One thing I'm doing about my health...

[Dien Rice]

As you may (or may not) know, my health hasn't been the best in recent years... I have Type 2 diabetes, and I'm doing what I can to "fix things" best I can...

I had a blood test last week, with some positive results. I had a "non-alcoholic fatty liver" - yet apparently, that's cleared up! (I'd lost a lot of weight since my last blood test, which was quite a while ago, and that could be part of the reason...!)

I also recently got a smartphone, and discovered - it can count my steps!

I use a free app (for iPhone) called "Pacer" (there's also a free app for Android called "WalkLogger" which a friend of mine uses).

I pretty much just carry my smartphone in my pocket almost all the time - even indoors - and it automatically counts my steps! (The app runs in the background.)

My goal is at least 6000 steps a day (not quite the 10,000 steps they talk about, I'll work my way up there)!

Here are some of the good things I've found about "automatically" counting your steps this way...

• It's very motivational. I used to try walk at least a half hour each day, like they tell you to do. The thing is, you have to keep track of it, it's something you have to do deliberately, and sometimes I did it, sometimes I didn't. It was a hassle. With the smartphone, I know at the end of the day, it's recorded a certain number of steps, whether I "tried" to do the steps or not... I can't "pretend" I walked when I really didn't (which was my former method)!

• Because I'm motivated to walk more, it means I get out more! Since I often work from home (as more and more people do nowadays), this is a good thing!

• You learn which areas are good for walking around in. Some places are better than others. For example, I know several great areas with interesting stores, cafes, and restaurants, but... In some areas, all the stores and cafes all bunched together, while in other areas, they are much more spread apart. The "spread apart" areas always seem to end up in counting more steps! (Which is logical, but I'd never really given it much thought before...)

• While it's great at helping you get out more, you're also counting your steps at home... So walking around your house is not "wasted"...

• Here's a real surprise. You know when you can't find a parking spot near where you want to be, and you have to walk a lot? It sucks! But now - I rejoice when that happens. Why? Because it means I'll get more steps in! In fact, I've found myself even intentionally parking further away, just to increase my steps! (I know - that's crazy behavior...! )

• When you're always counting your steps, you have to face the reality of how much you are actually walking... You're accountable. No more "fooling" yourself!

But what a fool believes... he sees
No wise man has the power... to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing

(In the immortal yet slightly confusing words of the Doobie Brothers...!)

If you need to walk more... why not try it this way?

If you don't have a smartphone, I don't see why you can't do something similar with a pedometer... (Though the smartphone keeps track of how many steps you're doing per day, and that sort of thing, which is nice.)

You need good health to be successful in business!

Good health means a happier life, and you'll probably make more money too (since you'll have more energy)...!

Best wishes,

Dien

P.S. Don't worry, you can still occasionally be a couch potato... I know I still am!