Because I am a Family doctor, I am sometimes asked to talk to classes of teenagers about their health, and how to keep it in good order for the next several decades. I use this simple parable. I am not sure where I got it but it seems to strike a chord with them.
I have some very good news, I say, and some not so good. I am going to give you a car. It’s a fabulous car, a top of the range Mercedes. Very high spec. The not so good news is that it is the only car you will own for your entire life. You would look after it, wouldn’t you?
They usually agree that they would.
There are quite a few hints on person maintenance which I wish I had known when I was their age. Doctors tend to optimistically call these tips “lifestyle advice”.
Exercise is like the Credit Union. If you put in a little bit regularly you can get an awful lot out of it. The trick is to get into a habit. It is believed that it takes about 21 days to form a habit, so start by getting a pair of runners, take a regular walk and build up.
Watch out for excuses. They will get in your way. It’s always too hot or too cold or too late.Routine overrides that initial inertia that stops you embarking on anything new.
Worry is toxic. I have a method for dealing with worry. First share it, second, get the facts, and third make a plan. It doesn’t have to be a perfect plan, you can change it to fit your needs later on, but get some kind of a plan.
Don’t sit for too long. Sitting is one of the worst things you can do for your health.
Smoking might have been necessary in the trenches in 1914 to show that you were one of the boys. Now it is stupid and old fashioned, like bear baiting. There are so many easy ways of quitting it is simply pointless to continue. Medication can take 90 per cent of the pain out of stopping.
Get to know people who are interested in what interests you. It is difficult to embark on something on your own, but if you find a group of people who like to cycle, sing or mediate join up. Avoid those who drag you down.
You need less food as you get older.
Be kind to the planet. It is doing its best to support billions of people .Don’t be unnecessarily toxic, wasteful or greedy.
Enough is generally speaking, enough.
If you have a chronic condition like asthma try not to go off the rails in your teens and twenties. Teenagers want to be like their friends and tend to avoid anything that makes them different. You will stick out far less if you take your meds and maintain your health.
If you have never tried alcohol don’t start. Don’t be tempted to join in the great national love affair with booze.
Mediate.Even for a few minutes a day.
Boredom is highly underestimated. A nice boring few minutes in your day staring at a wall is much better for you than peering at a screen.
Sleep is essential. Get naps, develop a good sleep routine. Remember that to sleep on it is better than spend all night worrying about what you have done.
Live life lightly.
Give thanks on a regular basis for the good things in your life. You will find them if you look. (A good place to start is be grateful that are not a slave in a Siberian salt mine. After that everything is a plus)
Have a small fridge .Eat fresh food. Drink plenty of water. Eat organic food; it’s not what’s in it, it’s what’s not in it.
Stretch. You are as young as your spine. As you get older Yoga, Tai Chi or some other gentle exercise os essential. Continue to use the body or it will forget how.
Don’t ever be shy, or embarrassed to go to the doctor .They have heard it all before and are immune to embarrassment. A good doctor, dentist or physiotherapist will work with you .They will share your journey.
Get out and about in the open air.
Let the winter sun shine on your face. People are not that down from the trees and we need to get outdoors regularly.
There will come a time when you need some medication to keep going. Give in gracefully.
Most of these medications were not around even a few years ago so if you can sort out your high blood pressure or ulcer with a handy little pill go for it.
Your children will do what you do, not what you say. So do it for them, if not for you. Invest some time into doing what they love with them. They will pay you back.
Morning is the best time for most things.
Gardening will give you strength flexibility and stamina, as well as the sense of achievement that is rare in modern life.
Lastly, if you are ever tempted to give good advice give it to the person in the mirror first and set an example.