As people age, their priorities and their concerns change. Somewhere around 50, health starts to move up on the “concern list”. Unfortunately, for most, health does not move up on the “priority list” and for far too many, it doesn’t even make the list at all.

It is sad but true, that just being concerned about your health will not do much to improve it. Making your health a priority in your life is what is needed to make real change and improvement in your health.

In order to truly make your health a priority in your life you must first take personal responsibility for your health. You have to accept the fact that you and only you are in control of the lifestyle you want to live. From eating to exercising to sleeping, you have to take responsibility for your choices. Sure, it’s easier to “externalize” and blame unhealthy choices on someone or something else: “My spouse does not cook healthy meals for me”, “I don’t have time to exercise due to my work schedule”, “My kids won’t eat healthy food, so I don’t fix it”, “and I have a bad back, so I can’t exercise”, etc.

As a trainer, I hear excuses like these often during consultations with potential clients. When I hear someone blame external factors for their own poor choices, I know that they are not truly ready to make lasting changes in their lives. My, over 20 years of experience tells me that until someone stops blaming other people and factors, they will not reach their goals.

So, have you taken personal responsibility for your health? Take some time to think about it and be totally honest with yourself. If you are not who or where you want to be in your life, with regards to your health, do you accept the fact that you are in charge of this reality? If you can take this first step, the rest of journey becomes easier.

Most humans like to be “in control”. Taking personal responsibility for your health gives you control. Getting over this hurdle is very freeing for many people. Taking control of your choices is a way of giving yourself permission to be selfish and do what’s best for you and your health. When you take control of your choices and you want to improve your health, then all of the sudden you find a way to get healthy food, make time to get to the gym and find the money to hire a trainer. When you truly realize that you are the only person that can create a healthy lifestyle for yourself, you will find a way to get there.

Not taking personal responsibility for your choices regarding your health and fitness hurts you more than anyone else. Think about this: nursing homes are not full of sick people; they are full of weak people. Sickness lands you in the hospital; weakness lands you in the nursing home. If you don’t have the strength and coordination to control your own body, then you have to rely on others to care for you. Keeping your mobility is the key to keeping your independence.Keeping fit is the key to keeping your mobility.

Spend some time thinking about who and where you want to be as life goes on. Know that you have a lot of control over that vision. If you want to be active, independent and keep a high quality of life, then make daily choices to support that vision. Look at the choices you are making in your daily life now.Are they putting you on the path to where you want to be? If not, do you realize that you are the only one that can change this?

Embrace the control you have over your life; make the choices that create the vision you want for yourself and your life.