Exercise & the Cliff of Insanity
Like sheep to the slaughter, sometimes we follow a convention that really isn’t wise. Take work ethic, for instance: ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get’; ‘The early bird gets the worm,’ and all that. Hmm. Then there’s the old saying, ‘All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.’ That one made sense to me even when I was a small (not dull) boy. Judging by the people I see in offices, on the streets, and about town I wonder how many people remember that one.
I equate play with physical activity, not video games, watching TV, or sitting at a computer. Getting to the gym regularly is a big deal to me. I learned early on I needed movement to stay happy and motivated. When I got into athletics, and the inevitable rehab from injuries, exercise became an indispensable part of my life. It was fun to play games and excel. Rehab was the challenge to get back to being active. Through all of it, exercise – calisthenics, weight training, cycling, running – became central to affecting my outlook on life, to waking up every morning active, optimistic, wanting to get to it.
In my late thirties and still in the early part of chasing an aerospace career and raising a family, I stopped weight training for about five years. I got grumpy, overworked and out of shape. One day I woke up and realized I needed to restore some sanity to my mental balance, my outlook. I needed to get back into the gym. That very day, I went to my boss and told him, “I won’t be coming into work until 7:30 from now on. I’ll be at the gym in the mornings before work.”
I didn’t ask for permission, which in my time was kind of a bold thing to do. But this was something I needed, and I think he saw that. He looked at me and said, “Okay. You should do that.” It sounded kind of funny coming from an overweight guy who obviously hadn’t exercised for some time, but I said “Thanks” and already felt the relief of commitment. That was 30 years ago and I haven’t stopped since.
It was a change in mindset. When I was younger, working out or exercising after work was my norm. I abhorred the idea of getting up early to exercise. But with a family, after work each day it was all them. It took awhile to realize if I wanted to maintain some level of sanity, of stress release, of turning off the brain from life’s stresses, morning workouts would be the only way to get there. When I finally committed to it, wow, what a difference! I felt better in every respect.
It’s said it takes 21 days to form a new habit. I remind myself that applies to both good and bad habits. It’s a good motivator to moderate destructive or poor behaviors and a great way to keep the good ones at the top of your mind. No slacking, at least not for long. Give yourself too many excuses and good behavior will slip and that poor behavior will take its place. Just like that. I little fear to keep that from happening is a good thing. It’s an internal battle we all fight.
Everyone should have a regular physical activity. I always recommend weight training, because it’s the best way to retain muscle mass and aerobic fitness. It’s been shown that exercise, stressing your muscles, releases chemicals that stimulate and improve the health of your brain. More than brain teaser exercises or that other stuff. And weight training is the best, most efficient way to accomplish all it. Yes, you read that right. Science has proven it. I have a resting heartrate in the 40s. It’s not from running. Retention of muscle mass keeps your metabolism up, stimulates your brain, helps you burn fat, control weight and, if done correctly, increase flexibility. The result is you stay more active and enjoy life more.
The habit of exercise is the answer to avoiding depression and listlessness, to improving the quality and happiness of your life. Not following the other sheep, but running away will keep you from falling off that cliff of insanity. It works fantastically well for me.
