I've been in the fitness racket for a long time to know
about how they work. And mind you, I am using the writer’s artistic license to
make this article more interesting than it is! This racket, this scam, is the
one we play out with ourselves, our minds.
Yes, we are no lesser racketeers than our glorified and
political bigwigs. It is just that their shenanigans affect a major chunk of
the populace- well, by affect, I mean people who are perturbed by it, not
people who care about it. Another article J
Coming back to the point- Because it’s national news, and
because a select few are perturbed by the scams going on around us, it becomes
a big racket, mostly revolving around money. However, when we do this day in,
day out, as long as we live, with our own body, nobody raises a finger. Nobody
causes a stir. Nothing happens. Now the question that may come to your mind is,
what the hell I am talking about, and if not that, how and what is this fitness
racket?
What I am talking about is the false promises, the lies, and
the deception that makes us scamsters in our own right. We have complete
disregard for our bodies, and yet blame our schedules for our health. We may be
educated enough to earn Management Degrees and Fat pay-cheques from
conglomerates, but we are ignorant about food labels and how they might affect
us. While buying a pair of shoes, we
research every available medium, physical and online, badger our friends over
social networking sites and don’t rest until we find the cheapest yet the best
quality sneakers ( for our “soon to begin” jogging sessions, of course).
However, we read or listen to a latest health fad or diet, how so ever mind
numbingly dumb it sounds, and get right to it.
This is what I am talking about.
The “We” mentioned in
the above para is you. Yes you. The one reading this article. The one with
access to the internet, the one who KNOWS how to use the internet. The one who
knows. The modern one. We’d rather spend an hour on FB chatting about how
difficult it is for us to find time to exercise or follow a diet plan because
of our work than walk for ten minutes a day. We’d rather expend a ton of energy
blaming the traffic and the work pressure for tiring us so much than directing
the same energy towards a better lifestyle.
This is how. This is how we run a fitness racket within
ourselves, and since it is a personal one, and since it does not affect a lot
of people, we justify that we aren’t scamsters. And of course, we seek
conformity by talking to people about our busy schedules, ranting about them
and agreeing to each other’s predicament.
- The next time you meet a neighbor, and you talk to them for fifteen minutes about the rising inflation, the soaring temperature and the disrespectful children, can you do it over a pleasant walk?
- The next time you want to spend “quality time” with your children or spouse and are considering a movie and a day at the mall, can’t you take them to a nature hike instead?
Is your mind filled with justification, excuses and solid
good reasons not to take my suggestions as valid ones right now? Welcome to the
club. An elite club with about 7 billion members. Home Sapen Sapiens.
We’re built that way. We thrive-at least our mind thinks we
do- on denial, in conformity, in herd mentality. And because of that, our most
valuable resource is getting wasted, and is languishing in the trenches. Our
health, our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
I know I’ve laid out the bad part. I’ve addressed the
problem. I’ve shoved the banana right up the monkey’s butt hole. I’m a smart
alec, aren’t I? The Mr. know all, who is standing on a pedestal judging us all?
Honestly, no. I’m one of you. I am the scamster you see in the mirror.
But, there are certain things that I have learnt from many
people, and many places, and this is what I am going to implement in my
life. You are free to use any or every step that you fancy.
Acknowledgement
It all starts with acknowledgement, doesn’t it? Yes
sweetheart, I love you. Yes, I think Tendulkar should retire now. Yes, I
acknowledge that the Parle-G biscuit of the 90’s – and the actors- weren’t
better off than today's.
You and I have to accept that we have this problem, that we
are fraudsters in our own right. We have to accept that we neglect our health
at the pretext of:
- Not having enough time. (Is walking ten mins a day really that big a deal to start off with?)
- Not having enough energy. (Visiting your favourite watering hole after a hard day is an energy saving exercise?)
- Not having enough money (Are the people who visit the gym and weight train the only healthy ones?
I am not endorsing Gymming, Yog-asan, Weight Training,
Functional Training, Cross Fit Training, Pilates, Aerobics, Swimming, or any
other form of exercise over the other. I have never done that and I never will.
They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and choosing one over the other
is a purely personal choice. The problem lies much before this. The problem
lies in motivation, and staying motivated. The problem lies in taking the first
step. We are so deeply entrenched in the quagmire of excuses, that we keep
debating on which form of exercise is the best, which shoes, what time, which
kind of diet, which kind of lifestyle is the best, and more than that usually,
the fastest, that we end up doing nothing at all. Acknowledge this.
To read more, well, please read the Part two which explains mind over mind, a technique. The part three, which is work in progress, will cover topics like:
- Time Management
- Prioritize
Thank you for reading. I am hoping that you felt
of this time spent as an investment towards your health. Feel free to comment
on whatever you think of this write up.
