If I were to tell you there existed a demon of sloth, a ghost of laziness, or an evil spirit of inactivity, would you believe it? I’ll also tell you that this spirit is dark, it is out to possess you, and if you don’t fight it, it might very well take over. It can lead you to a series of curses or ailments, and even to your eventual demise. Am I scaring you yet? Probably not, because like most modern people, you’re not superstitious.
But there’s nothing superstitious about contracting the very real ailments of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack or stroke. These could all carry you to your fateful doom whether you believe in angels and demons or not. We don’t necessarily need to believe in any symbols at all, but inactivity and unhealthy living can surely kill you right here in the real world.
It’s been another one of those weeks. A week of pensive thought-provoking physical exercise. The ancient Greeks used to believe in the ideal of a healthy mind in a healthy body, and I simply love to think about this when I’m training. Exercise can be such a powerful meditation. It can create that special empty space if you let it, a fresh mental space; the perfect space for a little reflection on life’s great mysteries both large and small.
It’s a brave new world, stricken by obesity and inactivity, yet the future of the health and fitness industry would appear as uncertain as perhaps any other. If we define superstition as a widely-held and irrational belief in the supernatural, then I fear it might not remain the sole reserve of our ancestors who inhabited the Middle Ages, a time so often referred to as the ‘dark ages’. Will the future of fitness win it’s freedom from angels, demons and other superstitions?
Perhaps the problem is precisely that it is an industry. Industries generate commercial interests and financial profit, and wherever these things exist, so too do the wide-open flood gates. Free to pour in are an endless supply of hopefuls intent on making a quick buck. Quick bucks can be made selling stuff that works as well as stuff that doesn’t. Truth is it doesn’t matter, because with profit made and money safely in pockets, the end is met and the means justified. All that’s left is faith, belief or disbelief in whether the product will actually work, in tandem with a very real and believable deficit of cash in our personal accounts.
To consider an example, I heard of another study last week about the effectiveness of energy drinks in sport. The nutritionists and sport scientists are divided about their true worth, so if even the experts can’t agree, what hope do we, the people, have in formulating effective and well-informed decisions? We sometimes happily go on purchasing products even without concrete evidence they are even working or not. Is this really any more ludicrous than believing in the paranormal ghost of inactivty?
We live in a society where influences on our health are all around us, things that can nurture or destroy our health. I was driving passed a recently-opened popular fast food establishment on a busy road some days ago, and was surprised to see the rush of cars actually warranted police presence and control. Will we ever get to see police guarding clogged-up entrances of gyms or health clubs any time soon?
Like gym memberships, many other products will be competing for our custom in the fitness industry of the future. Will it be pills, potions, or gadgets that win our superstitious affections over the coming years? There is talk of a new generation of fat-burning and apetite-supressant pills hitting the market. I do wonder how many we will have to throw down our necks before we find the answer to stemming ever-rising national obesity statistics.
Will a watch or some other hand-held device make the difference if it can give us enough numbers about distances, times, global positioning and calories burned? I can’t help but feel we are missing the point. A dear friend recently remarked to me about how much he used to enjoy his bike rides with friends. Breathing the fresh and invigorating morning air and stopping at picturesque locations to take in the spectacular views are benefits of an outdoor lifestyle that are hard to ignore. Enjoying good company and exchanging a joke or two over a quick water break would represent the cornerstone of his regular morale-boosting routine.
Ever since the introduction of a popular new online cycling application however, it’s all about covering as much distance as fast as possible, and getting home to log on and check your stats. Comparing results and competing with a bunch of people we’ve never met, and maybe getting a pretty little on-screen image of badge to reward our efforts might motivate us for a while, but what beauty will we miss along the way that lay right under our noses all along? Those special moments when we stop to smell the roses might just be preciesly what we were looking for in these hectics times of ours; finding the meaning in the moment rather than spending every waking moment searching for meaning others have suggested to be true.
Fitness is personal and it is true. Your body is honest, it will never cheat you. What you put in you will get back. So if you’re looking for something to believe in, look no further than what lies right beneath your nose. Believe in yourself and take the first step today, however small it may be, live simply, live active.
matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.mt