In a stress filled life of work, family and friends sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. The policy issues faced by city government are large but thankfully Mayor Joe Curtatone is encouraging Somerville residents to slim down and focus on physical health.

It may seem like a small thing but before we can tackle the serious issues we face we must be in good health.

Detective Mario Oliveira faced the biggest fight last November when he was struggling to stay alive after being shot five times. He credited his amazing recovery in part to his physical fitness regimen before the shooting.

Most of us don’t have to face what Oliveira did but we can still learn something from him: stay in good physical shape and we can better face the curve balls life throws at us.