IDEA Health and Fitness publishes a monthly Fitness Journal with a number of great articles. In their April 17,2018 edition, author Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP, FACSM, published a report entitled “Fit to Survive” http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/fit-to-survive?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=IFJ+April+2017+%282%29, a five-pronged plan to help you survive a calamity, fight off stress, and stay happy and healthy. We have extracted and highlighted some of the key points below.

1. Mentally Fit to Live

Life is largely a process of adaptation to the circumstances in which we exist. The secret of health and happiness lies in the successful adjustment to the ever–changing conditions on this globe; the penalties for failure in this great process are disease and unhappiness. — Hans Selye

2. Nutritionally Fit to Live

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are. — Jean Anthelme Brillat–Savarin

Food science experts agree that optimal performance requires a diet that is based on whole foods and that avoids (or significantly minimizes) refined and processed foods. The right kinds of food help regulate metabolism and keep off extra weight. The bottom line is that a whole food—driven diet is the optimal way to fuel mental and physical survival skills.

3. Physically Fit to Live

The man who goes afoot, prepared to camp anywhere and in any weather, is the most independent fellow on earth. — Horace Kephart

Repeatedly, scientists have shown that successful aging and decreased disability coincide with optimal cardiopulmonary endurance, mobility, muscle strength and balance (Lin et al. 2016).

4. Financially Fit to Live

The first wealth is health. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fitness pros need to think about—and talk about—the connections between health and wealth. After all, people must be financially fit in order to enjoy the survival benefits of optimal nutrition, physical activity and stress management.

5. Environmentally Fit to Live

The adaptation of individuals to the needs of the body, the community and the environment in which they live is mandatory for survival. — Erik Erikson

Create and nurture a unique ecosystem in the environment where you live, work and play. That means managing relationships with the people, places and things in your home, work and outdoor living spaces. Without daily vigilance and upkeep, chaotic clutter can push self–care to the wayside.

To learn more about our Challenge Weighted Workoutwear can help you go from surviving to thriving, visit us at www.challengeweightedworkoutwear.com.