Sunday Story...the 9 Save Your Life Reasons to Work Out (not exercise)

Sunday Story…the 9 Save Your Life Reasons to Work Out (not exercise)

I often rant and rave about the benefits of working out. You notice I said working out not exercising. I exercise my rights, I exercise my math skills, I ride an exercise bike but I don’t exercise. I work out. I get moving, get moving fast and intentional, and do things I haven’t done before and sweat and pant and effort.

The other day my little tiger class (4 &5 year olds) was doing push-ups and I asked them why push-ups were important. I got a lot of interesting answers, most of which were related to the things we all know…to be strong, to get bigger muscles, to be in shape, to exercise, even to get good at doing push-ups. Then after a bit more prodding and having them watch the student instructors move a bin of sparring gear to reach something else I finally got the answer I was looking for…to be able to lift heavy things! Are all those other things true? Of course they are. But in the final analysis the only real reason I want to work out is so that I can lift heavy things, move heavy things, run fast, climb stairs, help my invalid relative out of a chair, or work in my garden all day. In other words when I work out I need it to serve me in my life.

So here are the 9 Save Your Life Reasons to Work Out (not exercise)
1. Fresh Air, sunshine, and earth are all healing and contributory to your spirit. Hamsters run on wheels, not people. You don’t need to spin your wheels for 45 minutes going nowhere just to sweat. Get outside and see the world, even if it just your own neighborhood. You will be amazed at the changes over the course of a year.

2. Lifting heavy things builds muscle but it also builds will. When you set up or get under a weight you have never lifted before your mind is going to work against you. Your mind is going to say no, is going to want to stop, to quit. Your will, your drive, your desire is what has you step up and go where you have never gone before. This part of your body is under-developed and the only way to get it bigger is to challenge yourself with things that are seemingly impossible to your former self.


3. Sprinting empowers you. Remember the old saying about not having to outrun the bear, just outrun the slowest camper? If you sprint you won’t be the slowest camper. And in this day and age it more likely you will need to outrun the taxi cab barreling down at you than a bear but still…

4. Use it or lose it. Sitting around doing nothing is like watching a car rust in the rain…it is going to fall apart sooner rather than later. Doing the usual exercise pattern you have done for years is like watching the same car die of neglect. It needs new stuff to keep that shiny new look and feel. So does your body. You need to challenge yourself by doing different stuff, by creating some interest in what you are doing…it is body AND mind after all not just body.


5. Play more, work less. When you were little you played a lot. As a matter of fact it may be all you did. Working out is play. Exercise is drudgery. Play more, work less.

6. You are a miracle. Never before in history have you existed here. You have been gifted an absolute marvel of bio-mechanical engineering. Man has never been able to create the machine that rivals the sum of all your parts working together. If we were to try to reverse engineer your biology and mechanics that allow you to be alive we would be faced with an impossible task. Appreciate the how and why and wherefore of even the simplest movement let alone your ability to run fast, play hard and drip sweat.

7. Look better naked. However good you look now, you can always look better. Enough said.

8. Sleep. Sleep enough that you don’t get fired or divorced but sleep a lot. You will need 8 or 9 hours if you work out. If you exercise, well watching TV while you exercise might as well be sleeping right?

9. Eat more and eat better. When you work out…when the sweat is pouring off of you and drenching the floor, you legs are shaking, your heart is pounding, and your breath is strangling in your throat…you know you are going to be slicing fat off your frame for hours. Eating will be a little piece of heaven that drink of water will be like the nectar of the gods. And because #7 is true you will want to put premium fuel in the tank.

10. You will be an inspiration. Let’s face it we all want to be looked up to. We all want to be famous in some way, even if it is to the 5 people in our lives we see every day. Getting in great physical condition, eating right, sleeping a bunch, looking great, feeling great, having an amazing attitude and a sense of wonder are all contagious. The people around you are going to want to get some of what you got. And you get to be their hero. And that may be reason #1.

Run fast, lift heavy stuff, learn new ways to move, play, sleep, eat, inspire. Work out. Have fun. A simple recipe for honoring yourself and the amazing vehicle you inhabit. It’s never too late to start unless you are already dead.

Let’s be grown ups and start playing like we were kids again!

Namaste
John
“Teaching Focus, Inspiring Transformation”
www.martialartsnevada.com

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