SPYA YOUTH LIFE: Heartfelt Investment for Health life

August waves its “Salt air~” lyrics for Swifties out there, and got me to wave back to my Anatomy and Physiology of the Cardiopulmonary system. Our preliminary discussion is all about oxygenation, which pushed me to review my medication studies for respiratory diseases. I say, all these drugs are costly. My weekly allowance can never afford any of them! We listened to various breath sounds—those sounds that would make me hesitate to breathe as I tried to hear it as if it telepathically-radiated back to my lungs. As I flipped through my notes for tomorrow’s theoretical class, I couldn’t help but feel blessed to be surrounded by people who choose healthy living—friends who dearly love workouts, jogging, and keeping their bodies in motion.

I’ll admit, during my teenage years I was one of the careless ones who didn’t give much thought to exercising my heart and lungs. But the more I studied the pathophysiology of acutely or chronically ill patients, the more it became a wake-up call. It reminded me—and I hope it reminds others—that we don’t need to fear sickness if we start caring for ourselves now. We don’t have to spend a lot to have a strong, healthy heart and lungs. Simply jogging with friends to make it fun, cycling with your lover to make your heart race, or swimming at your favorite beach resort can go a long way. And yes—wearing masks in public places, especially those prone to smoking or vaping, is still a must to avoid secondhand smoke diseases. Fruits and vegetables? That’s already non-negotiable.

What blesses me about the San Pablo Youth Apostolate is how they choose to live healthily without being forced or reminded by. Jogging was first influenced by our Parish Youth Coordinator, Ate Aiko Vinuya, a registered criminologist. Kuya Kim Amparo’s social media posts, with his short quotes about self-care, reminds me that my heart and lungs deserve to be loved as much as I love indulging in sweet treats. And of course, the entire SPYA Music Ministry, athletes with a good sense of humor—make every jog-bonding session twice as fun.

As for me, I started with solo walks during my freshman year; my way of unloading baggage, visiting quiet places, and doing self-reflection. But I knew it wasn’t enough as I started studying diseases and nursing interventions to cure and prevent. When I became a sophomore, jogging became my habit. After long draining hours of theory classes and hospital rounds, I needed a way to recollect myself. More than that, I realized the cost of neglecting your health—paying the “debt” of restoring a heart you’ve taken for granted—is far heavier than any 2kg dumbbell at the gym. I’d rather be breathless from a 10km jog than wheezing behind a face mask inside a hospital cubicle.

For today’s youth, taking health seriously is as natural and attractive as our daily skincare routines. We’ll thank ourselves someday, when grey and white hairs begin to show, for taking care of our bodies long before illness could. As good stewards of our community, being healthy for yourself is an investment that no one can steal from you.

August may be “sipped away like a bottle of wine,” as Miss Taylor Swift sings, and so can our health if we’re careless. But here’s the twist: cardiopulmonary workouts matter—even when it feels like “I never needed anything more.” Because in reality, we do. (Sophia Beatrice V. Sison | San Pablo Youth Apostolate)