Are You Taking Your Health For Granted?

Socialising with family and friends, eating out and DRIVING have emerged among a list of activities we would miss most if we could no longer do them.

Researchers who carried out a detailed study also found we would rue an inability to cook, play with the kids and exercise if our health were to go downhill.

Working and, bizarrely, food shopping also made the list.

The study also revealed as many as two fifths of Brits have never considered the extent to which being in good health helps them achieve their ambitions.

And half have never thought about the influence being fit and well has on their chances of enjoying professional success.

Additionally 44 per cent said they overlook the role good physical health plays in maintaining a good social circle, and more than one in four don’t think about it in relation to simply feeling confident and being independent.

Dr Petra Simic, Clinical Director of Bupa Health Clinics, which carried out the study, said: “The disconnect between health and the ability to enjoy everyday things like walking the dog or driving a car is something we see in our clinics all the time.

“When people think about health, they automatically think about the big scary stuff; so much so that two thirds of those we surveyed think being in good health means not having a life-threatening or serious illness.

“As a result, forty per cent only think about health when there’s a problem. I would encourage all of us to take good care of the little things day-to-day.”

The Bupa Health Clinics research of 4,062 adults revealed nine in ten have had an experience which has made them reassess and appreciate life.

Top moments which sparked a new sense of gratitude are having a health issue, losing someone close, becoming a parent and getting married.

Yet the results show two-thirds of us admit taking their health for granted.

Additionally, four in five think they could appreciate their daily moments like walking the dog or taking part in sport more than they currently do.

To encourage appreciation of the ‘Miss List’ activities that health helps them do every day, Bupa Health Clinics is launching a campaign which will get the public sharing their #EverydayMoments.

Record holder, eco-warrior and blogger Lizzie Carr is supporting the initiative and will kick it off.

Carr, author of Lizzie Outside said: “I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in my twenties.

“Five years on and I have the all clear, and I’ve completely changed how I live my life.

“I’ll never take going for a run in the woods or paddle boarding down the river for granted again.

“The purpose of the Bupa Health Clinics #EverydayMoments campaign is not just about feeling more grateful for our everyday health, but also about caring for it better – and I’m an advocate of being kind to your body and appreciating the wonderful things it allows you to do every day.”

Dr Simic added: “Being more aware of the great things health allows us to do means we’re more likely to take care of the little things.

“Whether it’s an injury that needs a physio’s once over, a niggling cough that needs a GP’s attention, or perhaps just getting that all important blood pressure check, these are all things that can, mostly temporarily, stop you enjoying the everyday activities if ignored.”

The #EverydayMoments campaign kicks off today with an A – Z of everyday moments, encouraging the public to share all the fantastic things that they do every single day thanks to good health.

With more than 50 Bupa Health Clinics across the country, customers can access them through health insurance or on a pay as you go basis.

Offering health assessments, physiotherapy, dermatology, GP appointments and much more, Bupa Health Clinics can provide peace of mind and convenience for busy Brits, and you don’t need insurance to benefit.

The top ten everyday moments Britons would miss if they could no longer do them.

1. Socialising with friends and family (56%)
2. Showering & bathing comfortably (55%)
3. Driving (43%)
4. Eating & drinking in a restaurant (34%)
5. Sport & exercise (27%)
6. Playing with kids (26%)
7. Cooking (23%)
8. Entertaining friends and family (22%)
9. Working (16%)
10. Food shopping (15%)

The top 10 experiences that have made Britons reassess and appreciate their life more are:

1. A health issue (from small injury such as twisted ankle to more serious illness) (44%)
2. A bereavement (42%)
3. Having a child (30%)
4. Something that happened in the news (23%)
5. Getting married (22%)
6. Travelling (19%)
7. Moving to a new house (18%)
8. Becoming a grandparent (16%)
9. A relationship ending (14%)
10. A career change (13%)