I’m exhausted.I just got back from the gym, where my wife has been dragging me now for a few months. Yep, I’m getting in shape. Working out, building muscle, losing fat, toning up, the whole thing (or, as we say in Jersey, “da hole ting”). I’m getting stronger, and Hildy seems to really like the results.So here’s a thread on fitness. Do you work out, and does your atheism have anything to do with it? After all, longer life is better than a shorter one, right? Does fear of death motivate you to lead a healthier life?
I’d have to say that during school, I cannot see to find the time to get to the gym. However, during winter and summer breaks, I usually take advantage of the local student special at the gym- and I go every day.
Personally, I find that balacing the vices in life with good things is the best way to go. If I wanted to be completely healthy, I’d stop smoking cigars, drinking diet soda, and having the occasional Burger King. Can’t deny life’s pleasentries. On the other hand, going to the gym every day helps to counter-balance that, and additionally, it actually feels good (endorphins anyone?).
As for the death question… I like to believe that I don’t fear it, and I usually draw upon the popular saying (paraphrased), “I’ve been dead for billions of years before I was born, and I didn’t seem to mind.” Although whether or not I actually fear death probably won’t reveal itself until death is imminent. To your question though… No, death has almost nothing to do with my daily motivation to go to the gym (although perhaps biologically it’s rooted in there somewhere).
I don’t want to die, so I live a really healthy lifestyle. I think one of the reasons that the United States is the world’s fattest country is that it combines the lack of fear of death inspired by having an ultra high rate of religion, combined with the availability of junk food. Which is also why the southern states are the fattest. The same goes for Canada to a lesser extent, the uneducated religious provinces (like Newfoundland) are full of fat people, whereas the atheistic liberal places like Vancouver in BC have scarcely any fat.
I’d just like to say that this whole obcession with fat is ludicrous. The human body has developed to be fat: to engorge to prepare for long periods of scarcity. That the scarcity has disappeared in America and else-where has not affected the body’s predispositions and few people have stopped to consider that maybe, just maybe its unhealthy to *not* have a moderate amount of body fat.
Besides, having fat deposits is not synonymous with being unhealthy. I’m not saying we should ignore the correlation. I’m just saying that being fat doesn’t *cause* one to be unhealthy or necessarily imply that one is unhealthy.
Maybe by living a ‘healthy’ lifestyle you’re putting undue strain on your body.
http://www.machineslikeus.com/cms/news/the-good-and-bad-fat
First off, congratulations. I’ve been working out for a few months now and I feel great. And I look pretty damn good too. As Sally Field would say “I have this one life and this one body” so take care of it.
The religious nuts want to waste people’s time with how much working out and feeling good is “vain” or that when you are doing Yoga you’re really worshiping false gods in the process so they make up their own “christian” version of yoga where you mimic “christian” poses and end up throwing off your muscles.
I work out as part of my doctor-prescribed regimen. I want to live my life to it’s fullest however long or short that ends up being. I admit, I tend to work out religiously. It’s no wonder the gym is sometimes referred to as “gay church.” But at least I’m not wasting my time and money there. I can actually see the results.
Not particularly. I just enjoy not being unhealthy (which is to say that you don’t appreciate being healthy unless you’ve been unhealthy).
Strike that. It most certainly can, I was just over-reacting.
I learned how to do arm curls on Friday night…with Tequila shots. Does that count?
you guys don’t need to work out in the gym, just buy Pat Robetson’s miracle shake so you can leg-press 2000 pounds (for which, I believe, you should make Guiness Book).
Karen,
Double shots are twice as heavy and will therefore burn twice as many calories!
I try to swim in my pool 3x per week and eat healthy but even so those of us with Type 1 diabetes can expect to lose about 15 years or so off of the average lifespan and we get to go blind, have kidney failure, erectile dysfunction, and of course, lose our feet. Yeah!-the fun never fucking stops at my house! Is it any wonder that I’m such an advocate for stem cell research? This one life is it and once its over th-th-thats all folks.
Dave,
Well, I found that I didn’t like the salt or the lime, so I cut them out. Better for my BP and saved miniscule calories on the lime, mebbe. The shots were in skinny very tall glasses, don’t know if they were singles or not, but I had 5 of ‘em. Chased ‘em with Pinot Grigot, cos that’s what I started out with, when my friends decided I needed to learn to do Tequila shots. No hangover, or worshiping of the porcelain god either. But I did feel very happy by shot numero cinco. Good exercise!
I run and lift daily. My kids are joining in as well. The benefits are enormous.
KIP
There is no question as far as present medical science is concerned. If you get fat you will suffer and in many ways. There is nothing healthy about having a few extra pounds of fat either.
We seem to have a lot of personal trainer clients. Here’s a client site that a lot of people seem to like:
http://www.defrancostraining.com/
He has a column that he writes and you might like to check out his archive:
http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/ask_joe.htm
He has good articles as well:
http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/articles.htm
Enjoy!
I’m like a cocker spaniel, either run the energy out of me, or I’ll shit all over the floor.
It’s been the same since I was a wee lad.
I?ve been studying nutrition and fitness for approximately 23 years; however, the application of this research to my lifestyle has been sporadic and riddled with hit and misses. About 2 years ago, shortly after the removal of my gall bladder, I began to get sick. It was a wake up call. Hell no I didn?t want to die. I?m only 43! What if I die next year and a year later aliens contact the earth? I?d miss it all!
I decided I wanted to live to be 110, so I pulled together my knowledge and began to practice what I preached. I ate as much whole organic foods as possible, ditched the smokes, rediscovered running, and I?m about 10 pounds away from the 14 pairs of skinny jeans gathering dust in my closet.
110 here I come!
The only way I can seem to consistently exercise is through sports. I can’t get motivated through get plain exercise by my self, I thrive off the competion of a full-structured sport. I can’t stand to not be involved is sports either, I die during my 3 week off season in the Spring! As far as why I exercise goes, mainly I want to be healthy (eat healthy included) and look hot
I don’t really think prolonging my life has much to do with it….by now that you mention it, it makes sense, I do want to live long and I hate eating processed junk and not exercising since that is not the way humans are meant to live.
I exercise because I feel like crap when I don’t.
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