Your Body: The Only Car You’ll Ever Drive
Andy and I had a meeting with our builder and his team. Things got weird and goofy as they usually do with Andy in the room. One of the builders was in fantastic shape and Andy started to ask questions about how he kept fit. A couple of the other guys were, shall we say, slightly less muscular and defined. The really fit guy bet the one who acted like it wasn’t a big deal to be less concerned with his health, $50.00 he couldn’t jump up on a 20-inch box. Unfit guy takes the bet, backs up across the room, gets a running start, and does a single-leg take off, only to end up on the floor! Fit guy says something I’ll always remember; “Your body is the only car you’ll ever drive, man. You’ve gotta take care of it.” His less fit friend looks confused. He goes on to beautifully explain, “Imagine you can only drive one car for the rest of your life. Wouldn’t you take care of it? If it was the only car you will ever own, and you can never buy another one, you would change the oil often, rotate the tires, check the fluids, replace parts as soon as it was necessary, and keep it clean. Why wouldn’t you do the same with your body?” Fit builder guy is my new hero.
Your body is the only car you’ll ever drive.
Only six percent of Americans feel they have a good grasp on each of the four pillars of health. Let me remind you about the four pillars of health, you may recall these from the Box Canyon Bodies home page.
Eating well- This includes a mostly nutrient-dense whole food meal plan, without an overload of sugar. Adequate water intake can be included in what you need to consume.
Sleeping well- The average adult needs at least eight hours of sleep each night. To help you get better sleep, less screen time, consistent sleep-wake schedules, a cool, dark room, and limited caffeine can all help with sleep patterns.
Stress less- Stress may be the hardest for us as Americans with our worship of the dollar and busy schedules. Regular de-stressing activities include: yoga, meditation, breath work, warm baths, long walks, and social connection.
Get moving- We need an average of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week to stay healthy and fit. Find a way to move your body that is fun and energizing so you will want to stick with it.
Your body is the only car you’ll ever drive.
The sad reality is, just like when we don’t take good care of our cars, when we don’t take good care of our bodies, they begin to show wear and tear and break down. We get injured, sick, inflamed, and no longer function with the ease and smooth ride that we used to. Can you imagine being no longer able to care for yourself? What if your kids had to take care of you? What if you had to live in an assisted living facility instead of your home because your health was so poor? It doesn’t happen overnight, but if you repeatedly refuse to take care of your body, if you fail to look after the needs of each pillar of health, this idea of assisted living could become a reality.
Your body is the only car you’ll ever drive.
Race Car drivers have to make pit stops throughout the race. The drivers know they can’t wait until they see an engine light or have a busted tire before pulling into the pit. The drivers understand that to win, they have to stop and take the necessary equipment changes before they need it. If a driver were to wait until something happened, it would likely be too late and they may not even be able to finish the race. Similarly, the maintenance we do on our bodies needs to be preventative as well. We need to make these four pillars of health daily habits, before we find ourselves on the side of the road or splayed out on the floor after attempting a 20inch box jump.
You can do it. Start making your pillars of health pit stops right now. You can’t afford not to. And I think you know why…
Your body is the only car you’ll ever drive.
