What is the Best Health Advice You Can Give Someone?

Great question. Certainly worth a lot of thought before proposing a very simple answer. 

Stay Active!

Oh sure Jack easy for you to say. You are always busy, chasing new goals, dreams, passions, education, and activities. How can we apply Stay Active to being healthy?

Well I’m glad you asked. I will expound in more detail shortly but for now I point you to an excellent source for the data, science, and theory behind how Staying Active equals better health and more importantly the quality of life. It isn’t so much about squeezing out a few more years no matter how miserable we are. Rather we want to maximize the value of the years we have. These are amplified by physical, mental, social, and faith. 

I point you to Dr Peter Attia and his phenomenal book Outlive. You can gain some insights via my post, The Four Horsemen of Death. 

So let’s dig into these. It is important to recognize that your present age, relative state of health (in all categories), and what motivates you, challenges or calls you will change over time. 

Looking at sports, hobbies, physical activities the basic concept is anything that gets you off the couch, moving is a step in the right direction. For many walking is a very easy, low cost start. Of course if you are following my blog you know cycling is my passion. So to dual-sport motorcycle riding. Both of which require a good level of fitness, aerobic endurance, balance, vision, and mental agility.  

We don’t need to all be competitive athletes. Heck age and life in general can slow us all down. The point is being and staying physically active keeps our body and mind in motion. It is in our DNA. We were made to move. 

Plus finding that sport, hobby, activity puts our brain to work on many levels. Learning new movements, listening to our how our body responds creates all sorts of new neural networks. Add in the reading, video education, and learning gained from friends, fellow sports enthusiasts and you are further developing your brain on new levels. 

Active brain: we never stop learning. At least we shouldn’t. That should be our goal. Find something new to engage your brain. From a new language, to puzzles, new authors / books, to cooking and travel. They all help us keep our brain healthy and functioning. 

Active Social and Faith. As with the others once we get ‘moving’ so to speak we are bound to be around and interacting with others. Whether we are building a new community for ourselves through one or more of our activities, for example how I am now using my years of cycling experience to coach children through NICA GOSOMTB. Or taking on a new life challenge like the RAAM2CC to raise awareness and funds for the City of Hope. 

All of these and countless more like the simple group ride (bike or Moto), walk, 5k, pickleball session, even corn hole are creating new social environments for you. 

Toss in a little prayer / fellowship and you are building your faith. For wherever two or more are gathered in His name He is there. 

So the answer is simple – Stay Active!