Many people ask me what motivates me to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle and I always used to say that it was for my general health. As I have grown older, my answer has changed to, “I want to be able to take care of my loved ones, and most importantly myself as I age.” Let me explain what I mean…
I maintain a consistent, healthy lifestyle because I know and we all know its benefits. If we take care of our bodies, we are maintaining a healthy weight by eating well and regularly exercising. Therefore, we are stronger, fitter and more energetic. If you are maintaining your health, then you are simultaneously maintaining your immunity. Along with strong immunity comes disease prevention as diseases and infections are amongst the biggest health-related issues that might prevent you from leading a long, happy and healthy life. So, I want to be fit and healthy to be able to take care of myself as I grow older. I want to reduce my chances of getting weak, sick or tired. I want to be able to take care of myself as independently as possible and not have to directly rely on others or medical treatment to take care of myself. Although we gain so much more with every day we live to enjoy, I want to delay the common side effects that come as we age.
The idea of healthy shouldn’t just stop at a healthy body; it continues to a healthy mind. Again, to live a long, happy and healthy life, our mental health is critical too! With a healthy body, your mind is healthier due to the balanced diet and regular exercise decreasing your stress and pain levels among the other positive advantages. In addition, by managing and balancing most essential areas of life (personal, social, family, work, community, etc..) you can enjoy the endless physiological benefits of a well-balanced lifestyle. When your mind and body are synced in terms of self-care even your sleep and mood improve remarkably. Relaxing is important but so is challenging your mind. Do not forget that we need to keep our minds strong and maintain our mental strength too.
Now, if I am able to achieve optimal physical and mental health and maintain it, what is the deeper reason to why I want to maintain my own health? The answer may seem grim at first, but it is very positive when understood. I want to be able to successfully take care of my loved ones, the people around me that I want to grow older with..my family, my friends and others I care for. I always remind myself that if I am to be a good mother, wife, daughter, sister or whatever relation it is, I need to make health the basis of that relationship. I want these individuals to also feel the commitment to grow older with me in this life and to be responsible for their health along with mine. It comes down to my priorities, my loved ones and myself and positively influencing their well-being priorities.
If you aren’t leading a balanced and healthy lifestyle yet, then start taking baby steps in that direction. Look at those loved ones around you and re-build those relationships based on health. Wishing you all long, happy and healthy lives Insha’Allah!


* The author is a wellness advocate and influencer @keys2balance.