“We treat the body rigorously, so that it will not be disobedient to the mind.” -Seneca
Working Out
I’ve never been a “gym guy.” I mean I lifted in High School, but that was mostly because I thought it would help me attract the attention of my female classmates. It didn’t, still I was pretty ripped. By college, I was much softer.Now that I’m nearly fifty…let’s just say it’s been a while since one might consider me “in shape.”
The Spark
A few weeks back, I was at a family gathering where there were literally dozens of my family members. My father and his two living brothers were among them. I noticed the three of them standing together and decided to sidle on over and see what they were talking about.
My youngest Uncle has had more than a dozen back surgeries. My father has four stents that are five-years past their expiration. My middle Uncle is suffering from early-onset dementia. Needless to say, the conversation was not about their plans for world conquest, but rather about all the things that hurt and all the things they wised were different. Even worse, because of the dementia, they had the same conversation over and over again.
It was literally at that moment that I decided to change my body. No matter how hard it would be, no matter what it would take, I knew that I didn’t want to be where they were. I am still young enough to make a difference, so I decided to do something about it.
I’m not THAT Kind of Crossfitter
Like I said, I’m not a gym guy. More importantly, I am wise enough to know that I can’t build my own workout routine. That hasn’t worked for the last fifty years, so it definitely won’t for the next fifty either. I thought about joining a climbing gym, or getting a personal trainer. So I searched for local gyms and saw one between me and work; a crossfit gym. Damnit.
I sent a message. I just wanted to know the price. I knew that would be enough of an excuse to avoid becoming one of…you know…them. A few minutes later I got a reply with an offer. Come in for a free session. If i liked it, we could talk about the pricing, if not, no harm, no foul. Damnit.
Fast forward to three weeks ago when my sloppy ass dragged into a crossfit gym at 5:30 in the freaking morning. Everyone was friendly. The workout was hard, but over before I knew it. The coach was helpful. Damnit.
Now I’m a crossfitter. Damnit.
The Truth of Fitness
It’s only been a few weeks, but already I feel different. I look different.My clothes fit better, I’m sleeping more fully. My malaise is gone. Could this really have been this good all along? Damnit.
The stoics believe in beating the body into submission so it doesn’t control the mind. I can say with surety, that left unchecked, the body will control the mind. It will tell you you’re hungry when you’re thirsty. It will convince you that you’re starving when you don’t have a milkshake with your cheeseburger. What more might an unruly body do to an otherwise healthy mind?
The truth of fitness is that it’s holistic. Our minds and and metaphorical hearts depend on strong bones, muscles, sinew. A strong body begets a stronger mind, but it certainly doesn’t guarantee one.
Laying a Base
My new view on fitness is that it is a base. It’s something to build a healthy life on. It’s a strong foundation for a growing mind and a soaring heart. So I’m going to work my ass off on it. Damnit.
If you’re astute, you may have noticed that I started my class at 5:00 am. That’s another layer of this new foundation. You see, just like building a house, you can’t standup the walls before putting down the foundation. Each day I’m building a better me…or at least I’m trying to. If that’s going to happen, I need a solid base. So three days a week (for the moment) I drag my ass out of bed at 5:00, drive to the gym, and get smoked by people half my age, but guess what…it’s pretty fun. Damnit.