Holy shit! I’m officially on the one week countdown, so without further ado here is part four of my feature “Almost Thirty”.

Today’s post: Take care of your body, it’s the only one you have.

 

I wish I could say I spent the majority of my twenties taking care of my body. Eating properly, drinking in moderation, always wearing sunscreen, exercising regularly…  but I didn’t. It’s not that I wreaked havoc on my body, but I sure didn’t always treat it will the dignity and respect it deserved.

I spent countless days hungover in bed, years complaining about physical activity, and left my body running on fumes more times then I care to acknowledge. For those who know me, my “hanger” is real, and I essentially put myself in a demon state without proper nourishment.

As my mid-twenties trickled into my late-twenties, I noticed a change in my body. I didn’t think my hangovers could get worse, but oh, they did. I certainly didn’t think there was any consequences to a strict red wine and chocolate diet, but oh, there was.

It wasn’t that my physical form was changing dramatically, although my yoga pants were definitely in the rotation much more – but my insides have started screaming for a change. My vessel is telling me that continuing down this “Thank-god for a good metabolism and good genes” was not going to last much longer, and I need to take preventative action in order to live a long and healthy life.

When I say “take care of your body”, it isn’t about what the scale says (I am very much anti-scale), and it’s not about being a size two (never has happened and never will) but it’s about looking in the mirror and feeling proud that you are doing everything in your power to keep your vessel healthy and happy.

My relationship with food, exercise, and the occasional hangover is definitely a work in progress, but since we have been travelling I realize that now is the time to make a change. If I don’t change my habits now, I’ll might spend another ten years making excuses. I can’t let that happen.

For me, it starts with skipping the last drink or two (hard to believe I know), exercising (almost) every day, and eating (relatively) healthy. With these small changes, my body already feels happier, which has resulted in my mind and spirit being happy as well.

Now, this isn’t meant to be a diatribe to criticize my body, or how I have taken it for granted during my twenties. This is simply a brief reminder to “take care of your body, because it’s the only place you have to live.” I want to live here as long as possible.

Have you changed your habits? If so, what led you to make the change?