When we think about our health, we associate numerical value to our weight, our blood work, and how many calories we consume versus the calories we expend. While these quantifiable items certainly help to identify a logical explanation for our health, there are many that would disagree that health is much more than numbers. It is estimated that over 2 million people in the United States alone were diagnosed with cancer in the most recent year of 2024. That's more than 2 million people who likely no longer associated their health with numbers, and more so with their physical, mental, and emotional capacity to truly live. What is considered to be living in this day in age is far from what we should actually be doing.
Less calorie counting. More Mindful eating. Less screen time. More exercise. Less complacency. More initiative. Less depending on a system to cure us. More autonomy in our decision making to prevent disease in the first place.
You see, 2 million individuals suspected that they may be in the clear of this disease, whether they were seemingly healthy or not. Only to find that Cancer does not discriminate and there is no magic drug. While there have been massive strides in identifying cancer earlier and positive outcomes on numerous treatment plans, the one thing that doctors cannot do, is seemingly reverse the reason an individual got cancer in the first place. Aside from the percentage of cancers attributed to genetics (5-10%), the remaining diagnoses are related to those of environmental factors.
Alcohol
Smoking
Diet
Obesity
Physical inactivity
Despite what some people may think, these are all avoidable and manageable actions in our lives that we can improve. The unfortunate part about all this is that when people are diagnosed with cancer and told they need to complete treatment they do exactly what the doctor prescribes despite the side effects. Radiation- which causes scarring, painful irritation of the skin, nausea, appetite changes, sexual dysfunction, food aversions, and more. Chemotherapy- which can cause immense fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, hair loss, fertility issues, pain, organ and nerve damage, and more. Immunotherapy- causing skin reactions, gastrointestinal problems, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, endocrine issues, and more.
Now when your doctor tells you, “You need to consume more whole foods and start participating in regular exercise” in an effort to prevent you from the very disease that could place you on a drug for the rest of your life, put you in the hospital, require you to have treatments 5 times a week for 6 weeks, and will cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars, or worse, kill you, we turn a blind eye.
While there may not be a magic drug, there is what's known to be a magic bullet out there just waiting in the shadows for its true recognition in disease prevention. That magic bullet is exercise. The recommended guidelines for the average American is to complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week in combination with resistance training 2 times a week while targeting full body and large muscle groups. Less than 20% of Americans reach these minimum exercise guidelines. Majority of these people claim that time, money, knowledge, or motivation stunt them from participating in regular and intentional exercise.

Taking a 10 minute walk before work, during lunch, and after work 5 days a week, equates to 150 minutes.
Doing squats, push-ups, sit-ups, and other body weight movements in the comfort of your home costs an additional $0 to your expenses each month.
Identifying user friendly youtube videos, instagram reels, and exercise programs can be a great starting point for those without a general understanding of exercise.
Exercise is not about motivation but rather, about discipline and intention to improve your quality of life for yourself and those you surround yourself with.
It is not that you can’t exercise, it is that you are choosing simplicity in your life now, potentially saving time, money, knowledge, and motivation for other “more important” things while sacrificing the longevity and the quality of your life in the future. Which will in fact still cost you time, money, experience, happiness, and so much more. Do not become complacent in a life full of processed foods, late nights that turn into sleeping through the sunrise, binging alcohol for fun, using cigarettes as a stress reliever, spending hours on the gaming system or cell phone, and assuming an artificial drug that was man made to cure you.
This Sunday, spend just one extra hour to do your own research and make a plan towards a life where YOU are in control. Spend just one extra hour identifying how you can become your best version of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Spend just one extra hour planning the experiences that allow you to truly feel alive.