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Wednesday, September 28. 2022

Fitnesss goals are simpler than most life goals


I think that is part of why so many people get satisfaction, if not pleasure, from spending 5 or 6 hours per week maintaining or building physical fitness. 


Fitness goals are simple and measurable. Furthermore, the relative mindlessness of it is a relief from the stresses that other life goals give us. For me, workout sessions lift me out of my mind into a pure animal zone of bodily effort. It is my form of meditation (if meditation implies emptying one's mind). Playing sports does something like that, as does sex. Regardless of age, don't underestimate the importance of sex.


I do not mean to say that sports are mindless, but once you get used to a sport, much of it is reflex. That is training: Down the line or cross-court.  


Recreation: Hiking, sports, swimming, and general functioning/vitality are rewards for fitness.  



Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss in Physical Fitness at 15:18 | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0)

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Emptying one's mind for a while every day can be a pretty good deal, me thinks.
#1 RL on 2022-09-28 23:36 (Reply)
When I was young exercise was always to see how much I could do. I would do 20 pushups and feel so good I would keep going to see if I could do 30, and as I neared 30 no matter how I felt physically my mind was telling me I can do 40. etc. I can remember in the 7th grade in gym every boy had to go through a physical challenge test and we were doing sit ups on an inclined board. I didn't stop. My gym teacher had to come over and insist I stop doing sit ups. I did hundreds of them and would still be doing them (LOL) if he hadn't stopped me.

Now at age 80 I do 10 pushups every day. The first one I'm not sure that once I go down that I'll be able to push up but somehow I do it. I do the next four feeling the same, will I just stop and lay there awhile? But after the fifth one I begin the count down. Number 7 feels like I'm almost done but then I realize I have 3 more to go. I finish number 8 and I think "damn 2 more, will I make it?" Finally finish number 10 and lay down turn over to get ready for leg lifts while I wonder what happened to my get up and go.

I'm too tired to discuss my leg lifts, let me catch my breath...
#2 OneGuy on 2022-09-29 10:37 (Reply)

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