Key 3—Keep Yourself Moving
“If exercise were a pill, it would be the
most widely prescribed medication in the world.” (Emory University
School of Medicine) Of all the things we can do for our health, few are
more generally helpful than physical exercise.
Exert yourself. Leading a
physically active life can help us feel happier, think more clearly,
have more energy, be more productive and, along with proper diet,
control our weight. Exercise need not be painful or extreme to be
effective. Regular periods of moderate exercise several times a week can
be very beneficial.
Jogging, brisk walking, biking, and taking part in active sports
Exercise can be enjoyable.
Use your feet. Exercise is
beneficial for people of all ages, and membership in a gym is not
required to get it. Simply using your feet instead of a car, bus, or
elevator is a good start. Why wait for a ride when you can walk to your
destination, perhaps even arriving there faster? Parents, encourage your
children to participate in physical play, outdoors whenever possible.
Such activity strengthens their bodies and helps them to develop
whole-body coordination in ways that sedentary entertainment, such as
video games, cannot.
No matter how old you are when you start, you can
benefit from moderate physical exercise. If you are older or have health
problems and have not been exercising, it is wise to consult a doctor
about how to begin. But do begin! Exercise that is started gradually and
not overdone can help even the oldest among us to maintain muscle
strength and bone mass.
Key 4—Protect Your Health
Keep yourself clean. Hand
washing is the single most important thing that you can do to help
prevent the spread of infection and to stay healthy and well.. Do so especially before eating,
preparing food, or dressing or even touching a wound, and do so after
touching an animal, using the toilet, or changing a baby’s diaper.
Washing with soap and water is more effective than
using alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Children stay healthier when
parents train them to wash their hands and to keep them away from their
mouth and eyes. Bathing every day and keeping your clothes and bed
linens fresh and clean also contribute to better health.
Avoid infectious disease. Avoid
close physical contact or the sharing of eating utensils with any who
have a cold or the flu. Their saliva and nasal secretions can pass the
illness on to you. Such blood-borne diseases as hepatitis B and C and
HIV/
carrying insects are active. Use bed nets, especially for
children, and use insect repellents.
Keep your home clean. Make
whatever extra effort is needed to keep your home tidy and clean, inside
and out. Eliminate any places where water can collect and mosquitoes
can breed. Litter, filth, and uncovered foods and garbage attract
insects and vermin, all of which can bring in microbes and cause
disease. If there is no toilet, build a simple latrine rather than just
relieving yourself in a field. Cover the latrine to keep out flies,
which transmit eye infection and other diseases.
Avoid injuring yourself. Obey
safety laws when working, riding a bicycle or motorcycle, or driving a
car. Make sure your vehicle is safe to drive. Use appropriate protective
equipment and clothing, such as safety glasses, headgear, and footwear,
as well as seat belts and hearing protection. Avoid excessive sun
exposure, which causes cancer and premature aging of the skin. If you
smoke, stop. Quitting now will significantly lower your risk of heart
disease, lung cancer, and stroke.
Key 5—Motivate Yourself and Your Family
Keep learning. Public and
private institutions in many lands provide educational programs and
literature on a wide range of health topics. Take advantage of them, and
educate yourself about basic ways to improve your health and to avoid
endangering it. Keep an open mind, and be willing to make simple
adjustments.
The good habits you learn and put into practice
may well benefit your children and their children after them. When
parents set a good example in regard to healthful nutrition,
cleanliness, sleep habits, exercise, and disease prevention, their
offspring are likely to benefit.
What more is needed? It takes
more than self-interest to establish and maintain a healthful way of
life. Eliminating long-standing bad habits can be daunting, and making
even simple adjustments often requires strong motivation. Even the
threat of serious illness and death may not move some to do what they
know is good for them. What will? Like all of us, they need to keep in
mind a higher purpose, or objective, in life.
Mates need to remain healthy and strong to
continue helping each other. Parents desire to go on supporting and
training their children. Grown children need to care for aging
relatives. Add to this the noble desire to be a blessing to the
community rather than a burden. All of this involves love and concern
for others.
