The human body is a remarkable piece of equipment. It can stand a great deal of abuse, but not indefinitely. Like all machinery, it will eventually break down. When this happens we feel bad, we look bad and life is not much fun. Continued abuse will lead to chronic ill-health.

Some of us, it seems, are deliberately set on abusing our body. We do it in five ways: smoking, drinking too much alcohol, eating a poor diet, failing to cope with tension and neglecting exercise.

Successful people in today's busy world make us envious. How do they keep up their busy pace? How do they manage to achieve so much? How is it that they always look so good? How do they cope?

The answer to all of these questions is simple. They take care of their bodies. Many of them (top sportsmen and others in the public eye) would not survive in their professions if they did not.

People whose appearance, physical and mental ability are important to their job know that their body must be able to function efficiently if they are to operate at the highest level. They know that overeating, drinking too much and allowing their body to get run down makes them feel anything but good.

They know that to stay vital, exercise is important and that their weight must be kept in check. They enjoy good food, alcohol and lots of fun, but these outlets are kept in perspective, as over-indulgence demands a high price eventually.

These people do not have trouble sleeping. An energetic lifestyle also includes resting and recharging times. Because these people have such a positive attitude to themselves and their ability, many stand out as natural leaders and people whose example is worth following.

We can all adopt this lifestyle. All it takes is a commitment to ourselves

People have different abilities and different ways of achieving their potential, but there is one thing everybody can have, a body that is well looked after.

The ingredients for changing your attitudes to your body include:

1. Managing stress and tension

2. Eating a balanced diet

3. Getting regular exercise

4. Not smoking

5. Going easy on alcohol

6. Getting plenty of sleep

7. Having a positive attitude about yourself

Tension and stress are prime troublemakers for people who have not learned to deal with them

In many cases, the best way to shed tension is to adopt a more positive attitude to yourself, to tell yourself about your good points and tell yourself that you can do any job and do it well. Most over-stressed people who seek professional help find a simple cure. Better organization of your time and a relaxed approach to your work and leisure will help.

Eat a balanced diet

The importance of a well-balanced diet cannot be over-emphasized. A diet which includes plenty of wholegrain cereal products, fruit and vegetables, some dairy food, lean meat, fish and poultry, minimal salt, sugar and fats is a step in the right direction for good health- both physically and mentally.

Try to get some regular exercise

Make time for exercise. Regular exercise does not mean that you have to turn yourself into a prize-winning athlete. It means that you tone up the body's muscles, so that you have more energy and develop a capacity to enjoy yourself for longer in any field of activity.

Cigarette smoking has been clearly identified as a serious health risk

Apart from smoking being a costly and messy habit, it dramatically changes a person's ability to taste food. There are many programs available to help you quit smoking. Find out about one of them and enroll now. Non-smokers are not only healthier; they save money and smell nicer too.

Excessive alcohol intake has many ill effects

Too much alcohol consumption has ill-effects on your health, socially and economically too. To curb your alcohol intake, try to make each drink last a minimum of 30 minutes. After a while, you may find you can increase the interval. You will find that you can still have fun at parties. People who drink too much are usually not good company.

Plenty of sound and restful sleep really does wonders for you

It is a good idea to set a regular sleep schedule and adhere to it. Too much damage can be done to the young if tiredness is allowed to continue. A good average for young folks is eight hours a day. You can tell whether eight hours is enough for you by the way you feel when you get up in the morning. If you don't feel refreshed and wide-awake, perhaps you need a bit more shut-eye.

Positive self-evaluations and high levels of optimism can be good for you

Even unrealistically positive thoughts are deemed by experts to be better than negative ones. Apparently, optimism produces positive outcomes mainly because it catalyses action. By making the attempt you are more likely to get what you want in life.

Even unrealistically positive thoughts are deemed by experts to be better than negative ones.

If you work on adding these 7 things into your lifestyle, your body will definitely thank you.