If you’ve been in a debate online long enough, you’ll eventually get to the point where someone will tell you to “go touch grass.” What does that mean, and does it actually help?
Touching grass really just means spending time outside of your normal zone. This could mean going to a park and bringing a book, going fishing, or even some activities like bowling.
There are some who argue, “well, my job requires me to work 80+ hours a week. I’m constantly stressed out, and I really don’t feel like I have the time to work out.” There are also some who argue, “due to a physical limitation, I’m unable to enjoy exercise.” Even more so, there are those that argue, “physical health shouldn’t be your only goal in life, you should really dig deep into yourself as a person on an emotional level, or even better, spiritually.”
I have answers for all three of you. I’ll start by sharing a quick story.
I don’t recall exactly what year it was, but I was still in elementary school. As part of the Running Club I participated in, our end goal was to run the Bellin Run. I recall doing the 5K, not the 10K.
In Running Club, I was probably the slowest person there. I would often fall behind, and over time, I actually did develop shin splints. I was determined, but I was also a bit too overweight.
The day came, and I ran the 5K in its entirety. My pace ended up being just short of 15 minutes a mile. The average marathon runner would consider that to be fairly slow, especially for someone at that age. That being said, because of a variety of factors, it was probably the most difficult task I’ve ever done physically.
I’m inspired to start running again. I’ve already started going for walks, and while the Bellin Run is a bit too soon for me this year, I’d definitely like to run it next year. I’ve developed the habit of going for a walk over the past week, and I’m going to continue that habit.
“But Simon, didn’t you just link to David Goggins in a previous blog post? He pushes himself past his limits repeatedly. That doesn’t seem very healthy.”
If you think that, you don’t understand why I mentioned him yet. Plain and simple.
Firstly, the evidence for physical exercise is very clear. Here are a handful of articles if you’d like to dig deeper:
Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity by Mayo Clinic
Physical activity by WHO
Benefits of Physical Activity by CDC
Getting more exercise than guidelines suggest may further lower death risk by American Heart Association
Martinez-Gomez D, Luo M, Huang Y, et al. Physical Activity and All-Cause Mortality by Age in 4 Multinational Megacohorts. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(11):e2446802. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.46802
The Top 10 Benefits of Regular Exercise by Healthline
I would highly encourage you to read all of the available information and come to your own scientific conclusions. I genuinely want to hear dissents to this, if they exist.
Here are my conclusions…
I exercise not because I feel like I need to as an obligation, I exercise because I want to. Additionally, as a Lutheran Christian, I find that caring for my body in a healthy way is one of many ways to honor God (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). I also find that it has value for a lot of elements in life, but it doesn’t replace the underlying spiritual motivators (1 Timothy 4:8). It compliments my spirituality, it doesn’t take from it. Also remember that I’m not one that believes in imposing my own views on others by force. This is simply a point of inspiration, not some claim that I have it all figured out. (And yes, I’ve also read Colossians 2:20–23.)
The benefits of physical exercise are fairly simple. It leads to a longer life, it reduces the risk of heart disease substantially, it cuts the risk of depression, it burns calories…
And it even builds muscle.
That’s what I’m going for here. My goal isn’t to go hard and give myself shin splints again. My goal is to start training those muscles, so in a year from now, I can run the race.
“So, Simon. Has this actually given you some kind of substantive benefit?” Yes, yes it has. I found a healthy outlet for my stress, and that outlet is touching grass.
If I were to give advice on how to develop a sustainable workout plan, I’d first ask you to figure out your baseline. Figure out where exactly you’re at. Talk to your doctor if you have one (to the non-Americans, yes, unfortunately some people are without healthcare), and figure out what’s right for you.
Once you’ve done that, set simple goals and start small. I haven’t finished my book review of Atomic Habits yet, but that’s coming soon. I’d highly recommend that book to anyone attempting to develop sustainable habits of their own, when it comes to exercise or otherwise. (Don’t worry, I’ll come back and edit this paragraph once I’ve published my review.)
For starting small, it can be fairly simple. Don’t overwhelm yourself, or burn yourself out. Just be patient; as with anything, it takes time. If you find you’ve set a specific goal to be too much, don’t get discouraged, just keep going. The persistence factor is what you need to succeed.
That’s where Goggins and Jocko come in. They’re not religions or cults to follow. They publish resources for people who, already with the right mindset, just need a little extra motivation or convincing. In fact, before I lift max weights, I’ve always needed something to bring my adrenaline level up.
It doesn’t have to be long, either. Even if you just took a 10 minute walk every day and gradually built up from there, that’s still progress. Don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t, or that you’re not trying hard enough. As long as you’ve done your research fully, only you know your own limits. (Just be rational.)
A variety of people also fear that they’ll injure themselves. My best technique for learning how to lift a particular weight safely is to watch videos about it. Understand what muscle groups exactly I should be feeling, and how to get the form right. Use a tall mirror, so you can watch and correct your own form. Don’t put significant weight on the bar, just bench the bar until you have the form down.
And if you still can’t get it after that point, or if you feel overwhelmed with the idea of trying to take this on by yourself, ask for help. Develop a club of like-minded people, and really commit to making it a habit. Meet in person, instead of resorting to online-only clubs.
Not only is it good for you, it will make you happier and calmer. Just don’t push your limits past the point of safety. Safety first.
For now, I’m going to keep walking. And, I’m just going to keep writing. Be well. Talk soon.
from Planet Ubuntu https://ift.tt/6Qzu7E1
No comments: