I hate exercising. The idea of going for a run for its own sake or doing a million sit-ups before breakfast strikes me as (at best) rather silly things to do. That's because "exercising" in it's purest sense is rarely any fun. We had a neighbor - who happens to be a Marine - who seemed to think that anything physical was only worth doing if it hurt. A lot. She invited Jenn over several times to go running or exercising to a work-out video, and each time Jenn came limping home wondering just why our neighbor seems so hell-bent on absolutely
punishing herself. I may be a fool who invariably puts himself in positions where injury is likely/inevitable, but that is never the goal. I don't seek out pain (it hurts!), but I do enjoy using my body to have experiences which are otherwise unattainable.
Example: mud runs. As I've mentioned previously, these are events where participants have the opportunity to basically play outside in dirt and mud while running around and jumping over stuff. I don't know about most folks, but that reminds me a lot of the better moments of my childhood. The thought that there's pain involved takes a backseat to the fact that this type of activity is actually fun.
I remember as a kid jumping on my buddy Craig's trampoline for hours and having to crawl back into the house afterwards because our legs were so painfully exhausted. In junior high school, we played basketball up to 7 times each day and never thought twice about the agony our feet were going through. It was fun, we felt great, and we couldn't wait to do it again the next day.
Somewhere along the line though, people seem to forget that playing and exercising can be the same thing. As we outgrow our youth, we start doing things like "Going to the Gym" and "Running for 30 Minutes Three Times Per Week", as if breathing hard and sweating is the actual objective. Lots of folks pay good money for memberships to gyms where they literally exercise themselves into exhaustion, but never once (and I've asked) has anyone told me the experience brings them any joy. Call me crazy, but...wait...no, THAT is crazy! At what point do we decide that we have to earn our health and sense of well-being, rather than enjoy it? Is there some societal norm that says enjoyment of life must not be enjoyable at all?
I realize that the vast majority of the world is full of people who don't have the luxury to choose a life that pleases them. For some, being healthy takes a backseat to simply staying alive another day. There is no time for having fun. It is my extreme good fortune to have the privilege of living in a beautiful place that I can explore and play in every day. Kayaking, diving, biking, hiking, swimming, and mud running are activites that I enjoy doing. The fact that these things may hurt a little is irrelevant. They're fun, and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.
Example: mud runs. As I've mentioned previously, these are events where participants have the opportunity to basically play outside in dirt and mud while running around and jumping over stuff. I don't know about most folks, but that reminds me a lot of the better moments of my childhood. The thought that there's pain involved takes a backseat to the fact that this type of activity is actually fun.
I remember as a kid jumping on my buddy Craig's trampoline for hours and having to crawl back into the house afterwards because our legs were so painfully exhausted. In junior high school, we played basketball up to 7 times each day and never thought twice about the agony our feet were going through. It was fun, we felt great, and we couldn't wait to do it again the next day.
Somewhere along the line though, people seem to forget that playing and exercising can be the same thing. As we outgrow our youth, we start doing things like "Going to the Gym" and "Running for 30 Minutes Three Times Per Week", as if breathing hard and sweating is the actual objective. Lots of folks pay good money for memberships to gyms where they literally exercise themselves into exhaustion, but never once (and I've asked) has anyone told me the experience brings them any joy. Call me crazy, but...wait...no, THAT is crazy! At what point do we decide that we have to earn our health and sense of well-being, rather than enjoy it? Is there some societal norm that says enjoyment of life must not be enjoyable at all?
I realize that the vast majority of the world is full of people who don't have the luxury to choose a life that pleases them. For some, being healthy takes a backseat to simply staying alive another day. There is no time for having fun. It is my extreme good fortune to have the privilege of living in a beautiful place that I can explore and play in every day. Kayaking, diving, biking, hiking, swimming, and mud running are activites that I enjoy doing. The fact that these things may hurt a little is irrelevant. They're fun, and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.
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