What Are You, A Wimp?
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A man can be destroyed but not defeated.
-Ernest Hemingway
Recently, I came across an article describing how humans today are physically much weaker than our prehistoric, and recent ancestors.
Reading the article made me think that with all of our technological advances life could have been made better in some regards and worse in others.
We live in a world of technology. It has helped us fight diseases and hunger, and has made the world a smaller and less mysterious place. At the same time, we might have lost touch with ourselves and forgotten that hard work can be good for you if done the right way. Before the Industrial Revolution life was much more difficult. Life was certainly harder, but so were the people. How can we change this relaxed state we now find ourselves in? Simply put, we can use this information as a new source of motivation.
If I am just sitting around watching television, I cant help but think about how easy life is. If I want some food all I have to do is go to the refrigerator, where I will find it stocked with fresh food bought from a nearby grocery store. To cook my food I only need to push a button or turn a knob. There is no hunting required, no plowing fields, no walking to a store, and no cutting or gathering wood. I think about how this helped to make these people stronger and healthier. Granted there was a lot of diseases and sicknesses, but that can be easily combated with modern medicine. I think about how my being sedentary by watching t.v. is not good for my mental or physical health, and it motivates me to want to do something. I usually will go for a run, but you don’t have to do that. Here is a short list of other options:
1. Call a friend and go for a hike
2. Take the dog for a walk, or take yourself for a walk!
3. Go to the gym
4. Just do some push-ups and crunches until you cant do anymore
5. Stretch while watching television if you must watch it
6. Get a game of soccer or basketball together
7. Read a book
8. Get some friends together to play cards or a board game
9. Meditate
10. Sew or quilt
11. + Just do something.
With all our complicated training plans and diets telling us when and how long and how hard to train, eat, and sleep, its no wonder we no longer know how to listen to our bodies. “How do I DO that?”, you may be asking. Focusing too much on competition and numbers can and will drain you of motivation.
Its easy to dread an activity because you are too concerned with being the best. Try to make one day a week your “free” day. Use this day to just get back to the basics. If you’re a runner, leave your GPS, HR monitor, iPod, and stopwatch off. Don’t map out your route either, just run where you want to run, and as fast or as slow as is comfortable. Relearn to enjoy just being active.
The best thing you can do is to keep your mind and body active. An active body and mind will acclimate to any activity and unless you are tired, you will be restless, which reminds you to get up and burn off some energy until you do become tired. A great preventative method to enact this lifestyle is to make active friends. Watching t.v. or a movie, even if done with others, is a solitary activity. Surround yourself with people who you can talk and debate with, people who you can walk, run, hike, climb or bike with, and you will be healthier as a result.
Tune into your body, and learn to quiet your mind. Pay attention to your surroundings and just go with the flow in every sense. Learn to enjoy the freedom that comes without having any expectations at all.
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