Aversion to Exercise

It was surprisingly easy to get up at 4:45 this morning after yesterday's adventure.  It must be a symptom of the onset of old age.  LOL   Anyway, I got in my 90 minutes of stationary biking.   Interesting observation for the day:  I had DVR'd a couple of SportCentury programs from ESPN.  I got so engrossed watching the Rocky Marciano and the Casey Stengel stories that the time flew by.  Perhaps my workout wasn't as intense as it might have been if I hadn't been so caught up in the shows.  But, I still got in some cardio and calorie burning.   I think it isn't necessary to have an A+ workout every time.   I mean everything we do has a best day and worst day of each week (and month and year for that matter).   My take is that I still got a pretty good workout.  

This makes me think about exercise in general.    A moderate workout is not a bad workout.  How many times have I read that a brisk walk (pretty moderate for a runner/racer) is all that's required for good health?  So why don't more people do it?  

In my winter life I teach Adult Alpine Skiing.  I am frequently astonished (you'd think I'd get used to it but I don't) at how out-of-shape people are.  Even 20 somethings.  I don't just mean overweight or obese (although many are) I mean in really poor condition.   For example, they are out of breath and complaining of fatigue after a 5 minute walk over moderate terrain in their ski boots (some quit after a half-hour).

It is readily apparent that these folks have gone a very long time getting almost no exercise.  Why is that?   The news media are rife with articles expounding on the virtues of exercise.  There is national diet craze that has been going on for decades.  Doctors are advising everyone to get their 30 - 60 minutes a day.  It's nearly impossible not to know that exercise is needed for good health.   So why don't we exercise.  What is the aversion, if that's what it is?   It isn't that difficult.  We know it's good for us.  There is huge image pressure in the advertising media to have a certain body image.  We find time for TV and other forms of entertainment.  I admit I'm clueless.  The problem, in fact, seems to be worsening.  

Does it stem from the abandonment of physical education in schools?  Is it due to the proliferation of video games which have replaced outdoor activities?   I admit I'm at a loss to explain it.

Meanwhile,  the flip side is that I enjoy being fitter than most.    I was colder than the dickens today but I got in day 4 of skiing this season.

How cold was it.   I think it topped out at about 5 degrees F.   The wind was blowing about 10 m.p.h.  You can look up that wind chill.  I'm not sure I want to know because tomorrow promises more of the same.   I'm thinking a lot of fantastic things must have happened today for surely hell finally froze over!