Forgot password?
Why?
Over the holiday break a family member asked me why I devote so much of my life to exercise/outdoor activity. I appreciated the question, but I couldn't answer it succinctly. We accept very broad medically-oriented "health" benefits (aren't doctors always telling us to exercise?) but I believe it's not just about health for most of us, including me. I answered the question incompletely with bits and pieces about feeling good but knew my answer could use more defining. Appropriately, New Years time was the backdrop on thinking deeper about why I do (work out, in this case) what I strangely do. When skate-skiing yesterday I came up with Fun. Fulfillment. Friends. None of those are about our cardiovascular system or losing inches off the waist. All three of those are more immediate to me than my abstract long-term health. If these benefits were marketed as much as health/weight loss, would more of the population then have an active lifestyle? Could Madison Avenue convince us to broaden our reasons to get out there? I think it would be cool if they found out. Anyhow, back to why bike, run, ski, et al. Right now, especially, it may feel more difficult to give precious energy to "playing" outside, particularly if medical health and waistlines are not motivators. I know the fun of mountain biking in beautiful country (of course requiring many not-always-so-fun hours of training) is some of the the finest fun I have ever known. That is a powerful motivator for me. So is the fulfillment from progress, for example, along the learning curve in the basic skate-ski rhythm that you mechanically perform, and then eventually feel (Wow! It's starting to flow!) The friends seem to be a standard package with active-lifestyles. What really makes us tick more than the people around us? Especially if in a spell of uncertainty, it seems valuable to not take these grounding-benefits for granted. I'm glad I got the "why do it?" question. Reconnecting to something beyond "It's good for you!" made a window into my automatic work out-behavior a bit clearer. I'd wager that our population's spectrum of core motivations to be active is broad, often unsuspecting and inspiring. I hope the New Year offers some motivation to reestablish your motivations, as well as plenty of fun, fulfillment, and friends.
Very well said!!. In short "meditation in motion" to tap into our inner being is simply the reason for living.
Oregon, United States
Triathlon, Athletes/Active Lifestyle
BS in biology, MS in exercise science, BS in nutrition/dietetics, Registered Dietitian. 10…MORE
High-quality protein — in the amounts you need, when you need it, and without the extra calories that come from fat or added carbs.
By: Christopher D. Jensen, PhD, MPH, RDNutrition & Epidemiology Researcher
All trademarks and other intellectual properties on this site are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland or are used with permission.