So many people (especially in America) sit on their duff wondering why they're not healthier. Or why they feel like crap. Or why they're fat.

It's because we've changed how we live our lives. With so many gadgets and doo-dads doing things for us, basic human health has gone by the wayside. Sure, we have medicines and vaccinations that keep us alive longer than people did 100 years ago, but I would put their physical health up against ours any day! The folks at Zen Habits gave us another winner with their 7 rules on how to live life in a healthy fashion. Instead of cranking up workouts to lose weight, they're talking overall fitness and general health. It's something everybody can handle, and something everybody needs. My favorite:

2. Live Life Actively.

Our society was the healthiest when there were no such things as treadmills, ellipticals and Pec Decks. We used the gym to support our activities (like what athletes do).  We rode our bikes, skied, surfed, played pick-up basketball and walked everywhere.

Now, we go to the gym. We run on treadmills like rats in a cage, partake in bodybuilding programs that give us bulky, unuseable muscles and create imbalance & injury, and do aerobic classes that give us little to no benefit with the way we look.

As our society transitioned from an active culture to a gym-going culture, obesity, heart disease and diabetes slowly started to increase. Coincidence? Maybe. But staying active and trying new things - playing a sport, going for a hike, being active with family, playing frisbee with the dog- never killed anyone.

Ask yourself these questions…When was the last time you got excited to go to the gym (to actually workout, not to see the hot aerobics instructor or personal trainer)? And what about when you knew that the weekend was just around the corner and you were going to the beach to play some volleyball?  Or out to the golf course with your buddies to play 18 holes?

Live actively and use the gym to support your efforts.

Check out the link at the top for the full article. Do you have any solid tips? Share them in the comments!