Did you know that May has been celebrated as “National Physical Fitness and Sports Month?” Whatever you missed in your personal involvement, you can pick up now and continue with it all summer long and for the rest of the year. There are no time limits for taking care of yourself.

Texas business executive, Cleo Carlile, knows more about health than any layman I know. He has told me many times, “You have to take charge of your own health. You cannot leave it to somebody else.”

Dr. Tedd Mitchell, writing about physical fitness in the USA Weekend, May 15-17, 2009, in his column “Health Smart,” offers this bit of advice in his closing paragraph, “So take a little time to assess your current exercise and eating habits. If you think your program could be tweaked, what better time than the present to make it happen?”

If you are in the younger years of life, there are all kinds of sports programs – softball, baseball, biking, walking trails, golf, tennis, swimming, hiking, numerous camping possibilities, school and church programs to help youngsters enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

What do I suggest, from my own experience, in terms of diet and exercise? I’ll begin with diet. Here are my simple suggestions.

1. Drink a lot of water every day. Go very light on carbonated, sugar filled, caffeinated and alcohol related drinks – eliminate them from your beverage list. Water and milk work best for me. My friend, Cleo, emphasizes the importance of drinking lots of water.

2. Cut down on how much you eat. Dr. Stephen Smith encourages me about moderation. I try to eat the healthiest food possible – lots of vegetables, fruit and grains. Always lean meat and very little red meat. I have to put a limit on all things. Following a long-time habit of eating about one-half of what I could eat has enabled me to lose 20 pounds and keep it off for years. Quit while you’d like to eat more and an hour later you will feel satisfied and not stuffed.

3. I try to work in the yard or walk for two hours each day. On our 50th wedding anniversary, I bought Kitty a new wedding ring at Broyles Jewelers to make up for “el cheapo” of my graduate school days. She bought for me what I always wanted. A brand new NBA model basketball goal for my driveway. I try to shoot basketball every day.

If I’m shooting at night, it puzzles me that it takes more of my driving moves toward the basket to get the motion lights to come on than it used to. They must be wearing out. I’m sure I am not slowing down. I play as hard as I ever did. It gets harder every year.

4. Be sure to get sufficient sleep and rest. Do not burn the candle at both ends. I once heard of a lady who had lived a long healthy life. She was about 97 when someone asked the secret of her longevity. She replied, “When I work, I work easy. When I sit, I sit loose. And when I start to worry, I go to sleep.” There is a lot of wisdom in all of her three helpful points.

5. Breathe deeply. Fill your lungs with the cleanest air available.

6. John, the devoted apostle of Jesus, sent to Gaius, the beloved elder, this message: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 1:2).“ Ask God to help you.

It is amazing how much the Bible has to say about sickness and healing. Our health and wellness is not neglected. We only have one body. It is smart to take care of it.