by We all assume the everyone “knows” why we should exercise into our old-age. After all, our youth has fled like a “thief in the night.” And, remember, if we are fortunate, we are subject to life’s “slings and arrows,” as we all experiencing the long decline. So why should you exercise?
Do not go gentle into that good night
Shakespeare
Exercise in our youth reflects the exuberance of being alive. I was watching a calf the other morning jumping and bounding about. It was expressing the exuberance of life.
As we age, this seems to fade for us. I remember running carefree for miles and miles. Feeling so good, like I could go on forever. I don’t feel that too often anymore. That is the energy associated with the hormones coursing through our veins. As these hormones decline, so to, our youth. That is why this blog is focused on exercises that help slow that decline. Notice, I said slow, not stop. No one yet knows how to stop or reverse that decline, except maybe jellyfish. (Jellyfish apparently don’t age. But who wants to spend eternity floating around in the ocean?)
OK, so what is the primary benefit to exercising? It’s good for your brain. It’s good for you emotional stability. Your body was meant to move. Not just a little, but to move ecstatically! You’re not meant to be a crawler, walker, or a jogger, but a sprinter! And, I don’t mean because you’re being chased by a predator, but because you can sprint! You can jump! You can dive off a cliff into the water below!
FYI..exercise’s chief long-term side effect
Did you know that anti-depressants are only effective on a very small percentage of the population!? But exercise is 100% effective on everyone with none of those pesky side-effects. Instead of drugging yourself or your kids, go for a walk. Then start to sprint!
The mind and the body are intimately connected. Relax the body and the mind relaxes. Exercise the body and the mind is exercised. Exercise makes you more human. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?