While I have been active at the gym this year and for the last six months or so, through the winter, my steps count is well down on what it was through the summer months. I wear an Oura ring which tracks the steps and it pretty much fell off a cliff as it started to get colder, from averaging about 8000 a day to averaging 5500. Now that it is warming up again though, I plan on getting out more in the garden and perhaps taking some walks. I haven't been much of a walker for many years mostly due to my legs, but now that the leg surgery recovery is mostly done, I will make use of the newfound capabilities. My legs feel quite strange in some way, but it isn't uncomfortable, just different.
Healthiest countries 2026?
You can explore what that means at the link, but I would suggest that none of these measures is really a good measure of health overall. As I see it, we are multifaceted across physical, mental, emotional and social aspects, so a "health score" has to incorporate all facets at some level. There is no point being physically fit, if the mind and emotions are a volatile mess. Similarly, life potentially isn't so great if mentally healthy, but in constant pain and emotionally empty. And then, without people to share life with, is there much of a point to life itself?
However, I think physical health is highly important, because it heavily supports the other facets of ourselves, enabling us to meet with people as well as helping our mood and thoughts. Exercise is a keystone habit which means it puts pressure on many other parts of our life and helps them grow, whether it be improving our diet, tiding our living space, or paying a bit more attention to the way we present ourselves.
But movement is in decline on average, where due to the changes in daily behaviours, we are moving less in the workplace, in the home, and when we are out. More and more we are sitting behind screens, sitting on couches, and travelling in cars, by electric scooter (still never used one) or just dialling for everything we need as we sit around the house in comfy clothes, because outside is so scary. And the less we move, the worth our wellbeing becomes on average.
Use it or lose it
I was talking with a guy at the gym a couple weeks ago who is there often enough when I am, and I help him move some weights when he needs it. He was in a fire burned him from head to to, is missing both legs, his arms are a mess and he only has a couple fingers on one hand. Yet, there he is, exercising, whilst feeling the pull of his skin that has lost most of its elasticity. While I don't know him well enough to discuss this in-depth, I wonder what he thinks when he looks at all the other people who are there exercising also, with plenty of them being very fit, and a lot also unfit. And what about when he rolls down the street and sees so many people who apparently have no physical reason to not exercise, but are severely overweight. I wonder if it makes him jealous, or angry, or perhaps regretful that he didn't take advantage of his own body more before the accident.
Got ’til It’s Gone
I am almost 100% positive that if I was to for example lose the use of my legs, I would feel regretful that I didn't use them more when I could have. And it goes for everything I assume, where I know I wish I had done more with my brain when it was more capable before the stroke. And wish I had done more exercise when younger, as well as eaten more healthily. Or invested more, or socialised more, or partied more, or studied more. But I didn't. And while I can't make up that time, going forward, I can take steps to take advantage of what I have available now, rather than regret it after the opportunity passes, like so many other things in the past.
Many people lie and say they have no regrets, because if they went back and changed something, they wouldn't have the things they have now. But, that is also a silly way to look at it, because if they never had the things they have now, they wouldn't miss them either. We all have regrets, as they are part of the human condition. Yet we don't seem to learn much a out the process of regret, where it is when we should have or could have done something, but chose not to for some reason. And each day, we keep making similar choices. They might not be big things, like changing jobs, but life is only made of a handful of large experiences. What counts are the millions of daily experiences that make up our life, all the little things and what we could do each day to affect our wellbeing through the tiny choices we make.
Like exercising consistently.
Eating an apple instead of a pack of biscuits, reading a book instead of watching reality TV, going for a walk instead of sitting on the couch, and talking on the phone with a friend, instead of staring at a phone screen scrolling. Little things that might seem insignificant individually, but compound together to over time, make our lives fundamentally better.
Just take a step.
Taraz
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I have found that my steps are way down now that I have a new tracker. I think the old one was not very accurate. I'm not really sure why the difference is so big. It will probably be easier to tell once we get to summer and I am out more mowing the lawn and playing disc golf. You know, I was thinking about reading versus watching TV the other day and honestly, is there really that much difference? You are still just sitting there absorbing mindless content. Unless you are only reading non-fiction or something like that. For instance, right now I am reading a book that's honestly kind of horrible. I don't feel like it is giving me any value, so is it really any better than sitting on the couch and watching a show? Many would argue yes "because I am reading".
This is another reason it went off a cliff. Softfware update made it more accurate.
Not really, but it engages the imagination at least - forces you to create that world. If the book sucks, why keep reading? How many terrible shows I have watched because I had watched a few episodes and didn't want to "waste" the sunk time.
It's pretty short and I am halfway through now. Plus I am not a quitter. I think my software is up to date. I just wouldn't be surprised if my cheaper tracker was less accurate.
It is why I smoked for so long ;D
I've always maintained that if you want to know what your life would be a few years from now, just look at your daily choices in the present.
People don't realize they are shaping their future selves by the seemingly negligible decisions they are taking now. They keep complaining their lives are bad, yet they are going things to compound the problems, and without recognizing that.
I've also come to realize that in life we must all take on some sort of pain or the other. You either take pain in the present doing what is right and fixing your life, or you take the greater pain of facing the consequences of the bad decisions you take now.
So you can either pain now and enjoy later or enjoy now and pain later. It's obvious the former is the better option.
And there's no need postponing taking the pain, just get on with it, because it's unavoidable.
And on average, we take the greater pain as a species, because we want the reward of action now.
Personally, there are two things which I love to do on daily basis: walk and reading (newspaper is a must). If any one of these two is missing, I am already done with the day. Psychologically trapped in this scenario for long, but I think it is a good one. Moreover, thanks to the recent oil scenario, I am able to walk way more than I used to as the prices are high. The chores which, once required, motorbike are easily done on feet 🥲.
However, it doesn't mean I am all perfect. I just try to go with yhe balanced approach. A mix of healthy and unhealthy lifestyle. Actually my smoking habit changed me a lot. In order to get rid of it, I just changed my whole existence, and it's been 4-5 years since the last puff. I guess some bad experiences do matter the most.
For the no regret gang? Nah they are just using the escapism philosophy, nothing else. Humans are good at making excuses.
Thankfully, we don't drive as much these days.
Do you ever miss smoking? I quit about 15 years ago and only occasionally get a slight feel for it. But only very slight.
I occasionally miss those moments, just puffing and not thinking about anything with a sad song or poetry by my side.
Glass of red and a cigarette on a summer terrace.
I don't need to look at the link to know this map is basically useless when looking at USA. I am shocked at what people eat and how they look every time I am in Midwest, because I have been living in Washington state since 1999. And here people eat a lot of seafood, organic foods are everywhere, people do lots of hiking and hanging out on the water. The way people look and eat and exercise really differs across America.
Is it true that on many places adults don't really eat fresh vegetables and everything comes canned or packaged? I have heard that even from the big cities.
Yeah, the map would look different if more granular for sure. Seems there are growing extremes, with some getting healthier and most getting worse.
In Midwest it is shockingly unhealthy, but I don't think they don't eat fresh vegetables, even burgers usually come with lettuce, tomatoes and onions 😀
We don't eat anything from the package. We eat only organic fruits and vegetables. I should put some of our daily home cooked meals on Hive :)
i tried wearing a smart watch and also a fit bit type bracelet. meh.. not worth the charging or fuss.. one just know if they need more sleep or if they need to get off their lazy ass and move! :P
You'd think - but apparently not.
The ring is pretty good. One charge every 8-10 days.
It is a good development seeing how you prioritise your health and well-being. Health is wealth , and that is just the truth. Once someone's health fails them be sure that the end almost here. It is good to know that the surgery was successful. Be it health, progress, and development, all we have to do like you said is to take a step
Since my health hasn't been great for decades, it would be nice to have some financial wealth!
For sure, the choices we make every day influence our overall health and happiness. I think by taking those steps, both in a physical sense and in a more abstract way, we can create major improvements in the quality of our lives.
With the price of fuel keeps increasing, I am walking more often now when going to nearby places, so I can hit 10k steps pretty easily, and I also just began with my marathon training this week, so will have to run more distance than my previous routine.
I suspended walking or anything execercise till after Fasting period or Ramadan, i tried going for a walk today and ..........😅, i only managed to do half of what i used to do, my legs were all itchy and shaking.
I also walked a little today, about 5,000 steps. But I often stood still and breathed. The air was clean and saturated with moisture (there was a light drizzle). It was very fresh and +5 degrees Celsius.
I strolled through the street market stalls and bought a piece of Muscat pumpkin. I paid $1.50 for 0.6 kilograms. A whole pumpkin weighs 6 kilograms, and I wanted to grow this variety. Just think, I could grow 10 pumpkins in my garden, worth $150 (without watering, chemicals, or fertilizer). This pumpkin grows on its own and only needs a little weeding in the first few weeks.
I cut off a piece of pumpkin and gave it to my son. He liked the taste. I asked him what it tasted like. He thought about it. I said I tasted like melon or melon gum Love is :)
My step counts is almost non existing. The 2 days that I do go to the office I try to have a lunch walk. Only 20 minutes, but that is better then nothing. I really try to improve my step count, but always something is holding me back.
And yes an apple a day keeps the doctor away if ... you throw it hard enough.
Have a great weekend.
The step count drop is actually something a lot of people can relate to, even without tracking it. When conditions change weather, routine mood), our activity quietly drops without us really noticing. It’s interesting how something as simple as walking can reflect a bigger pattern when life gets a bit more uncomfortable we naturally start doing less. Getting those steps back isn’t just physical it’s almost like reclaiming a mindset.