Fit For Life: Divided We Fall

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

We are a divided nation. Half Republicans have Democrats. Half for gun-control half against it. We are divided by different faiths and religions, which dictates many peoples’ different views on issues such as abortion, contraception, same sex marriage, etc. We also have different views on issues like who gets taxed and who doesn't and which group is entitled to certain handouts and which ones aren't.

Some of us base our opinions on facts, and many base their opinions on beliefs. It is common when a person is on one side of any of these issues, they are usually on similar sides across the board. Kind of like the master-lever type of voting issue we have had going on in the voting booths up until this year.

However, there is one issue that has no pattern, and it affects everyone equally. There is no discrimination, political party, race, sex or religion that separates the two sides. This division is the healthy and the unhealthy people of this nation.

The numbers aren't even close.

Unfit and poor health is outnumbering the other side by a landslide victory. Rather than being in a preventative or proactive frame of mind, people would rather get sick, then react. There are issues and debates that can be seen from both sides, but I can't comprehend the choice to be unhealthy. But people are making that choice every day.

I am not talking about the misinformed, or the people that think they are trying, only to be fooled by big marketing of commercial foods and weight loss gimmicks, or the people that are on low salt and low fat garbage because their doctor told them that their blood pressure was too high.

I am talking about the people that deliberately use drive thru windows as their primary food source. These are the same people that protested the mayor of New York a few years ago for banning “big gulp” sodas. They do not want the government or anybody else telling them how to live, even if it is in everyone's best interest. These are the people that chose to be ignorant, and are going to keep killing themselves slowly, with no consideration for anyone else around them, including loved ones. Yes, poor health affects everyone around you. Both on a personal level and a financial one, too.

It puts a burden on all of us in many ways, and I will give you a quick example of how one’s ignorance impacts all of us. When you let yourself go, eat processed garbage, don't exercise, you WILL get sick. When you do, you clog up the medical system with your preventable ailments. Once you get into the system, and get on prescription drugs, you basically become a prisoner for life. When this happens, our hospitals become a revolving door for you, and we all get hit in the pocketbook because insurance is based on averages. So the people that care about their health and well-being, still get to pay unnecessary high premiums so insurance companies can recoup the payouts from the other side.

I know I can't reach everyone, and it is impossible for everyone to think on the same level, but it is extremely frustrating to watch people do deliberate harm to themselves. I can't seem to get the rationale behind killing yourself slowly. I understand that there are addictions, and it is hard to adhere to a strict program, and I am not chastising anyone in this category, my gripe is with the ones that know and do not care. They lobby against everything that could help put a strain on fake food manufacturers, prevent dangerous, un-researched drugs from the shelves, or try to clean up the school lunch programs. These people are standing in the way of making changes for the better. They represent the demand for harmful products, and keep these unscrupulous companies rich and powerful.

So if you care about your health, but are stuck in a rut, give me a call. If you just do not care, love being overweight and out of shape, enjoy the hospital, then by all means keep killing yourself, but please stop trying to interfere with those of us that care. We want bans on soft drinks, high taxes on sugar, cigarettes, and alcohol. We want the schools to intervene, and remove soda machines, processed nuggets, and fake cheese from the building. I would love to see big food labels and GMO manufacturers take big hits in the pockets, but it will never happen as long as WE are so greatly outnumbered. If you are with me, gather some allies and fight the resistance.

Start today by becoming a minority.

Exercise, eat healthy, and make fitness and health part of your life. You will not only be doing a great thing for yourself, you may help contribute to solving some of our health care issues, and won’t need to set foot in the hospital, or overtax our healthcare system for what we know are preventable ailments – some of the biggest causes of chronic disease we have – heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

YogaStudio gets the top vote for Yoga apps. It has a lengthy collection of full class-length videos available at your fingertips. Unlike many other apps, this one also allows you to customize your own video yoga class. All of the poses are done by qualified yoga instructors, and you can find classes suitable for all levels of yogis.

Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android