One member of the vast team of medical people keeping me alive told me the other day that she doesn't like to use the word "exercise" because so many people have an strong aversion to that word. People my age grew up believing that exercise was only for the very determined and that it involved straining oneself. In the last couple of decades we have all been told that normal everyday things like walking and gardening are also exercise. So why do we still hate that word?
I think too many people still equate it with work instead of pleasure. I learned the magical benefits of exercise fifteen plus years ago yet I still let myself become a couch potato who viewed exercise as a whole lot of work that, weighed against doing nothing, seemed like too much effort. But truth be told, I had, in fact, stopped living my life, because who wouldn't want to go for a walk? A walk is a pleasant and enjoyable thing for everyone who is at all able-bodied.
Or how about the motto "No pain, No gain"? I've never experienced pain in my fitness endeavours. I know that elite athletes will push themselves to the limits to get better and probably experience lactate acid in their muscles when they push it. But you and I need to push ourselves to improve our fitness and health just by going for a walk.
To the sedentary, walking is pushing our limits. But our bodies wake up and adapt. We get fitter, stronger and healthier by doing very gentle things. I'm going to continue using that dirty word "exercise," if you don't mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment