Survival of the fitness

Since the human race first walked, many have been looking for the easy way out. If there is a short cut, we turn down it. If there is a faster means, we employ it. If it's convenient, we will pay for it.

Charles Darwin said, "In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment."

The same can easily be said about the struggle for a healthy and fit body. Those of us who realize that there is only one true, safe and lasting path to health will succeed. Those of us who constantly seek out the downhill route of quick fixes and fads will always loose out. Those of us who push past all the nonsense and crazy ideas will be the fittest and the healthiest. Those who experiment with too much weirdness will find themselves worse off than when they started.

So what is the correct path in this quest for healthy survival? How do we adapt in a world bent on giving us the next best quick fix? It's nothing new or revolutionary, it is good old fashioned physical activity, also known as exercise.

The Centers for Disease Control stresses that physical activity is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Physical activity helps control weight, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, reduces the risk of certain types of cancer, strengthens bones and muscles, improves mental health and mood and increases chances of living longer. Sounds like a formula for survival to me.

So why do so many of us fight it, seek for the downhill path? Because it is work. It's much, much easier to sit down on the couch in front of the TV instead of going for a walk or popping in an exercise DVD. It's all too easy to close our eyes and gulp down the latest miracle pill and hope it will burn fat and build muscle overnight. It's much easier to turn a blind eye to the future consequences and only think about what we want right now.

Health requires effort, planning and self-discipline. To survive and thrive, we must sweat, we must move. Just accept it now: There is no easy way out, no short cut. The downhill path is far too bumpy and hazardous. Do not let laziness be the cause of fitness extinction in your life. Commit to adapting to the environment that is best for the body: a lifestyle that includes regular, if not daily, physical activity.

Survival of the fitness is the key to a happy and healthy life. Stand up on your own two feet, take the uphill path and evolve beyond the laziness.

Teri Harman has a bachelor's degree in exercise science and more than 10 years of fitness experience. She also writes a weekly column, Book Matters, for ksl.com and blogs at book-matters.com