Welcome to this week’s Weekly Reset.
Every week I share one thought about health, one challenge to improve your week, and one reflection that has been impacting my own life. This week is about a 3-minute read.
Health Insight: Have We Made Health Too Complicated?
Wear this tracker. Take this supplement. Follow this morning routine. Eat at this exact time. Cold plunge. Sauna. Count your steps. Track your sleep. Measure your recovery.
None of those things are necessarily bad. Some can actually be very useful. But sometimes I wonder if we have made being healthy way more complicated than it needs to be.
There are regions around the world that have become known as “Blue Zones” because of unusually high numbers of people living into very old age. There is still debate around exactly what makes these areas unique and how much we can attribute their longevity to specific habits, but some themes consistently show up when we study healthy aging. These people tend to move regularly, eat relatively simple foods, stay connected to other people, maintain a sense of purpose, and find ways to manage stress.
Nothing revolutionary. In fact, it is almost frustratingly simple.
One thing that fascinates me is that movement is often naturally built into everyday life. These people are walking, gardening, carrying things, getting up and down from the ground, bending, squatting, and working around the house. They are not necessarily thinking about “getting their workout in.” Movement is simply part of the way they live.
Even something as simple as being able to squat and get back up requires strength and mobility through the hips, knees, ankles, and trunk. As we get older, maintaining those basic movement patterns becomes incredibly important for independence and function.
Gardening is another habit that frequently comes up when looking at active older populations. Think about everything involved in tending a garden. You walk, squat, kneel, reach, carry things, spend time outside, and take care of something. It gives you movement without needing to call it exercise.
Maybe the secret is not finding the perfect workout.
Maybe it is creating a life where movement happens naturally.
And Then There’s Stress
We also cannot talk about longevity without talking about stress. You can eat perfectly and exercise every day, but if your body never gets an opportunity to come out of a constant state of stress, that matters too.
Chronic stress can affect sleep, cardiovascular health, metabolism, immune function, and the way we feel day to day. Yet some of the most basic tools we have for managing stress are incredibly simple. Move your body. Sleep. Spend time outside. Be around people you love. Slow down every once in a while.
Again...simple.
And that is what I keep coming back to.
There will always be another health trend, another supplement, another diet, another piece of technology, and another person online telling you that you are doing something wrong. But if we are constantly chasing the next thing while ignoring the basics, we may be missing what matters most.
Reflection: K.I.S.S.
There is an old saying: Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Maybe we need a little more K.I.S.S. in our lives.
I know I have a tendency to think ten steps ahead. I want to know how everything is going to work out. I want the perfect plan and the perfect answer. Sometimes I can make something far more complicated than it needs to be simply because I am trying so hard to control the outcome.
But Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
I do not think God asks us to have enough strength for the next year. He gives us what we need for today.
Today’s work. Today’s decisions. Today’s movement. Today’s meal. Today’s conversation. Today’s faith.
We can exhaust ourselves trying to solve problems God has not even asked us to solve yet.
I think that applies to our health too. You do not need to completely transform your life tomorrow. Go for a walk today. Cook a simple meal today. Call someone you love today. Get outside today. Move your body today.
Then wake up tomorrow and do it again.
Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do physically, mentally, and spiritually is stop making everything so complicated.
Three Questions
Where have you been making your health more complicated than it needs to be?
What is one simple habit you could consistently do every day for the next year?
What are you worrying about tomorrow that God is only asking you to trust Him with today?
Weekly Challenge: Keep It Simple
Pick one simple thing this week and do it consistently.
Maybe it is walking after dinner, working in the yard, getting down on the floor and back up a few times, cooking dinner instead of ordering it, calling a friend, or spending ten quiet minutes with God.
Do not create a twelve-step plan around it.
Then do it again tomorrow.
Keep it simple,
Preston Hetland
https://ywellnessmn.com/
