Let’s face it, getting and staying fit and healthy is hard work. There’s all the effort that you have to put out in making wholesome meals. There’s the will power that you must muster in avoiding unhealthy (TASTY!) foods. There’s the energy that it takes to get out of bed early to get in a workout before your busy day begins. There’s the struggle to lace up your shoes at the end of a long day to head out and be active rather than diving into the comfort of the couch.

To be fit and healthy is to choose to do what’s hard, right now.

Because let’s face it, getting dinner from a drive thru is easier than making it at home. And eating whatever looks the most enticing is easier than saying no thank you. And sleeping in is easier than getting up at the crack of dawn to exercise. And settling into the couch at the end of your day is easier than moving your body through something active.

We are faced with these decisions all day, every day. And our choices add up!

DO WHAT’S HARD OR DO WHAT’S EASY?

Here’s the thing, though. It’s not actually a choice between HARD and EASY. The real choice we are making is between HARD NOW <== or ==> HARD LATER.

Because for every EASY choice that you make today, you are setting yourself up for a HARDER life down the road. Make no mistake about it, being unhealthy is hard. Being out-of-shape and overweight is hard. Living in a body that is racked with aches and pains is hard. Not being physically able to do the things you want to do is hard.

So as you go through your day, faced with hundreds of opportunities to do what’s hard or what’s easy, remember this…Choose to do what’s hard now or be faced with something much harder later.

There is no perfect time to start a health and fitness program, but one thing is for sure: the longer you wait, the harder it will be!

-Shelley Turk (Certified Functional Aging Specialist and owner, ProActive Fitness)