Monday, August 25, 2008

Is Fitness a Luxury?

Moppet 1 recently read the Zion Covenant series for the first time - at 14, she is finally old enough. I have re-read a few so that we could discuss them, and every time I read them they are more frightening to me, and more humbling. In case you are not familiar these books, they are set in Europe as Hitler begins his march across Europe. Taking Austria, Czechoslovakia and then Poland, he then begins his Final Solution to the Jewish Problem by arresting, incarcerating, torturing and killing not only Jews, but Christians and anyone else who opposes him. The books are frightening because my absolute worst fear is to live in a totalitarian State, but what I want to talk about is why they are humbling.

First of all, they are humbling because the older I get, I'm not so certain that I would have enough courage to do the dangerous and heartbreaking things people do to protect themselves and others in such times. I realize that we receive the strength to do such things when that strength is needed, and that I can't know what I would do...but when I was younger I would have been more sure that I would be one of the unsung heroes.

Secondly (and this is where fitness comes in at least tangentially), it is humbling to admit that no matter how many times I remind myself, I am never able to hang on to the gratitude I should have for living in a time and place where I have the luxury to think about keeping myself fit for reasons of health and beauty. I can spend money and time on making sure I feel and look as good as possible, so that I can simply enjoy my peaceful life more. When you are thinking about whether the Gestapo is going to break down your door, the only concern you might have about fitness is whether you are strong enough to jump across rooftops if you need to escape out the attic window.

So, I would say that fitness IS a luxury in the great scheme of things, just like it is a luxury for we Americans to think about whether we are personally fulfilled, satisfied in our relationships or (insert overfed middle class desire, stress or neuroses here). I'm sure those things seem unimportant when you are faced with famine or warfare or are just not living in a wealthy society and have to work very hard to meet day-to-day needs. I need to remember that as I look through my scores of workout DVDs while wishing I also had some other one I haven't been able to purchase yet. I think ingratitude and lack of contentment will be something I struggle with all my life...I wrote about it in my zines three years ago and it's still rearing its ugly head.

But taken from the perspective that we have been blessed to live here and now, when most of us have leisure time and some disposable income, as well as a long life expectancy - is fitness a luxury for us if we want to spend all our years in productive activity? Of course, I have not quite reached 40, so I can't YET speak personally about what being fit has done for me in my later years, but there are lots of sites that speak to this issue. I know that we live in a world filled with physical degeneration, disease and death, and that no matter how fit we may become, we're gonna wind up in the grave. Until then, though, there is oodles of evidence that fitness improves quality of life for all ages. So, while it may be a luxury in one sense, it's a necessity in another.

Speaking of age...I am going to be 40 in a little more than 90 days, and I am going to spend that 90 days doing P90x - with the goal being to be in the best shape possible FOR ME by that milestone birthday! My only worry about that is whether I will be able to do the same 12 DVDs for 90 days, without any of my favorites!

And now for last week's workouts:

M - Leslie Sansone Walk and Kick, using my kettlebell instead of doing the kickbox intervals
T - Jari Love Ripped and Chiseled and walk outside
W - Debbie Siebers Cool It Off, which is an hour long stretch (I REALLY needed that!), plus walk
Th - Leslie Sansone Deluxe Walkaerobics plus Kettlebell and floorwork, and walk outside
F - A new DVD called One on One Training With Jackie (tough, but fun!) plus walk
Sat - walk

3 comments:

A Hopeful Hollar Knits said...

I had some of the same thoughts about exercise being self indulgent while we were in Mexico.

Yvonne said...

It sure is a luxury when everyone around you is falling apart! hehehe!

But you know...when Tiffany comes...:-)
Yea right!

Konkadoo said...

Since when did you start blogging again? If it was ages ago, where have I been? I blog again too but only very shallow things because it's mainly for extended family. No theology, politics or deep thinking.

My daughters drag my lazy behind out of bed and out the door to jog these days. We've only been back at it for 2 weeks.

Hey, email me sometime and give me an update, non-fitness, of what you've been up to!