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I suspect it’s a bit of both, but lean towards the latter – I find it hard to conceive of a farmer during the agricultural revolution or a factory worker during the industrial revolution coming home after work and lamenting over dinner about the lack of time for family, friends, exercise, and hobbies.
One factor which has driven the “Work-Life” movement over recent decades is the dramatic increase in the number of dual-income families. In fact the current term “Life Balance” replaced “Work-Life Balance” a few years back, and this term replaced the original “Work-Family” Balance concept which was a construct introduced to give a voice to working mothers back in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
With increasing pressure to work long hours, combined with family commitments, financial obligations and social engagements, health is often put on the back burner. Do we have to wait until a heart attack or for some other fatal condition to arise before we take heed? Do we not value our longevity, our family, our life enough to take a small amount of time out to have a health check and avoid a potential life-threatening condition?
Consider this reality. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Australia. It accounted for 36 per cent of all deaths in Australia in 2004:
- it kills one Australian every ten minutes
- it is suffered by one in six Australians
- it affects two out of three families.
The fortunate thing is that many of the associated risk factors for heart disease are preventable. These include:
- smoking
- high blood cholesterol
- physical inactivity
- high blood pressure
- being overweight
Being male and having a family history of early death from heart disease are also risk factors for developing heart disease -- but these can not be changed!
Enjoying optimal health is not only about avoiding risk factors it is also about early detection. You may well exercise, not smoke and mind your diet, all beneficial to your health, but detection is an essential component of health maintenance. As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Makes sense really; what is the point of working hard but never getting to enjoy the fruits of your labour -- enjoying time with your family? Health is clearly your best asset. It deserves good maintenance. A regular and thorough healthcheck could be a life-saver.
As the Heart Foundation says, “Leading a healthy lifestyle and following medical advice to reduce or remove risk factors over which we have some control is the best way to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, and to help prevent it getting worse if it already exists. . .”
There are many companies who offer individuals the opportunity to identify potential problems and to advise on optimal lifestyle choices. Good Health Solutions is one that tailors health assessments for the owners and executives of small, medium and large businesses. These convenient and thorough screenings enable early detection and management of lifestyle conditions. This in turn enables individuals to live a longer, happier and more fulfilling life both at home and at work.
As you contemplate your business plan for the new year, put down January as the month for managing your most important asset: your health!
Source: Dr John Lang, Good Health Solutions
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