Humans were meant to move yet the average person today spends about 7 or more hours a day sitting in front of a computer or behind a desk, and less than half an hour a day working out. This type of sedentary lifestyle places an enormous strain on their spinal cord which can lead to back problems fairly quickly and can have long term negative health effects.
A large number of people still don’t ‘get’ running. I’m not sure what’s there not to get. Running is a natural activity that our bodies have been designed for. Think back to the times of cave men, they ran a lot – chasing food, escaping predators, seeking shelter. So why do people continually make excuses not to run (or exercise) when it’s the most instinctive motion and one of the best ways to reduce your risk of preventative diseases.
The amount of people falling ill these days is record breaking – diabetes, cancer, colds, flues, heart disease, high cholesterol, depression. Research shows that more than 60% of adults are overweight or obese. The risk of these diseases can be reduced dramatically simply by changing your diet and adding a decent bout of exercise into your day.
Fifteen minutes of physical activity is better than none, but you should aim for four times that amount. It’s difficult to change the fact that many of us have sedentary jobs but this should give us more reason to get outside and get active in our spare time. Running (or working out) isn’t just about letting go of the donut around your belly, it comes down to having a healthier heart, having the strength to run around with your children in the park, taking the stairs and not getting puffed, easily doing housework and cooking and still having energy to spare.
I must admit, I spend enough time on the couch or in front of my laptop – ok I admit – too much time. In recent months my productivity efforts have wavered, my output has decreased, and the amount of time I spend surfing the time wasting Internet has quadrupled. I’m guilty of all the things I write about that people shouldn’t do – and I’m noticing the negative side effects.
*The more I spend on the couch the less I want to get off.
*The more irregular my training is, the harder it is to motivate myself to pay the gym a visit or head outdoors for a run.
*The more chocolate I eat, the more I crave it.
But then again the reverse is also true:
*The more often I run, the more I want to run.
*The more active I am, the more active I want to stay.
It all comes down to what you are used to doing. Humans are creatures of habit – some even enjoy the monotony of their existence – and that’s okay. However, if you desire something more out of your life and from yourself, you have to get off that couch and move your butt regardless of whether you’re a runner, gymnast, writer, businesswoman or whatever. The one thing I can say from experience is that exercise in any form will make you feel at the top of your game regardless of what your day involves or aspirations are.
So when someone tells you that running or jumping around in tights with 30 other people isn’t natural kindly ask them whether they too want to invest in their health for today and the future. The answer will probably be no, but you might get lucky and help another person realize how important and fun a bit of exercise every day really is.
Training
Terrain: Treadmill
Distance: 8.42km
Workout: intervals (8x400m with 8x400m rest periods) 1.5km warm up + 0.5km cool down
Time: 45 minutes
Very positive! I struggle as well with people who don’t do any kind of exercise and then moan about their pains or weight or lack or energy, sad they can’t see how it could be fixed! But then I have lots of injuries from doing too much sport 🙂
I think it’s better to play sport and risk injury than to sit around all day watching tv or doing nothing and suffering an injury. But that’s just my two cents.
I don’t know the extent of your injuries but I hope that you are on your way to becoming injury free 🙂