Recently I was doing some googling when I came upon “Some Facts On Exercise“. As I was reading through the page I was hit by the simplicity of the idea of ‘intentionally stressing our bodies so we can maintain good health‘. Now I know this concept is far from a revolutionary idea when it comes to the benefits of exercise, but I felt it ‘post worthy’ none the less.
From the article:
“Fitness means the ability of the body to tolerate stress in all its forms – Like – A hard day in office. Fighting an infection with a germ invading the body. A skid on the road. Each and every stress to the body, be it small or big needs expenditure of energy and involvement of all the body’s defenses. More oxygen has to be delivered at the muscles, more waste products have to be carried away. All these place extra demand on the circulatory system and strain the capacity of heart. How our body faces any stressful condition depends on our baseline of Fitness. For some of us, even leisure can be stressful. Exercise helps us in keeping fit. It helps in toning up the body for many eventualities. “
I think it’s so important that we see the effects of regular exercise on our lives in the light of the above ideals. It’s a powerful image when we realize that without pushing ourselves physically, we are in effect, becoming less prepared to deal with the struggles and stresses of the future. By not maintaining a high level of ‘intentional bodily stress’, we are most certainly setting ourselves up for unnecessary defeats in our pursuits of goals and dreams. We have enough fighting against us already, so why add to the weight that already presides on our shoulders?
Our daily flu shot.
This idea of forced fatigue goes quite nicely with the analogy of a flu shot. The point of this viral vaccination is to give the recipient a small dose of the disease. This amount is not enough to overpower our immune systems, but is just right for providing strength and intelligence to our bodies ability to fend off future fronts. So when we regularly stress our systems with exercise, we are just raising the bar for our natural defenses. And just like a flu shot will ware off over time, so too do we need to maintain this healthy habit.
How Do You Deliver Your Dose?
As important as it is to push our bodies, we also need to find ways of doing so that entice us to continue with cooperation. Without an enjoyment of the endeavor, we will most surely succumb to a future of fitness failure.
I’ll start…
I love the outdoors! Fresh air and sunlight make my heart sing. A cool breeze on an autumn afternoon is like strands of silk soaking my every syllable of movement. Let’s just say I’m not big on Gyms. 
My preference for fitness is biking of any kind. Whether through the mountains of the Blue Ridge or on the roads to who knows where, I passionately enjoy pedaling my way to a healthier me.
When I can’t bike, though, it’s running all the way. Sometimes it’s just too cold or wet to comfortably ride the roads. So you could say that running for me is just my exercise plan B.
Other physical activities that I thoroughly enjoy are:
- Hiking along mountain trails (or any dirt/gravel path that offers a nice view).
- Going on long walks with my wife.
- Running around the park with my dogs.
- Playing a pickup game of basketball (my jump shot has about as much accuracy as a drunk marksman, but I enjoy the game just he same).
- Intense yard/house work (during our yearly ‘get rid of crap’ simplifying expedition, I find myself quite worn out by the end of the day).
So what about you? What do you do to get your blood flowing?
I love resistance training but I don’t do that at the gym. I will incorporate resistance bands and dumb bells into my workout. Jogging and swimming are my favorites too. Seems a tad too many haha
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
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It’s absolutely true, that it doesn’t matter what activity you choose, so long as you choose one that you can commit to. If that’s push-ups, great. Tennis, great. Don’t choose something where you will not follow through, or where you feel as though it’s a burden. That’s a sure ticket to nothing.
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I have ALWAYS had some form of physical exercise in my life because of the wonders it does me mentally and spiritually.
I have done Yoga pretty much all my life, but now I am running. It is a new challenge for me and one I thought I would never do – it is doing wonders to my self esteem
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Eric, I agree with you on biking. Since changing jobs a month a go, I’ve riden into work almost every day. My real passion though is hiking. While enjoy a good workout, getting out for a good hike is something I love. A good friend and I hiked the West Highland Way while we were in Scotland. Our current project is the Bruce Trail, which is 854 km long! We both have young families which makes it hard to get out and get it done. We aim to hike 4 or 5 times a year, which should get the trail completed in 8 years.
I actually enjoy the gym, mainly because most of the activities I do involve sitting on my butt (work, computers, music, blogging) so the gym is my way of forcing myself to be surrounded by things that can get my heart rate going.
I’m a big fan of snowboarding, so the winter time is when I get my outdoor excercise. Kinda backwards huh?
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@Vincent: I think I would really enjoy swimming if I were around water more, but mountains are the ‘common territory’ in my area, so hiking and biking are the way to go.
And you can never have too many favorites!
@Sean: Exactly! Activity is activity is activity.
@Maya: Running is great because you can do it anywhere, anytime, and with zero need for equipment. And there’s no doubt that it helps our self esteem/confidence. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Maya.
@Neil: I used to ride to work when I had a J-O-B. It always felt good getting there and feeling pumped and ready to go.
WOW! 854 km! That’s awesome. I’m definitely a big fan of hiking so that sounds awesome!
@Matt: See, that’s the reason I DON’T like gyms. I spend most of my time in front of a computer and in doors. So the last place I want to be when I’m working out is indoors.
But don’t get me wrong, I certainly understand the motivation that comes from exercising with other like minded individuals.
That is funny about when you get outdoors. I’m a Spring/Summer/Fall outdoor exerciser. Though I still usually find ways of breathing the fresh air in those cold winter months.
Physical activity is such an important part of maintaining emotional/mental well being! I walk my dog daily, in addition to fifty other things I do throughout the day to keep my blood flowing.
Too much time at the computer really can turn your mind into mush. I have a 14″ step in my home office which I have to step onto 24 times before I can head to the kitchen to get something to eat.
You probably wouldn’t be surprised how often I’ll finish those reps and then get back to work instead of continuing the trek to the kitchen!
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I exercise daily, but I prefer mild exercise. I never push myself too hard. Works for me.