When I was a freshman in college a guy from our football team was in a horrific car accident, his air bag burst open and he suffered serious injuries. When he was in the hospital, the doctor stood over him in shear amazement and said this: the only reason you lived was because your muscle tissue absorbed some of the impact protecting your organs from fatal damage.
At 18 I learned a valuable lesson - being in great physical shape can save your life. Sometimes accidents are out of our control. And, our jobs or hobbies may put us at an increased risk for hurting ourselves.
Leading A Long, Healthy Life
Everyone knows that eating the right foods, keeping stress levels low and exercising can help you decrease your risk for many chronic diseases. However, there are many unforeseeable hazards that we come across every single day. And, staying healthy may help you avoid complete disaster.
How Bodybuilding Can Save Your Life:
- Bodybuilders Are Strong: Building muscle tissue will do more than just help you prevent some chronic diseases such as osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Muscle protects your organs, helps you pull your body out of dangerous situations and prevent falls when pushed, hit or shoved. In addition, you can use your muscle to power your body forward, climb out of a burning home and lift a heavy object off of yourself or someone else.
Even seemingly little things that are easy to overlook - like the density of your muscle inserts, can help you from breaking your bones.
- Bodybuilders Are Agile: Think about the agility of an Army Ranger or Navy Seal. They are not only strong and powerful with good endurance, but these soldiers are also agile. They can move their body through hazardous situations, prevent falls and potentially circumvent dangerous accidents. Agility can help you to in the face of danger.
- Bodybuilders Use Their Peripheral Vision: Have you ever seen a car approaching out of the corner of your eye? Participating in sports develops your peripheral, or side, vision. Good peripheral vision is essential for avoiding car accidents when switching lanes (or in general when there are bad drivers on the road). In addition, a wide field of vision can help you spot danger from almost any angle.
- Bodybuilders Don't Take Foolish Risks: Bodybuilders value their bodies and therefore avoid foolish, risky behavior. They also know their limits and have the confidence to walk away from potentially disastrous situations. Knowing your limits and having the confidence to step away from a bad situation can help you avoid future harm.
- Bodybuilders Get Plenty Of Rest: Bodybuilders know that rest is a vital component to building a strong, healthy body. Without adequate rest, your body will not recover and adapt to the best extent possible. Sleep deprivation can hurt your health by increasing your reaction time, decreasing your ability to make good decisions and increasing your overall risk of getting in an accident.
Additional Tips To Help You Lead A Long, Healthy Life:
- Get your vision checked regularly. Even if you've always had 20/20 vision, as you age you may be at risk for or develop macular degeneration, cataracts or glaucoma.
- Safeguard your home: http://www.homesafetycouncil.org
- Keep your car in good condition.
- Stay home and rest when you do not feel well. If you really feel like something is wrong, see your physician.
- Know how various medicines affect you. If they make you tired, take them at night before bed.
- Don't go without health insurance. First, you may get nailed with "pre-existing conditions" the next time you get insurance and, you never know when you'll get sick or injured.
- Don't text, email, twitter or use your phone while driving. Studies indicate your risk for getting in a crash while texting is over 2000% higher than if you locked your phone in your trunk.
Conclusion
A strong, muscular body looks great but, more importantly, it will help you avoid some chronic diseases, be more functional in life (lifting kids, pushing wheelbarrows etc.) and potentially avoid dangerous, even fatal, accidents or at least minimize the damage to your body. Never underestimate the importance of a strong body and good endurance.