The Importance of Planning--for Real People

By Lissa Wohltmann

A physical fitness health plan for an organization will not absolutely ensure a successful program, but will help clarify how that organization can move forward with its mission and help support healthy behavior change. This is research and education-speak for plan your day to engage in some sort of physical activity.

You have all heard the worn-out, hackneyed line about people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan. As old as this cliché may be, it’s worth a second, third, or even 17th look. A plan can help give you direction and a path for your ultimate destination. If you have no goal, you won’t be able to determine success. However, if you aren’t necessarily enamored with the term “success” but want only to have fun when you move, then start planning for more fun. After all, that’s really what exercise, or physical activity is—one big fun-fest. And, while you are having fun, you can be saving your health and attempting to put those medical doctors out of business by not visiting them so much (hey, you’ll only need them for a check-up so they can say “everything’s good; see you next year").

After all, you already know that regular physical activity has consistently been coupled with a decrease in a variety of physical ailments such as cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and a host of others. So, save your money, have more fun, and go play. You might just enjoy yourself so much, you’ll want to do this every day.