by Mario Carini

Created on: October 29, 2010

Getting fit and staying that way is a constant but losing battle for many. As they age, the spare tire inflates more and there doesn't seem much anyone can do to reduce the weight and avoid the ravages of disease that afflict so many today.

The diet is one of the major reasons why many fail to stay fit. Today's common processed high carbohydrate diets do nothing to promote vibrant health. But even if you are watching what you eat and trying to avoid consuming the chemicals and toxins found in most foods, you likely find it difficult to get on an exercise program to help keep you in shape.

Diet aside, what are some of the ways that can help you stay in shape?

Change Your Mental Outlook Toward Fitness

It's unlikely you'll ever look like the super models in Vogue or other fashion magazines. A well muscled body does not reflect the epitome of health. On the other hand, many people equate fitness to the absence of pain even if they take tons of medications to stay pain free. What defines being fit for you is not the same as what constitutes fitness for someone else, since everyone is different. What society defines as being fit is not necessarily healthy. Your mental attitude and the way your body functions defines your true level of health and only you can know what that is.

Increase your Activity Level

Everyone is constantly on-the-go. They feel that if they rush around long enough, they'll stay healthy. Of course, the more you're on your feet, the more likely you are to stay fit. But many people rush through the day on an inactive basis. They have deadlines to meet, appointments to keep and a commute to the job, but they are often sedentary, requiring nothing more than sitting from morning until night. Exercise requires raising the heart rate rather than blood pressure. Muscles need repeated exercise to keep them fit. Walking is the easiest form of exercise there is, but few do enough over the course of a day. Activities like swimming, Tai Chi, lifting heavyweights or gardening do far more for health than hurriedly typing a report on a word processor all day long.

Get Fresh Air

We live in a polluted world. Car exhaust and industrial pollutants wreck havoc on lungs and circulation. Pollution inside the home is often greater than the outside. Our lungs require oxygen to thrive. Cigarette smoke is filled with toxins that only add to the toxins already present from the toxic environment.

Get Enouh Sleep

Sleep is an integral part of health. Those 8 hours of slumber is necessary so the body can repair the stresses and strains placed on it every day. Those who don't get adequate sleep levels have more health related problems, both mental and physical.

Replenish Water

Water is essential to so many functions of the body. Without adequate amounts, toxins stay longer in the body. Diseases like cancer can proliferate. Few people get enough water and the symptoms show up as headaches, fatigue and thirst.

Reduce your Stress Level

Unfortunately, today's society puts too much emphasis on performance. A crushing debt load and overwhelming responsibilities have many running the treadmill. They simply can't stop to simply relax and enjoy every moment of living. Fear, worry, anxiety holds many in bondage to a life they can't sustain. That shows up in high blood pressure and other deteriorating health conditions. Stress is a necessary part of life and can be beneficial, but only if it is controlled.

Getting fit means more than just diet and exercise. To stay fit it's necessary to make changes to the lifestyle we've chosen, a lifestyle that too often is making us sick.

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