In the last few months we heard news of at least two people, we know quite well, who have had surgery related to coronary issues. Both of them were gym regulars and very much into health and fitness, though in completely different age groups. This re-opened the perennial debate that I have with my wife, who will use these as examples of why exercising to her is no guarantee of good health. In her experience, most of the fitness obsessed people that she has come across are the more whiny ones - always complaining of aches and pains, constantly groaning and wingeing or raising some issue or the other (myself included). If it is not soreness, it is stomach bloating, and if not that, a general lack of energy. She also believes that such people are more prone to illnesses and other related issues. I guess she subscribes to Henry Ford’s view that – “Exercise is bunk. If you are healthy you do not need it: if you are sick you should not take it.”
I on the other hand just cannot wean myself away from my masochistic work outs, even though the regularity of my sessions has diminished considerably due to time and other pressures. My idea of a nice session is dripping with sweat from head to toe, puffing and panting, and feeling a nice soreness emanating into my muscles. If my heart is not pounding at its absolute maximum, and my breath coming out in gasps I feel as if I have just been fooling around. I see people who meander in to the gym, and 45 minutes later stroll out with not a drop of sweat or strain to show for it, and to me that is an utter waste of time. Indians (excuse the generalization here) in particular hate to push themselves physically. I have been a member of an Indian Sports Club now for years. The gymnasium there is as good as any I have ever been to, the machines, the space to move around etc. are all excellent, just as the entire club facilities are actually superb. But apart from a couple of 40-something enthusiasts, the remaining regulars barely break a sweat. I guess something IS better than nothing, but what leaves me perplexed is why not give it all you have got?
Why do most people not workout, even though they know it is good for them?
I guess they need some motivation....
Why do smokers continue to persist in smoking, knowing fully well it is bad for them? Fundamental questions with really no easy answers! We all have this amazing gift to build mental models (beliefs) which suit our situation and preferences, and leave all dissenting information aside. It is called selective perception, and is a common human trait. I have this tendency to put all sorts of junk into my mouth, knowing fully well that it is bad for me. I guess I justify the same by saying that I will work it out the next day!
People, who know me, know that exercising is very close to my heart. I have been a gym-rat now for over 20 years, interspersed with other sports like squash and running in between. Physical wear and tear and niggling injuries have forced me, over these years to stop some of these activities, as well as tone down the intensity of my routines. Many times over these years I have asked myself as to why I do what I do, and I have failed to find an adequate response. I could understand this dedication if my overall fitness (by whatever standard) was improving steadily, or that I was into competitive sports, or even if I felt great at the end of it all. But on the contrary, I am almost always either stiff or sore, recovering from some injury or complaining about some ligament stress. I cannot remember a decent period of pain-free time in the last 10 years or so.
I seem to have given myself a Hobson's choice of either this type of painful existence or to stop training altogether. Problem is that after periods of prolonged breaks from working out, my stress levels manifest in horrible ways. Headaches, irritability and impatience become the alternative. As these symptoms become noticeable, my loving wife changes her mind and starts realizing the benefits of my working out to her.
“Exercise is done against one’s wishes and maintained only because the alternative is worse” – George Sheehan
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