Q: Why is it important to learn to become Fit to Live?
Dr. Peeke: I am redefining “fitness” as a more comprehensive and holistic concept that goes way beyond the old definition of a buffed body. I’m asking people if they are Fit to Live to survive a life and death scenario that takes them out of their usual comfort zone. Do you have the mental and physical ability to save your own life or that of others if pushed to do so? But it’s not just about potentially running into these life threatening events. It’s about having the energy and stamina to run for that airport gate and make the plane, to dart after your kid when they head for oncoming traffic, or to walk or jog that 5K for breast cancer. There are three levels of the Fit to Live experience. Are you Fit to Live to survive today’s world, to enjoy each moment, and to challenge yourself? The goal is to be able to do all three. To do so, is to be Fit to Live life to the fullest.
Q: You mention Body Dollars in Fit to Live. What are they and how do I use them?
Dr. Peeke: Most people wake up in the morning and barely survive each day. They expend a minimum of energy getting to and from daily activities and collapse back at home. They are living Body Dollar to Body Dollar with no reserves. Body Dollars are body currency. When you invest the time and effort to work out and to take good care of your body, then you’re banking Body Dollars. When you take a walk, you’re using some Body Dollars but you’re investing them wisely. For every Body Dollar spent, you’re getting five more. That’s a nice return on investment! By doing so, when you need to have extra energy to run for the train or keep up in yoga or aerobics class, you’ll have Body Dollars to withdraw from the bank to use well. Becoming Fit to Live is about creating reserves---Body Dollar reserves. The goal is to have the Body Dollar reserves you need, both for day-to-day functioning, as well as for any potential emergency. What if you needed surgery right now? Your ability to survive and heal well depends upon how many Body Dollars you have available to draw upon for the energy needed to rehabilitate. Wake up every day and commit to investing and banking your Body Dollars wisely. It will save your life.
Q: Why did you include “Money” as one of your five elements to become Fit to Live? What’s that got to do with being healthy?
Dr. Peeke: In a word “everything”! I had a real eye opening experience when I was asked by a major finance firm to keynote a series of seminars on health and wealth. It occurred to me that as I speak around the country, I’m asking people to maintain a goal of living long and well. My epiphany was that to accomplish this goal, you have to have the money to make it happen. Yep, it costs to live well--- not just in terms of Body Dollars, but Bank Dollars as well. You need to have saved and invested your bank currency right along with your body currency. That’s the health-wealth connection. Do you have a strategy for doing this? In my Fit to Live book, I have a full assessment you can do to check your status. You want to have enough money to be able to afford whole foods, a safe place to live, great resources for staying physically fit and good medical care for prevention and treatment. So, take a moment right now and find out where you stand in terms of your financial future. It’s never too late to become financially Fit to Live.
Q: In the Macrocosm part of Fit to Live, you talk about the relationship between my living/working environment and health. What’s my home got to do with my health?
Dr. Peeke: The environment within which you live contributes enormously to your health. If you live in clutter and are surrounded by miles of piles, then you live in stress and anxiety which are deleterious to healthy living. If you have your walking shoes and clothes organized in your gym bag or near the front door, you’ll take that walk. If you can’t find them, there is no walk. Look around you. Do you have healthy whole foods in your fridge and cabinets, or are they filled with science fair projects--- refined sugar, fatty foods, preservatives. Do you have a clean, uncluttered desk so you can keep up with your bills and the paperwork of life, or are you behind in your work, procrastinating and feeling shame and guilt about being so disorganized. Those anxious stressful feelings increase stress hormones in your body speeding up the aging process and depressing immunity. Do you live and/or work near a park or a gym where you can stay fit? How about just getting outdoors for your walks? The fresh air and natural scenery will calm you and make you feel energized and more capable of navigating life’s stresses. Now do you see how important it is to honor where one lives and works? That’s the essence of being environmentally Fit to Live.
Q: What is this new verb “A Squaring it” all about? How does that help me to become Fit to Live?
Dr. Peeke: The core of learning how to become Fit to Live is to become a master of adapting and adjusting to life’s every changing environment. I started out the book with one of my favorite quotes from Charles Darwin. He said that those who survive life are not the strongest physically or the smartest mentally. They are those who can adapt to life’s challenges. All of the great stress physiologists have said the same for years. It’s all about how you can take what shows up in your life--- the good as well as the bad--- and make it work for you. That means having mental, spiritual and physical flexibility. There’s no room for perfectionism which can only lead to paralysis and the inability to continue life’s journey. So, I made a verb out of it--- A² ‘ing it or A Squaring it. Wake up in the morning, and after saying your gratitudes, simply say to yourself “OK, I’m ready for another day of A² ‘ing it--- no matter what happens, I’ll just keep trying to refine and hone my adapting and adjusting skills. People who do this well, are indeed Fit to Live their life to the fullest.